Japanese Food and Shopping in Houston Texas
If you are looking for Japanese restaurants and Japanese stores in Houston then you have a problem. If you have lived in Houston for any length of time then you already know the problem; there is very little authentic Japanese stuff to be found in Houston.
Houston has a comparatively small population of Japanese residents. The demand for Japanese food and goods is not as high as Los Angeles or Honolulu. I can live with the reality of simple economics. What irks me however, and you too I'll bet is when restaurants and businesses try to sell me Japanese stuff that doesn't even qualify as a bad knockoff. That can only be made worse when they charge a premium price for said stuff.
I am not Japanese. I am just an average American Joe who happens to have a taste for Japanese food and a fondness for all things Japanese. I have traveled to Japan several times, lived there once for six months, and came to marry a Japanese lady. Perhaps I owe most of my self-declared ability to distinguish what is truly Japanese to my wife.
Too often I have been served sushi made with vinegar-less rice, vegetables deep fried in the same batter used for sweet and sour chicken and called Tempura, or Chinese egg noodles in chicken broth passed off as Ramen. There are also many stores in Houston selling so-called Japanese goods which are anything but.
On this website you will find my reviews of restaurants I have eaten at and shops I have visited. There no paid endorsements here and no shill reviews. There aren't that many pages and there probably won't be. I don't think it would be useful to list all of the places I have been to that don't have what we are looking for, so the list is a short one of places that do, or places that say they do but don't. Make sense?
Japanese Restaurants
Todai Japanese Buffet - I might not give Todai Japanese buffet a medal for the most authentic Japanese dining experience, but I go there often and can recommend it all the same.... Oh sure, it has a Japanese theme about it, sushi, udon, little bitty desserts, all that. I don't think that is why most people go there however. They go, and we go, because it is simply a great buffet... I know, if you read this whole site then you'd hear me rant against Japanese restaurants that aren't really Japanese. But I'm giving Todai buffet a pass on that one. The fact is, if you bring only your taste for Japanese food with you, you will find many items to keep you happy. Read more about Todai Japanese Buffet...
Masas Sushi and Robata Bar - Masas is dedicated to traditional Japanese food, and while a few items on the menu weren't familiar to me, some of them will make you say "I haven't seen this since I ate in Japan". I recall they even served Natto, that is something you don't see often anywhere in the US... True to Japanese cuisine, you will find the menu full of small exotic dishes that follow the eat a small amount of many different things tradition. These dishes are not expensive unto themselves, but you can easily go all out. For us Masa is a special occasion restaurant. Keep it more simple and you can eat there quite affordably. Read more about Masa Sushi and Robata...
Asian City Restaurant in Humble - Asian City has been a popular destination for years and serves a combination of Japanese and Chinese mostly. There are a few square pegs on the lunch menu like baked pork chops with spaghetti but they really cater to the Japanese and Chinese food seekers.... I am not usually a fan of the combination approach. You see a lot of this Thai + Japanese or Chinese + Vietnamese which I always feel lukewarm about. Asian City does however provide some pretty decent, above average Japanese food. The Chinese is fine but that's not why we're here. Read more about Asian City Restaurant...
Kubo's Japanese Restaurant in Houston - Kubo's does something more remarkable than serve good sushi - Ready...? They serve an awesome bowl of authentic Japanese ramen. Are you as excited as I am? No? Then perhaps you do not comprehend the difficulty one faces when searching for a good bowl of ramen in Houston... Specifically, I am referring to the Kontatsu ramen on the lunch menu for $8.50. This is real Japanese ramen complete with the pickled ginger and hard boiled egg. You have to ask for the Kosho (Japanese white pepper) if you are going true Nippon style. Read more about Kubo's Sushi Bar and Grill...
HB Japanese Steak House in Humble - I have eaten at the Humble location of HB Japanese Steak House about a dozen times. You will wonder why if you keep reading. If your attention span is too short know this - I don't recommend it. Here's why... It is a family style atmosphere where affordable teppanyaki is the biggest draw by far. And maybe I am just a too picky. Try it for yourself by all means. Like I said, the teppanyaki is in the okay range. Read more about HB Japanese Steak House...
Japanese Stores
Nippan Daido Japanese Market in Houston - Expect to be underwhelmed on your first visit to Daido - UNLESS, unless, you are from Japan, or really know what your are looking for, and have given up on finding your long lost favorites - And then you will run from shelf to shelf exclaiming "They have it, and they have that too!" Then you will understand you have reached the Houston-mecca of essential Japanese supplies (Which is kind of sad). Not row upon row of $1 bright plastic nick-knacks from China, but the real deal. Read more about Daido Japanese Market...
fit Japanese Household Products in Houston - Japanese convenience shopping is exactly what fit in Houston offers up. Except that in Japan all of this stuff could be made to fit into a space the size of my bedroom. There are signs of Engrish everywhere you turn and things that really matter to Japanese like washing machine cleaning tablets. It is also bright, friendly, neat, and clean, very clean... There is a small section for snacks and drinks but Daido is located only minutes away and the two store compliment each other well. Buy your Japanese groceries and snacks at Daido then blow $20 on kitchen or office knick-knacks at fit in one trip. Read more about fit Japanese Household Products...
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