Much-Anticipated Sushi Restaurant Ume Opens in Houston’s Heights Next Month | Eater Houston

"After months of construction delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, I learned Ume Sushi—the new sushi restaurant from MF Sushi's chef-owner Chris Kinjo—is finally ready to open. Located in the former Barnaby’s spot in the Heights, the approximately 3,000-square-foot space at 2802 White Oak Drive, Suite 500 was designed by Kinjo and built out by Construction Concepts, though Kinjo and his team handled much of the intricate woodwork themselves (Construction Concepts worked by day while his crew came in at night). Kinjo says he ordered Hinoki wood from Japan and cut, sanded and puttied it himself, calling Hinoki “calming when you touch it” and noting he even uses it as his cutting board. The layout is split into two main sections: an entrance and bar area with a large Hinoki slab communal table and high-top seating, and a main dining room that overlooks the open kitchen and sushi bar, with booth and table seating beneath a canopy of custom plum blossom chandeliers in various stages of bloom. Once COVID-19 capacity restrictions are lifted, the restaurant will seat 58 in the dining room, 8 at the sushi bar, and 30 in the bar area. Although Kinjo hasn’t finalized the menu, he says it will be very similar to MF Sushi’s offerings alongside new dishes exclusive to Ume, with sample items that might include ume-marinated duck grilled duck breast, poke-style bluefin tuna tartare, and chef-selected sashimi samplers. Kinjo will split his time between MF Sushi Museum District and Ume, while sushi chefs Hiro, Win and Khang from MF Sushi will be full-time at Ume, which is set to open on January 2, 2021 with advance reservations available via OpenTable." - Mai Pham