Sushi Junai Omakase

Wow we just had the most amazing Sushi…Chef Eddy made our experience unforgettable. From the fresh Uni to the Flounder, NZ Salmon, Seawater Eel and so many others. Julie took great care of us with the perfect Sake. Thank you for an awesome time.We will see you again!!! If you are in Austin and want the best Sushi this is where you need to go.

We had an excellent experience at Sushi Junai! The food was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared, but what truly made the night stand out was our server, Sunny. Sunny did a phenomenal job. he was attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming without being overbearing. Everything was timed perfectly, recommendations were spot on, and the overall service elevated the entire experience. We’ll absolutely be back and will be asking for Sunny again. Highly recommend! 🍣✨

Really expansive sushi bar area. For lunch, was able to order the sushi dinner which is 7 pieces nigiri, one roll, seaweed salad, and soup. This was really great value at $28 since the nigiri was similar to omakase quality. Their special larger grain rice was great too. I just wasn’t sure or had a hard time dipping it in soy sauce with the toppings.

Been here a few times and each time gets better than the last. Most recently we did the omakase and it was an awesome experience. Chef Eddie was so friendly and engaged, and each plate that was served was fresh, thoughtful, and delicious. Would definitely recommend this experience, if you’re considering it!

My 2 friends and I walked in on Saturday night and were seated promptly at the bar. I have to say, I’ve worked in restaurants/hospitality for 7 years, this was an ELITE dining experience. We went big and got a sushi boat because, why not, we’re on vacation! Our server Sonny helped us tailor everything with the Chef to upgrade our experience. He also selected a really great bottle of Sake that was perfectly in our price range. Everything was delicious but the wagyu and the uni were my favorite bites. Highly recommend going here :)

Where do I start? Chef Eddie was remarkable! He asked us what we preferred, and if we had any types of fish we didn’t like. It was our 2-year wedding anniversary and he made it so memorable. Eddie incorporated educational materiel as part of the experience. Everything was exquisite. Can’t wait to visit again.

Yall👏👏👏 I wanted to so badly like this place!!! My boyfriend and I came to the omakase bar for our anniversary and were more than willing to spend $150 per person for this bar. I have no complaints about the service or the people but unfortunately the nigiri was not up to par. Initially I thought the food was fantastic until my stomach started to ache… A LOT. Let’s just say I had this food 30 minutes ago and came home to explode. Take this review with a grain of salt. When the kitchen gets busy the fish might not be of adequate sushi grade. Maybe avoid going on Friday nights when they’re the busiest to avoid this! Update: I had the worst food poisoning of my life!!! Don’t go here. B

Good, but not amongst my favorites. Sea eel sushi fell apart and didn't have the usual brown sauce on it. I had the sashimi dinner too. It was good that the fish choices were not the usual ones with good presentation. Kudos for that. They need to offer the usual hot towelette.

This was my first sushi spot in Austin and I was so happy. My partner and I walked in, were not even planning for an omakase course. We ordered sushi and some dinner plates. All were super tasty and our server was just the sweetest. At the time we went, it was a little late and close to closing, there were many items unavailable because they were out of stock .Our server was so knowledgeable and helped us with a variety of different flavors and options. High quality sushi. Very pleased with service. The inside is so pretty, I loved the cherry blossoms and the sleek setting. This place was a little tricky to find because it's tucked above some other lovely locations. Next time I come back to Austin, I would love to book an omakase course.

The food was really great and staff were nice, but the ambiance & environment was really bad. We got the omakase, and they served items that are very different than every other omakase in Austin. That was great. But just about everything about the environment made it feel like nobody cared. Specifically: - the floors were sticky - bathroom was dirty - and worst of all, we sat at the counter and promptly at 9:25pm with at least 20 minutes to go in our meal, they started cleaning sushi prep area right in front of us, including mopping the floor, taking out trash, etc. We had to eat our final omakase servings while smelling purple Fabuloso cleaner, which is gross.

This was an awesome and affordable option for omakase in Austin! The two photos were my two favorite courses. Towards the end I got so full and couldn't finish everything so you will definitely leave full. The chefs are super nice and welcoming. Our waiter was helpful, funny and talkative. It was great sitting at the bar and love the cherry blossom tree when you walk in.

The food was fantastic and the service was super friendly. It's very small with only a few tables so we sat at the bar and it was perfect. Everyone- including the chefs - were friendly. Great place- will definitely be back!

The food is both fresh and delicious, the atmosphere is outstanding, and the service is exceptional. The presentation is stunning, and the flavors are truly remarkable.

Went for the happy hour options! So good Really enjoyed the escolar appetizer and salmon nigiri. The fish portion is so fat! Loveee All the nigiri have some wasabi inside. I've never had sushi with wasabi already added but I love it! Don't get the salmon roll. It's very basic and has nothing inside besides a small salmon piece.

