Sushi, ramen, bento boxes, matcha drinks, and green tea sweets




























"Hitting the sweet spot between fancy and casual, this North Austin favorite can be whatever you need: a quiet lunch of donburi or ramen with iced tea for about $20, or a splurge with fatty bluefin tuna, multiple plates of rolls, miso-glazed fish collars, and aromatic sake. Opened in 2011 by Také and Kayo Asazu, it earns “regular” status through consistency and range: a big menu with thoughtful specials; pristine sushi and sashimi for purists; and playful rolls for those who want toppings, sauces, and even something fried. The space is calming—natural wood, soothing blue tiles and artwork—with a small patio; the drinks list includes surprisingly good house wine, beer, and sake. Lunch-only options are satisfying, from ramen to loaded donburi bowls like the rich hokkai-don with salmon sashimi, ikura, and scallops, and there are crowd-pleasing starters like brie tempura plus creative rolls such as the sunshine roll with salmon, mango, and avocado, with luxe cuts like otoro nigiri when available. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, with friendly, attentive service, it’s the kind of place that keeps calling you back." - H. Drew Blackburn
"This low-key Japanese restaurant in Ridgetop is perhaps best known for its dependable nigiri and action-packed sushi rolls that you can get for lunch and for dinner. But Komé’s lunch menu has dishes that aren’t available at all during dinner, like elaborate combination lunches, filling donburi, and a comically large bento box that often elicits a “whoa.” There’s also a very good ramen menu that’s lunch-only, which just means you need to strategically plan your morning and afternoon meetings if you want to escape for a quick noodle adventure. If you show up on the later side of lunch, say 1pm, you can usually get seated immediately, especially at the long sushi bar." - nicolai mccrary, adele hazan, raphael brion
"Perhaps best known for the action-packed sushi rolls (that are often topped with their go-go sauce, a spicy mayo), Komé is a low-key and homestyle Japanese restaurant at Airport and 53rd St. The menu is super-broad, spanning from gyoza to ramen to bento boxes to yakitori. Also on the menu are a tight selection of nigiri and sashimi—none of it will blow your mind, but it’s all carefully-prepared, consistent, and dependable. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so be prepared to wait during peak hours, but we really like to eat at the long sushi bar when it's available." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion

"The lunch menu at the North Loop Japanese restaurant is somewhat different from its dinner offerings. There are teishoku (lunch combinations) with mains like karaage, katsu, and hangar steak, we well as sushi lunch specials and rolls, bento boxes, and donburi and chirashi bowls. It’s available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays and until 3 p.m. on weekends. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services." - Darcie Duttweiler
"Perhaps best known for the action-packed sushi rolls, Komé is a low-key, homestyle Japanese restaurant in Ridgetop. The menu is super broad, spanning from gyoza to ramen to bento boxes to yakitori. Also on the menu is a tight selection of nigiri and sashimi—none of it will blow your mind, but it’s all carefully prepared, consistent, and dependable. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, but they do have a digital waitlist when you get there, so be prepared to wait during peak hours. We’ve found that a few glasses of sake on their patio helps make the time go by a little faster." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion