Neo
Personal chef service · Oak Forest
1711 Indiana St Houston, TX 77006
Highlights
Dry-aged fish nigiri, avant-garde savory & sweet courses
Dry-aged fish nigiri, avant-garde savory & sweet courses
"Tucked into a chic clothing store in Montrose, Neo offers one of the most impressive omakases in the city. For $145 per person, this multi-course meal showcases various preparations of fish from around the globe. Expect a mixture of timely and timeless, with dishes like creamy uni at its peak from Boston, smoked amberjack with a delicate char, swordfish belly flown in from Nova Scotia, and dashimaki tamago layered with A5 wagyu and shaved truffles — Neo’s take on steak and eggs. The restaurant also includes a sweet ending, with, most recently, an optional white truffle ice cream, created in collaboration with Underground Creamery, and a banana pecan lava cake with a molten center. Be on the lookout for Neo’s annual tuna breakdown, a special event where diners can experience different dishes made from fresh tuna sliced before their eyes. For a more casual experience, book a reservation at Kira, Neo’s hand roll spin-off and Japanese listening bar in the Upper Kirby area. If you drive: Street parking is your friend." - Brittany Britto Garley
"Even though Neo went back to bookable reservations and abandoned the former newsletter-sign-up schadenfreude, it’s still difficult to grab a seat at the popular sushi omakase counter. While the first seating at 5:45pm is often available, the second seating at 8:30pm is harder to get last minute. So either opt for an early evening of 16-ish courses and make plans to digest afterward, or grab seats at least a few weeks in advance." - Chelsea Thomas
"Corkage fee: $0 The Montrose restaurant Neo HTX may be notoriously difficult to get into, but once you’re there, it’s a party. With a $0 corkage fee, you can bring as many bottles as you want, split them with the other nine people huddled around the tiny counter, and be the most popular person at this sushi speakeasy. Just make those reservations in advance because spots here go faster than tickets to a Beyoncé concert. " - chelsea thomas
"Verdict: Neo HTX’s tiny omakase counter is tucked in the back of a Montrose townhouse turned bespoke clothing couturier (say that five times fast), but it curates what feels like a thrill ride of nearly non-stop nigiri. The tasting menu runs about $200 per person, and the nearly 16-ish course dinner starts with perfectly sliced nigiri and ends with a special Underground Creamery dessert topped with an optional heaping of caviar. " - gianni greene, chelsea thomas
"Despite hiding in the back of a bespoke clothing store, Neo serves one of the best sushi omakases in town, with 16-plus courses of beautiful, mouth-watering nigiri.. The serious yet serene experience emphasizes Neo’s dedication to creating perfect bites of sushi—slightly warm, soft rice and on-the-edge-of-cold sliced fish—and you also get a lot of free saké. While wrangling for an ultra-coveted reservation can feel like trying to hogtie a loose calf, the eventual meal makes any pre-planning more than worth it." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene
