Japanese Restaurants in Houston, Texas

Houston is a hotbed of Japanese cooking, with so many sushi bars and Japanese food places large and small that it would be impossible to list -- or remember -- them all. From little urban spots tucked into strip malls delivering quick lunches to the height of a hot, expensive date (or treat for the lone diner), from places that are kid-friendly to places that grow a little wide-eyed if you try to bring a kid inside, here are eight of them.

Ryouri on Richmond and Beltway 8

If you're looking for something different, homey, and fast, try the hidden gem of Ryouri. Annie, the owner, will often get to know you and greet you by name, and while it's not a big sushi spot it's a wonderful place to pick up an affordable "bento" meal from between $4.50 and 6.50. I was Annie's very first customer so she gets first listing here. Affordable and fun! They also have an outstanding children's menu.

Miyako at 6345 Westheimer Road

I include this one as a sushi restaurant I truly didn't care for. This almost never happens. I adore Japanese, I adore sushi, and in my opinion it's just hard to do wrong. Miyako looks hip and trendy on the outside, and seems to sizzle with excitement, but the food was lacking. I entered and ate a large plate of "chirashi", which is one of my favorite types of sushi. It was all over salted and over the top, and I didn't care for the way the chef chose the fish -- it just didn't seem to blend well. In addition the service was indifferent and I didn't care for the ambiance.

Sushi Rock, Hwy 6 in Sugar Land

Sushi Rock boasts one of the best sushi meals I've ever eaten, and comes with solid service and a nice ambiance. It's a little more expensive than some of the other Japanese offerings in the city, but I found it well worth it. Great for a night on the town. We got a sushi platter for a friend's birthday and served about 9 people for $250 -- which when you factor in the amount of sushi we ate and the number of people we were eating is very reasonable. There were things for the children to eat and they didn't give us dirty looks for bringing in two little girls -- always a plus.

Cafe Japon Restaurant on Westheimer