Sun Japanese Kitchen

There is all you can eat lunch and all you can eat dinner that they do not advertise on their website, and we only found out about it in reviews posted by previous customers online. Seems odd to not advertise something that would surely draw in more customers. They said it's because you can't order it online, but you can still advertise it without having it as an online menu item. The items we tried ranged from just ok to excellent. Portion sizes had a huge variance so be sure to ask before ordering so you don’t over-order. The servers were both friendly and came by often enough that we could order new items when we were ready for them. Items came out of the kitchen and sushi bar mostly in good time but some items we could see sitting waiting for the server for a while.

If you want to save your money and time, read this. Today, I had the worst sushi of my life. When we walked in, I was already surprised to see not a single customer inside—even though it was 7:30 p.m., peak dinner time. Still, since we were already there, we decided to sit down and order the ayce. We ordered a few pieces of sushi, but the quality was so bad that they were basically inedible. I stopped ordering sushi and switched to rolls instead—but they were the worst rolls I’ve ever had. We were starving and didn’t want to waste our money, so we forced ourselves to eat some of it, but we still left hungry… even after an all-you-can-eat meal! On top of that, the one and only server never once checked to see if the food was okay for us—the only customers in the entire restaurant. It almost felt like they already knew their food wasn’t any good. We paid $100 for two people and walked out still hungry. This place had good reviews, which is why we tried it, but now that I look back, there were no recent reviews at all. As of August 13, 2025, this was hands-down the worst sushi experience I’ve ever had. Now I know exactly why there were no customers.

Fantastic. One of my favorite AYCE in Houston. The sashimi is the best out of all of them. I will say I wish there were more cream cheese rolls. I think the cream cheese roll they have just needs a slight more cream cheese. Just about 10-20% more. The shrimp tempura though needs to be crispier and the ponzu sauce needs much more flavor. It was much too light. The calamari was perfect. Loved the crab puffs. The dynamite rolls was very good. I have had better Philadelphia rolls. The cocktails were delicious. Service was fast and attentive. Very friendly as well. Will definitely be back.

Latest edit (12/7): the quality of food dropped compared to my first visit… This place was 7month ago under different management and was really bad. The new owner is doing everything right! Thank god they eliminated Valet-only parking from the previous owner. They have an unbeatable AYCE offer with great variety. All items on the menu are super fresh and high quality. Can highly recommend the seafood and sushi options here. The team is very friendly and service is super fast. Will definitely come back!

Dined at Sun Japanese Kitchen and tried their $35 all-you-can-eat option last night, and I have to say, it's definitely worth the money! The variety and quality of the food were pretty impressive, with fresh sushi and well-prepared dishes that left us satisfied. The hosts were all very helpful and incredibly nice, making the experience even more enjoyable. If you're looking for a great value and solid Japanese food, I would highly recommend giving Sun Japanese Kitchen a try!

This is great sushi restaurant with superb service. The vibes, the team is friendly and welcoming and even comped a starter. We did not ask for this but think it was due to one of our items taking longer than expected. This was a fantastic place to celebrate my birthday.

This restaurant, hidden away on South Shepherd, is a gem of a restaurant. Although Houston is fortunate to have many good Japanese restaurants, I encourage Houstonians to visit this restaurant for its very good sushi (certainly in my top 5) and excellent service. While there are traditional favorites on the menu, there are a few unique items I would recommend, such as the Wagyu sushi and the seared salmon roll with roe. The owner/manager dropped by to talk briefly with us to ensure we were well served and enjoying the meal. While I didn't try the all-you-can-eat menu, I've heard it's quite good and a real bargain.

Great food and goos vibes. We had a large group but there was still great service from the waiter all the way to the chef. I had the ayce option. There was not one thing i did not like. The tempura was hot and crispy. The karaage was juicy. The sashimi and rolls definitely hit the spot. The lychee martinis was a vibe.

Was looking for delicious sushi and stumbled upon Sun Japanese Kitchen with an AYCE menu. We were impressed by the quality of the sushi and our meal was fantastic. Not only that but service was great. The interior of this restaurant is beautiful! I am surprised seats weren't more filled on a Sunday night. Highly recommend this spot and both my boyfriend and I will definitely be back!

The food was amazing and the service was great. It was a small quiet AYCE spot where you can enjoy your favorites! Disappointed there were no desserts as part of the menu but everything else was fresh and delicious.

Sun has two menus: a la carte and all you can eat (AYCE). Since I am basically always looking for the best AYCE sushi spots inside and outside the loop I decided to come and try the food here. Having been here twice now, once for lunch, and another time for dinner, I think the quality of the food is just not all there. The food for lunch was served very quickly and the food tasted just ok. They don't serve sashimi during lunch which is fine because the price difference between lunch and dinner reflects that. All the food has the same texture. The shrimp tempura batter and the karage batter, both have the same level of thickness. The lack of crispiness and the taste of frozen protein really make everything worse. The fried rice was ok. For the prices the food quality just wasn't there. When I tried it for dinner, the cuts are very thick and not the freshest. I do hope that their a la carte options are better because based on everything that I have tried from their hot and sushi options, nothing seems to hit the spot.

Stumbled upon this small sushi spot after running @ Memorial Park...very casual place, service was amazing! Was given 2 complimentary dishes just because they didn't have foie gras in one of the dish I ordered!! Sushi was fresh! (Forgot to snap a pic of the ramen ‍) Amazed this place wasn't more popular! They do offer AYCE option as well. Go check them out! Support Locals!

I came here for Houston Restaurant week with friends but realized very quickly it was far better for us to order ala cart. The waiter was super nice and attentive. We were even given a complimentary appetizer. The food itself was a sad miss. The sushi was soggy and very Americanized. All you taste was sauce. The sashimi was thickly cut and you didn't get much flavor. The desserts (mochi and their cheesecake) are store bought, maybe from H mart and came to us frozen solid. The cheesecake was abysmal and was more suited for a gas station than a restaurant. The people once again were insanely nice but I would not come back.

Sun Japanese Kitchen is a great place for an all you can eat experience! The staff is very efficient and friendly, and their selection of sushi is fresh and tasty. You also are able to have a dessert token, of which I recommend the green tea or red bean ice cream :) happy eating!

Glad that they reopened after closing for a year and now have the AYCE option. We were there for lunch and price range was $22/person . Food was ok not as good as before but it wasn't the AYCE option before so maybe that's why. Service was not impressive. But still a good option for AYCE in the area.

Solid new sushi spot - seems like from past reviews that the AYCE option is disappointing but I had a good experience ordering a la carte here! Staff is nice and food was promptly served. Lobster Tuna roll was by far my favorite and one I'll probably order every time, followed by the Crunch Roll. The Red Moon Roll wasn't bad, the wasabi was just a bit too much for me in this one.

Absolutely delicious!! This menu is not huge but is enough!! Literally, sometimes less is MORE and this place delivered on that!! The quality was amazing! Everything was delicious and fresh! The sashimi was so cool and flavorful! I'd definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys quality sushi over quantity. The Chefs were amazing!! The treated us sooo well on our girls night! Food came out fast and perfectly rolled.

Great place to go during Houston restaurant week and great deals. The tempura is crispy and fresh, and the fish is delicious. The service was also so fast, and was great because we were starving!

This used to be another Japanese sushi restaurant. But it's a new sushi spot that's AYCE! Service is a bit slow but friendly. They have really good scallop sushi. I was eating a lot. Most of the fried food are pretty great. The sushi cuts are thick. The rolls are tons of rice. The hot foods are good. The meats were okay tho. A little too salty with all the sauce. But I'll be back for sure. Good deal for AYCE. Great service! * Is this place good for groups? 6 is fine. there is one table that can seat like 10 i think * You noted "good deal" but didn't list the price -- how much? dinner $36 * Sashimi available for lunch!? i was there for dinner only * How is the variety overall? good variety of sushi and hot foods.

Great food and service. They gave us a complementary appetizer and desert! The food was so good! Take a look below at what we ordered. Inside was very clean too, the ceiling decorations are so cute they have some origami birds, make sure you look up! Lol Vast parking. Come pay them a visit!

The thought of all you can eat sushi in Upper Kirby makes so much sense, because the neighborhood really could use a legitimate option. I was really hoping that Sun could be the one, after all, they took over a formerly Japanese owned space (#1). The food could use a lot of help but I think the customer service can stand to learn a lot as well. From a decor standpoint not a lot has changed. They still have a dedicated parking lot for about 16 cars. The artistic murals in the front are eye-catching and there is enough seating for most small groups and solo diners here. I have been here for both and I've noticed that they drop the ball on a number of service related issues. They're not the most attentive so it's important to get their attention if possible. As far as I can tell, the staff speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and English. The food issues trump the service ones easily. At $22.95/36.95 for lunch and dinner, the value might seem like a deal but really the quality of the items are on par with a lot of AYCE places, but I'd venture their quality is far worse. The recent price hikes and the axing of beef from their menu is quite disappointing. The nigiri has a thin piece of fish and is very rice heavy. The sashimi is cut into tiny pieces and the roll presentation is not up to par. Avoid the creamy (#2) scallops if possible. They haven't been open for long but they still have a number of kinks to work out. While I think the city has a substantially better AYCE options out there, it's just exciting know that Upper Kirby (#3) has another option. I do hope that Sun is able to live up to the expectations that they've set for themselves. __________ (#1) Shun. (#2) Watery. (#3) Not the Heights. (H/T Jun)

The entire menu tasted like a bad attempt at Japanese food. I had zero expectation of anything authentic and was just looking for more or less an Americanized AYCE sushi place to satisfy some cravings, and this still fell far below that standard. In all honesty, I've had much better quality sushi in Chinatown. The first sign is that the moment you sit down, there is an overwhelmingly fishy smell - either from the table, the booth, the menu, or all of the above. My water cup also had a strong fishy scent. For $36 a person, the AYCE menu was extremely limited, with basic sashimi, one kind of soup (miso), and around 10 rolls in total but the majority of the rolls had either shrimp tempura, kani, or chicken tempura as the only source of protein. The salmon sashimi... was the worst I've ever had anywhere in Houston. The meat itself was falling apart, slimy, gooey, and oily, and leave a greasy feeling with every roll it sits on top off. Speaking of rolls, neither of the rolls I had was good because the awkward combination of ingredients. The scallop was good at first but sits in a sauce that has no other flavor besides creaminess so it was off putting after three bites. Chicken karaage which I saw someone recommended was extremely undercooked and pale with no flavor. Edamame was also cooked weird because the beans inside were all gooey and watery instead of dry. Finally, miso soup was very very bland. Overall, sad experience. Not a single item hit the spot. Would not recommend. Edit: I've had an upset stomach for four hours after leaving the place.

Another great AYCE sushi spot in the area! The inside has a very unique design. Parking is limited, so make sure you plan accordingly. The menu has a plentiful amount of options. I recommend sticking with the sushi for the most part. The sashimi come in nice, thick cuts, which is definitely a plus! The sushi rolls were very well made and delicious as well. The appetizers, especially the fried options, had a bit too much batter for my liking. Overall, I had a good experience here. The food was tasty, and the servers were very friendly. I will be sure to give them another try in the future!

Service was not good. My server was rude, very short and just overall not polite at all. Maybe he was having a bad day I guess but that's not really an excuse. As a server myself I think he's in the wrong profession.

I really wanted to like this place, but, unfortunately I was let down and left with my stomach feeling quite sad :( Food (1.5/5): - To call this place the best AYCE sushi in HTX is...questionable. I have attached pictures below to back up my thoughts. - The sushi felt like it was actively ripping me off. I found the proportion of rice to fish disappointing as it was mostly rice (at least for my preference). The Rock N Roll sushi had nice flavors, but, again, I was mostly eating rice. - The Korean Chicken Wings had a nice sauce but I found the skin of the wings to be rubbery and wasn't at all crispy. To me, it doesn't feel like it was made fresh. - We also ordered a bunch of other sushi/nigiri/sashimi. The individual sashimi pieces were ok, but the fish in the nigiri looked very thin to me. - For $36 a person, I personally don't think it was worth it. With 2 people, one beer, tax, and tip, it came out to be $100. For that price, you would have a much better experience at other AYCE or even regular sushi places. Service (3.5/5): - Had one really weird and kind of rude interaction with one of the servers but I mostly brushed it off because the other servers were very nice and checked in on us a good amount of times Ambiance (5/5): - Clean and well-decorated - Relatively empty (at least when we went) so it was quiet - Good for groups and catching up with friends

Wow! Unassuming and understated! Not upscale or fancy. Came in for a quick dinner with the hubby and though he was quite apprehensive given the demise of this location, we left extremely satisfied and calorically satiated! We were super hungry when we came in. Usually in that state of mind, I have a hard time deciding on what to order, especially at a sushi restaurant. I don't know what it is... Anyway--there is an excellent all-you-can-eat menu for an amazing value! We just started blurting out what sounded good and it came almost as fast as I had finished taking my next breath! The service here is great--all the ladies are so sweet! The chefs are obviously seasoned professionals. This is a very down to earth place with great sushi at a great value!

Came here for my birthday dinner and fell in love. I love the ambiance, and staff immediately greeted us as soon as we opened the door. Food was nothing short of amazing. We will return when we are in the area.

Don't come here for AYCE because you will still need to order off the regular menu. Food is decent but prices do not justify. It's hot and smelly inside. First and last time here. I see why it's a ghost town.

Heads up, sashimi is not included for AYCE lunch... The quality of the fish seemed fine. I liked the red snapper and chopped scallop quite a lot. Although, the sushi is loaded up with a hefty piece of rice underneath. While you can request less rice packed on from the chef, there's still a significant amount. We only ordered the crunch roll...because half the plate was filled with fried tempura crisps. In addition, eel sauce is drizzled onto the roll, but surprise... they do not serve eel/unagi in the AYCE menu. It feels quite limited, specifically on the sushi side. If you look at the rest of the menu, almost half of the cooked options are fried, and while I do occasionally indulge in some rich, crispy treats, even they were not that great. In order to not accrue the waste fee, I found myself eating more tofu than sushi. The wings were too salty and too dry. The shrimp toast had too thick of a batter and barely any shrimp. Crab rangoons (labeled "fried cheese puff" on the menu) were nothing special. My sister started to complain that she was at AYCE panda express and held it over me the whole day. Service is a bit slow, but they do listen. Parking was pretty open when I got there (only one other person was there when I came in). Overall, would rather go to an actual sushi restaurant.

It's Christmas Day, and as you know, there isn't much in the way of food options that are open in H-Town. We had our minds set on going to Red Lion Pub, however, the wait was 2-3 hours and we were already hungry, so this was a no-go for us. I told my husband to drive further South and see what's open on Westheimer, but we weren't paying much attention and passed it. So it was only by sheer happenstance that we drove by Sun Japanese Kitchen, with its string lights lit and a sign that indicated they were open and it was their Grand Opening. We were not even sure what the name of the restaurant was initially. Being that I am a review person, I told him to pull over so I could check Yelp, and no one had reviewed this place. So I jumped to Google and found reviews, 17 of them to be exact and 5 stars! Sold, let's go. Never mind the fact I am in my Christmas sweat pants and a hoodie, let's go!! We pulled onto their lot, it's small, but at least they have one. We go inside to check the menu because the Husband can be a picky eater, so I wanted to be sure they had food options for him. They did! We were greeted by the owner who seated us. There were only 2 other groups dining there, not surprising given they just opened last week. Once seated, they asked if we wanted a cocktail, and they were upfront that they were limited in what they could make due to their supplies not all coming in yet. No big deal, I can give them some grace on this. I ordered an old-fashioned and husband ordered a moscow mule. Both were extremely good, and very strong - exactly what I like! The owner brought out a complimentary appetizer, not sure what it was but it had shrimp on it. It as delicious, and it helped take the edge off of my hunger, and the buzz I was developing from the drink. I ordered two rolls, the Galveston Roll and the Sun Special Roll. Both were so fresh and so easy, but I really enjoyed the Sun Special Roll the most! I also ordered the Ama Ebi sashimi, again, so fresh and tasty! Husband ordered the Hibachi Chicken and Steak and he kept commenting on just how good it was. The owner gave us complimentary matcha ice cream and we ended up ordering a matcha cheesecake slice to go. I am so excited to have this place so close to our house and am looking forward to dining there again really soon! Wishing the owners a prosperous 2024! See you again soon!

Everything tasted great and was super fresh. Shrimp robata was excellent, and the dragon roll sooo good. Above all, service was excellent! Attentive, generous, and gracious!

IG page brought us there! An all-you-can-eat option can be a great way to try a variety of sushi rolls and dishes without feeling limited. Delicious food and amazing service, and very clean inside. Highly recommend!

All you can eat! Delicious and venue is aesthetically pleasing. I was stuffed after 60 minutes. I went with 2 other people and food came out fast!

Amazing service and delicious food! Best fried rice I've had in a long time. We got the tiger eye roll, veggie roll, fried rice and some wine and enjoyed every bit!

This place should have a line outside the door!!!! Everything we ate was amazing, so good! Where to begin? Crunch roll Shrimp dumplings Gyazo Beef Chicken Yakatori Premium 6pc Roll (chef's choice) -Eel, Salmon, Toro, Wagyu, Snapper, Tuna Green Tea & Mango Ice Cream with Fried Tempera Banana. Japanese Beer - Asahi I'm surprised by how delectable the warm Tempura Banana was! Definitely ordering this next time I see it. That paired with the Mango Ice cream was a fantastic dessert with the tempura. The hot and cold combine was perfect. Also had the Green Tea ice cream perfect. Next our table shared the Sushi rolls and Premium Sushi, picking and choosing our favorites. The Eel Sushi was def a highlight, my first time trying it and it did not disappoint! Very fresh Chicken Yakatori was a good appetizer, the flavors prepared me for the later portion of the meal. It had a light sticky sweet sauce and very juicy chicken. And the Gyazo was amazing, crispy and juicy very flavorful!

The energy was Amazing, the servers were so patient and welcoming. The Ambiance was a vibe definitely recommend for an outing with friends to a date night. We settled on a family outing and had the All you can eat, we also got many praises from the owner she was so welcoming and Thankful for us coming by. The food was so fresh the sashimi tuna and salmon melted in our mouths. The lychee martinis were very tasty, such an amazing place will definitely come back.

Had a great time here - dinner a Saturday night! Staff was friendly and welcoming and the food came out fast and was very hot. Highly recommend the all you can eat menu- lots of choices and great value. We really enjoyed the red moon roll, chicken karrage, and pork gyoza. The atmosphere was really nice too!

Came here with a couple friends last night and had a great time. The service was amazing, and everyone there was so welcoming. It is AYCE at a reasonable price. The fish tasted like good quality, but my favorite dish was actually the fried calamari appetizer. My one complaint is that the sushi rolls have a lot of rice in them, which make them hard to eat. I also wish there was a bit more variety in the special rolls offered. All in all my friends and I plan to come back again and would recommend this place for AYCE sushi within the loop.

One of the best AYCE sushi spots I've been to! I would say that the selection isn't huge but adequate. The sashimis were fresh. Hot foods were all really good. A lot of other AYCE sushi restaurants serve terrible quality fish and overload their sushi with rice. But this place has normal restaurant quality food served as AYCE style. The main lady running the restaurant (not sure if she's the manager or owner) was super nice and attentive. She gave us a few dishes not on the AYCE menu for free. We really liked her energy and we'll definitely be back!

Exceptional service. The server was helpful when selecting food from the menu. The all-you-can eat menu is a good value with a wide variety of options. We will definitely be back!

Restaurant has really nice staff and they are fast during the lunch time. My favorite roll is the Hot Ma Ma roll! I also recommend Dragon Roll!

Amazing food, excellent hospitality!!! Wasn't expecting a Robert Smith (The Cure for those non-Gen X) cyber-techno mix playing in the background, but was actually pretty cool!

