Azumi

"Though most people are flocking to this sushi restaurant for the fresh sashimi, nigiri, and sushi rolls, and hot dishes like Korean-style fried rice, the dessert is worth a visit, too. Served in a sake box, this multi-layered treat features a delightful mascarpone mousse and a passionfruit jam that brings a slight sweet and tart contrast to this powdery Matchamisu." - Brittany Britto Garley

"Bring your appetite and a drinking buddy to this River Oaks District’s Japanese restaurant, which offers a sake-fueled weekday happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Alongside $9 rolls, $6 chicken gyoza, and $6 plates of crispy rice made with spicy tuna, the restaurant offers $10 carafes of sake, plus select $8 spirited cocktails and $7 glasses of wine. Pair $2 oysters with a $10 lychee martini or the bartender’s seasonal cocktail." - Brianna Griff

"Sister to Atlas Restaurant Group’s Loch Bar and Marmo, this new buzzy restaurant in River Oaks is a welcomed addition to the city’s sushi scene. Diners can find an impressive sake selection to complement its menu of sushi rolls, platters of nigiri, the diner-favorite spicy tuna crispy rice, and inventive dishes. Start with the palate-cleansing flounder crudo, which is made with slivers of Hirame flown in straight from Japan, a delicate pear foam, rolls of tart plums, and an ume-truffle sauce. Then, dig into your favorite slices of sashimi before ending with a hot dish like Korean-style fried rice or the fall-of-the-bone short rib inspired by Houston barbecue joint, the Pit Room. The matcha tiramisu, which is layered with passionfruit, is a flavorful ending." - Brittany Britto Garley

"Sister to Italian chophouse Marmo and seafood restaurant Loch Bar, this buzzy new restaurant from Atlas Group restaurant offers a variety of fresh sushi and seafood with fresh catches from around the world displayed in its many rolls, crudo, crispy rice topped with spicy tuna, and sashimi tastings. The hot dishes are just as alluring. Find fried rice with a Korean spin, delicate miso black cod, and wagyu short rib. Best of all, with its large selection of sake, there’s an ideal sip for every bite." - Marcy de Luna, Brittany Britto Garley

"Head to this new Japanese restaurant in River Oaks for some of the freshest sushi and an interesting array of hot dishes that span the Asian diaspora. The restaurant also offers a $25 bento box special from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, which includes miso soup, wakame salad, savory fried rice, two pieces of nigiri, and four maki rolls made with diners' choice of sake, hamachi, or maguro. If sneaking in an adult beverage or two isn’t against the rules, be sure to check out the restaurant’s drinks list, which includes a fun list of cocktails and more than 60 types of sake." - Brittany Britto Garley