The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 10 Sushi

Yes.  Their formula and care for the sushi rice is high.  One of the best in the city, easily dwarfing the fusion hot-spots.  Using Nishiki, properly cleaned, an excellent sushi seasoning and acceptable portion sizes for the cost.  I have personally (my own eyes) seen their shipments of Canadian Salmon enter the kitchen, prepared and served.  I value 90% of sushi on the quality, care and preparation of the rice. 

You actually think Zushi makes good sushi?  Then, yes.  Yes, we do.

That's really good to know, I will definitely stop by Zushi sometime soon. I would also really like to get your Detroit list. I have always wanted to visit the city in general, but the promise of solid Japanese restaurant is enough for me to make the effort. 

One surprising city where sushi quality is higher than most is Denver. Sushi Den has been setting the bar high for years, and the diners now expect more from Japanese restaurants and feel comfortable paying higher rates for quality. Rice however? About on par with best in Houston. 

Try Sushi Azabu and Ushiwakamaru in NYC. Best I've found in the midrange ($100 or so for omakase). 

Mai,

Your reasons are understandable, however, I never judge a sushi restaurant based on the fish.  The skill of the cuts and portion size are crucial, yes.  Suitable fish can be spotty and unpredictable at times.  Additionally, a sushi establishment that can't provide great fish all the time will find themselves apologizing for being out of a few selections.  That's why I appreciate Kata and Kubo's - they sincerely focus on the culinary-based seasons in Japan and base a large portion of their specials on seasonal options made available to us.  It's a rarity.

But you and I merely respectfully disagree - for me, it is not 'all about the fish.  :)

Misha,

Thank you for your comment.  No, I'm not saying that any sushi rice in Houston matches the quality of Sukiyabashi Jiro, Urasawa or Yasuda.  A superior sushi rice blend, to me, is a hallmark to an extraordinary sushi establishment. 

But I have the good fortune to visit and sample every sushi restaurant in Houston continually - in some cases, 5 sushi restaurants per day.  Sometimes, as a customer.  Sometimes, as a consultant.  Sometimes, as an event organizer.  I know which restaurants take the time to provide body temperature sushi rice while attempting to perfect their mixture to reach a suitable flavor which compliments the fish.  Most (in Houston) do not care at all.  Several (such as Kata Robata, Kubo's and sometimes Nippon) pride themselves on focusing on the quality of the rice using a time-tested recipe.  Others (such as Zushi and Masa in the Woodlands) strive to provide a uniformed, consistent sushi rice for their customers. In my opinion, 95% of all sushi restaruants in Houston never consider the rice as an integral factor to quality.  Zushi does.  I've seen it myself time and time again.  For that reason alone, Zushi deserves my appreciation.  Near the bottom of the message board, Ko describes Zushi as 'is awful to the point of being offensive.'  I respectfully disagree.

One final note - there are a few impressive sushi spots in Detroit.  I had the opportunity to dine with Hiroko Shimbo while she was unveiling her latest book and she showed me around 'The Motor City.'  At first, I had no idea why Detroit possessed such quality.  Then, I learned that influencial Japanese automotive executives organized their efforts to have a few suitable hot spots that reminded them of home.

Carl,

I am having trouble following you, though I am intrigued. You are correct, while there are many factors, sushi rice should absolutely be served at body temperature. Trouble is no one in Houston (or US for that matter) makes exceptional sushi rice on the level of Urasawa, Yasuda and a select few others in LA/NYC. Rice at Kata Robata is usually good and I believe would be great if it was a smaller operation focused on the sushi bar only, but for the most part the rice is just wrong all over the country. 

Are you really saying Zushi makes proper rice on the same level of mid-range places in Tokyo (say above $100, but under $200) with appropriate fish quality to match? If so, I am in. 

Actually I should have said it's all about the fish (not just the food). I am a sashimi lover first, a nigiri lover second, and i eat rolls for fun but they are just rolls, not sushi. When i think sushi i think fish. How fresh is the fish? What is its texture? If it has even the slightest "fishy" aroma my stomach revolts. If it is slightly mushy or lacking bite it is not fresh. Then we get into varieties of fish available, the way it's cut (size and thickness), and consistency. What I've found over the years is if you like the way a sushi chef cuts his fish, you will like whatever he makes, so find a sushi chef who makes sushi you love and stick by him, and you will always be happy. My favorite sushi chef in Houston for the past 10 years has been Manabu Horiuchi (executive chef at Kata Robata). Occasionally I will venture elsewhere but I always find myself comparing my experiences to the ones at Kata, and I always end up going back to Kata...

Carl, I stand corrected.  It's skin temperature, not room temperature.

Ko, regrettably, you are incorrect.  Sushi Rice should never be 'room temperature.'  75-78 degrees for sushi rice is absolutely unacceptable.  Approximate body temperature (90 - 95 degrees) is optimum.

Clemsonfudge, it IS relative and subjective.  Many sushi lovers focus on Fusion Sushi.  Traditional Maki, Uramaki and Temaki doesn't appeal to them.  By recommending a traditional Japanese restaurant (Like Teppay), they wouldn't find it impressive and mistakenly rate it poorly.  Honestly, they are in the wrong place.  However, a true traditional sushi lover (who might appreciate the Japanese specials from Kata Robata or Kubo's) would roll their eyes in digust at Crave, the Fish or Tops Sushi.  In order to pick your personal best, you need to aim at the proper target before releasing the arrow.

Especially when it comes to sushi, it's all about the food.  I suppose it's tough to judge because there is such a partition between traditional Japanese sushi (nigiri and simple rolls) and the Americanized brethren (any rolls named after animals/cities or with fried anything).  I think you'd have two very different lists depending on which you are judging.

For example, for traditional sushi, if the rice is significantly above or below room temperature, it's an automatic failure.  I don't think rice temperature matters much for those like Americanized sushi.  Traditional sushi is about balance of flavors between fish and rice.  Americanized sushi is usually about achieving more flavor.

Many of us who prefer the former cringe when spicy sauce is put on sushi.  It's like putting A1 sauce on a good cut of steak (which I realize a lot of people do enjoy).

Top 10 to me implies the best. And for me the best can be anything (price wise, location-wise, service-wise, ambience-wise) as long as the food is good. It's all about the food for me. I think there's a difference between Top 10 sushi values vs Top 10 sushi, which was what I tried to convey in my previous comment.

So if it's all relative and subjective, why bother?

Mai, it all depends on what you value 'great' to be.  While some people value sushi as 'High Quality,' others judge sushi based on leaving the restaurant with a full stomach.  Others rate a great sushi establishment by low prices while others grade the sushi based on its authenticity to traditional cuisine.  It's all based on perspectives.  But I will tell you that I rarely visit Oishii and truthfully it would not make my top ten.

Thanks for the great perspective and breakdown on sushi, Carl Rosa! 

KS - I know that people love Oishii, but all I can say from my one and only experience at Oishii is that it is nothing more than cheap sushi. I'm sorry, but cheap shouldn't be enough to get it in the Top 10, should it? 

Ginza has a cool secret gambling room that reminds me of the Ginza district in Tokyo.

Love Teppay. It has the most delicious parking lot.