Save yourself the misery I ate here 3 days ago and I got food poisoning from their sushi, feels like I've eaten glass :( The whole restaurant smelt like bad fish improperly stored and I should've known then to walk away. Genuinely hope no one else gets food poisoning here because it's genuinely hell. Whatever chef served me that food I hope your balls explode. And whoever is in charge of keeping the fish from spoiling you need to be sent to purgatory indefinitely

Wasn't intending to drop in for a meal but glad I turned around and did. Walked in to an inviting and vibrant entry way. Greeted quickly and sat immediately by friendly hostess. Menu wasn't overwhelming and for the most part had very "traditional" rolls, sashimi, etc. I ordered the Cucumber Tini and it was refreshing and delicious; helped myself to another. I especially liked that the sashimi came out on a bed of ice; it's the only way to be served sashimi in my opinion. The agedashi was so good with its crispy batter and super soft tofu middle. Fresh ingredients and the customer service was fantastic. Would definitely come back.

There's an AYCE option which covers most of the regular menu items and ends up being a pretty good deal! Friendly service and nice setting too. Our friend ordered the Lobster Tuna Roll and it was amazing! Big and delicious!

I tried this place for the first time and it was AMAZING! The food was fantastic and I absolutely loved their salmon sashimi, it tasted so fresh and buttery. The cuts were thick and miniature which I really liked cause I prefer smaller bites. Service was spectacular and quick which I love. The servers always made sure your order was right and made sure you were satisfied with your food. The restaurant is very cozy and adorable, great for date nights. I would go here again for sure, one of the better ayce sushi restaurants that I've been to!

My 2years old little boy had to pay about 'AYCE' $15 more. They said "he ate a lot.", but he ate half of noodle and one egg roll. I ordered many things for my husband and me. My boy didn't be interested in eating, he tried to eat only one bite some foods, but it's not worth for $15. I never expected to pay about 2years old boy, when I visited 'All you can eat' restaurant. Last time, we had great experience, but I was disappointed today. I won't be here any more.

We went on Saturday night, after other Japanese restaurants told us that wait time is 45mins-1hr. We did Not wait here, we were greeted by big smile with quick seating. Great service. Great foods. We loved it. Inside is clean & pretty Japanese Decor. Surely we will be back.

Food and everything was subpar. Nice owners but the food quality wasn't great. We had food from the previous owners when it was Jun sushi and it's a far cry from what it was.

Food, service, and ambience, everything was great! Needed a nice spot in this neighborhood, has enough parking.

For an endless sushi experience, look no further. The food was not only fresh but also delicious! The staff were incredibly friendly. This is definitely my go-to spot whenever I return to Houston.

Great place, great service, good food,chill spot Nice ambiance. We really enjoyed our meals, but there's no refills on drinks although we didn't an awesome complimentary appetizer which was delicious

Hidden gem just because they aren't hiring influencers to blow up social media like almost every other restaurant in town. Sun is located in a nice part of town and looks artsy inside like how you'd imagine most trendy Japanese restaurants. Free parking is available outside of the restaurant, no valet (such a breath of fresh air). Service is impeccable. Our waitress was an older woman but she was the life of the party and kept our drinks and bellies full. Our large group did both AYCE as well as a la carte. AYCE was only $36 and included everything in my photos and more. I wish dessert was included but I can't complain since I ate so many salmons and crab Rangoons We did switch to sashimi instead of nigiri because we forgot to clarify what we wanted for the first order so don't make our same mistake. They do not limit you on anything from the AYCE menu. You can get as many as you want as long as you don't waste. Tempura and chicken karaage were super crispy. All the raw food tasted very fresh. Will definitely be returning!!

Great restaurant with good vibes and the friendliest of waiters. We came on a Friday night and it wasn't too crowded. If you want sashimi it's only at dinner for $36 (lunch is $23). The hot foods and sushi was great but it does take a little bit of waiting between orders but when an order is taking longer, they gave us complimentary rolls to hold us over which is great! Would definitely recommend this place and support your local Houston restaurant!

Ordered take out from this place so can't speak on the service in the restaurant, but there was no delay in getting the food from the delivery service. The chicken yakisoba and the combo yakisoba were large portion sizes! The flavor was a little bland compared to other Japanese food we've had, but overall decent taste! The pork gyoza was pretty good and the veggie/shrimp tempura was nice and crisp. Well try it again in person!

The best place!!! Everything on the menu was top tier. The AYCE sushi wasn't mid like other places. Definitely driving 30 minutes to go back. Quality and value

Excellent service & food! The ambiance was super chill definitely will be back. Mochi was delicious