All Reviews
Nyssa Botts
a week ago100/10!!!! I saw this place on my way to work and decided to try it when I got off and best decision ever!!! The staff were super friendly, welcoming, and attentive. I got the crispy tofu, unagi 3 ways, and uji matcha icecream with mochi. Everything was super flavorful and perfectly balanced. The mango matcha latte was also fireeee not too sweet and rich! Very satisfied and would recommend.
htxfoodexplorer
2 weeks agoI didn’t have high expectations due to some other reviews I’ve read but this place surprised me. When I first walked in I noticed the place had decor that matched its name and so it makes you feel like you’re in a “kitchen lab.” The place is definitely unique and the items on the menu were based off of a variety of Japanese food. I tried the Wagyu soup dumpling, which the waitress did notify me that it does take awhile to make. I did end up getting them last. I ordered the signature Tori paitan which was creamy and flavorful. It had peppery flavored chicken, beef, and wonton. It also included a half soft boiled egg. This is now probably my top favorite ramens in Houston. I would highly recommend you try this especially if you like creamy ramens. The other item I ordered was the NY strip katsu and they bring it out with a small bowl of rice and curry. The curry was flavorful and it was a nice little dipping sauce for the meat. The meat also has its own sauces in a tray too if that wasn’t enough. The meat itself is ready to eat but if you want it cooked a bit more they give you tabletop burner. The service was excellent as well. The waitress explained everything well and if I had any questions she was knowledgeable over the menu. She also let me know about the hidden drawer spot on the table where it had napkins.
Susan L
2 weeks agoAlways looking for a unique food adventure experience in Houston especially Japanese restaurants (aside from the typical sushi, ramen, and hibachi places). The interior is classy and inviting and the place does get busy. The most unique item on the menu is the Gyukatsu which my son ordered (NY strip). It came out pre-sliced and lightly breaded where you cook the slices of meat on a stone grill. It comes with a small bowl of rice, curry gravy and vegetables (mushrooms, brocolli and slivers of carrots). I tried a slice of wagyu and it was tender and juicy. However be careful on cooking the wagyu as the fat rendered, it will splatter at you. I didn't discover the mess when my sister pointed out the spots on my shirt :-/ I ordered the foie gras teriyaki iron pot rice. The waitress asked if I wanted to have her mix the rice for me which I agreed. So she poured the teriyaki sauce and mixed everything together. The rice mixture tasted delish and the small amount of foie gras envelope the rice mixture yet the ratio of rice was bit much. The foie gras itself was buttery and delicate, almost compared to eating beef bone marrow if you are into eating this. Also ordered apps i.e. fried chicken, takoyaki and shrimp kakiage . I would recommend the shrimp kakiage which was crispy and thin. Overall delightful dining experience and the waitstaff were very attentive. (However what was up with all the Madonna's song playing in the background? )
Anton S.
3 weeks agoMixed experience. Nice atmosphere annd good service. Appetizers were good, but gyukatsu, which is obviously their signature, was just alright… The wagyu tastes like nothing but fat, no flavor. NY strip was better, but still nowhere near gyukatsu experience you get in Japan. The meal was greasy and it just doesn’t feel good afterwards… Definitely not “authentic” Japanese. But otherwise ok for a one time visit.
Ginny Diep
a month agoIt seemed to be an “off” night last night or something changed. We were so excited to try this place since we last heard about and don’t get me wrong, it was good but we seem to be missing quite a few things with our meal. First of all, it looked like some parties started off with Japanese potato and pink lemonade from previous posts but we never saw that. Our appetizers came quickly but all of our first choices were sold out. How can you run out of some of the appetizers at 6:30pm! Atlas, what we did order was good, truffle fried tofu, tempura shrimp (has coconut shred on the outside), and takoyaki. When our meal came, the miso soup was missing from our and the “salad” was not the shredded cabbage but an iceberg one with a sesame dressing. It was a different dressing, but we liked it. We also got the unagi three ways, which was very yummy. Servers were nice and did check on us a few a few times. We didn’t realize we were missing items till after we left the restaurant. Overall, this place is good and I would come back again. Hopefully all the kinks get worked out because it does have such high potential!
Brian Chiu
a month agoSo glad we finally have an authentic Gyo Katsu spot in town. We visited during their soft opening on May 8, so a little chaos was expected. Even then, the entire staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming, so we never felt ignored or unattended. The food was honestly impressive. I was surprised you could get a steak this good for only $19. The ramen was also excellent. The broth tastes very different from the usual ramen spots around Houston in a really good way. We also tried the sparkling beverage and the yuzu beer. Both were unique, refreshing, and full of flavor. Another thing I really liked was the ambiance. It feels low key and comfortable, but you can tell the owners are trying to share their story, their personality, and the reason they wanted to open this place.
Pham Vy
a month agoCame for lunch today and overall experience was good. We were excited to try this place out because of the mini grill, it’s similar to what we had in Japan. The meat itself was pretty good. I personally didn’t care for the curry sauce, I actually enjoyed the yuzu dipping sauce and the citrus salt better. The side vegetables were great but the salad dressing didn’t have any flavor at all. Their rice is a bit dry for my personal preference. Our sets didn’t come with a miso soup like I’ve seen in other reviews, not sure if they ran out or they just took it off the set completely but it would’ve been great to have it. The Japanese fried chicken was delicious, I’d recommend this if you like popcorn chicken. All their sauces seem to have a hint of citrus note, which I love. We were greeted with potato salad and a shot of pink lemonade, potato salad was delicious but the pink lemonade was okay. It was complimentary though so can’t complain much! We also ordered a matcha latte and mango matcha, I’d recommend to skip the matcha if you’re looking for a good matcha. Both matcha were very watery, milky with little to no matcha flavor. Our server was lovely and attentive. Although I’m not sure why they left the door open, it was raining outside so it was humid. Overall, I’d comeback to try their other dishes as they all sound good and excited to try chicken broth based ramen as most, if not all, only serve pork broth.
Kevin Milagroso
a month agoStellar place for food! Wifey and I ended up getting the takoyaki and tempera shrimp cups for apps - love both! The batter for the takoyaki was actually tasty and octopus was good in them. The tempera was served with a sweet chili sauce which was surprising but really good combo. Approved Got the mango matcha latte and the yuzu matcha latte. The mango one was better imo but that’s mostly cuz the yuzu bits was hard to drink through the straw lol Then we shared the short rib ramen and the ribeye katsu cutlet. Ramen was very good, all components were good quality and worked well together. Short ribs were elite. The katsu was my favorite here. The whole experience of it with the full meal set up was great. I would come here again solely for this and get 3 orders. Honestly surprised for the cost of it, I would pay for higher Also got a short rib fried rice also for a late night snack. Short rib again was fire can’t wait to go in at this at home tonight lol