Love this place so much. It's small, but a really cute hidden gem in Austin. If you could ever make it for happy hour definitely do it. It is totally worth it. I would call to make reservations since online. Doesn't always have that many options. The staff there is so nice and very attentive. They have really cute cocktails and a nice selection of wine. I love getting the Uni. It is so delicious and silky and creamy there. They have the second best Uni in Austin. Every time I go I also order the Stonehenge Roll it is to die for and you can't go wrong with this one.

At first we thought this place only served omakase, but when we got there we saw that they have an ala carte option too which is great! We were lucky enough to make it in time for happy hour and they had some great deals for their sushi moriawase. We got 5 pieces of sushi for a super reasonable price. All the prices for their sushi were super reasonable and not to mention the sushi was super fresh and tasty. We will definitely go back to try other dishes. The service was great and the sushi chef was super friendly and nice. It was a great place to chill after a long day of meetings and enjoy delicious Japanese food. We like the cool vibe of the sakura tree in the restaurant. The place was very clean and nice. Thanks for an awesome sushi dinner in downtown Austin!

Sushi Junai Omakase is a hidden gem that I absolutely love. Located on Congress Avenue and directly above the famous Jazz bar, Elephant room, it is shocking how I I am always able to find a table quickly at this place. As far as sushi goes this place is top notch and wont break the wallet! It is also open late, midnight on most days which is a huge plus. This inside is very intimate and feels as though you are being transported into a Japanese zen garden with cherry blossom trees inside the restaurant. Food wise, sushi always tastes incredibly fresh and high quality. The rolls are also a good size so you could be more than satisfied after a few of them which is great. I ordered the Starbucks roll which is one of my absolute favorites specialty rolls. It is colorful and bursting with flavor and wonderful texture combinations with nothing overpowering anything else. I also almost always order 2 classic rolls as they are simple, delicious and very cost effective. I ordered the unagi or eel roll as well as the spicy tuna. From my experience the classic rolls are superb and really quench my sushi craving. On my last visit, the server recommended we try this particular salmon nigiri as it is something they are known for. I typically go more for rolls as I have a big appetite and want to be satisfied but I must say this recommendation was one of the most exquisite bites I have ever had. Salmon has never tasted so decadent and it absolutely melted in my mouth. Safe to say I will be ordering every time now. Edamame here is also very good and always a great way to kick off a meal. Staff is fantastic at Junai Omakase as they are always helpful, kind and attentive. I have sat at the bar several times and interacted with chefs and they are also great, even giving us small fried crabs to try once. Overall, I have been to Junai Omakase many times and will continue to go. It is one of my favorite spots in Austin hands down. Amazing quality sushi, great price, open late, cool vibe inside and great staff. What more can you ask for!?

Delicious sushi! For lunch I had 6 different pieces of nigiri and all were perfectly balanced bites. The portions were great and filling.

This inconspicuous little restaurant on Congress Avenue may just have one of the best Sushi Happy Hours in town. I decided to stop by on a Monday evening before a show and was pleasantly surprised by the reasonable prices and high quality of the food. To start, I ordered the spicy salmon roll and the sushi sampler. The nigiri came with unique accompaniments that I had never tried before, such as pesto and truffle. These flavors were so interesting that I didn't even need soy sauce to fully enjoy them. I also tried their signature yellowtail roll, which was incredibly delicious. It had the perfect combination of freshness and crunchiness from the tempura. The food came out quickly, and it was a treat to sit at the bar and watch the skilled chefs prepare everything right in front of me.

Food was amazing. Service was also amazing. We got to try a variety of different foods which were unique and interesting as well as delicious. The food presentation was beautiful as well. Ambiance was very soothing! Will be back

My first omakase in Austin! My family and I are huge omakase fanatics so we were excited to try Sushi Junai. I actually discovered this place while exploring downtown and heard from a customer seated next to us that it was the best omakase in the city. So, expectations were high. It was $150 for a 15 course meal. A huge chunk of the beginning was dedicated to an assortment of side dishes, such as fried eggplant with miso sauce, soup, and pickled cucumbers. I will say the course started off with a bang -- an oyster topped with uni, toro tartare, and carpaccio. The side dishes were tasty, but I wished we got to the nigiri portion faster... The sushi was excellent. Fish quality was fresh, portions were hefty, and the presentation was neat, aesthetic, and innovative even. They offered a king medai nigiri with a dropper to pour the sauce with. Super fun to engage with the food in that manner! I also liked the otoro, hotate (they topped it with caviar!), and uni. I didn't really care for their dessert though. It was a ginger crème brulee... personally, not really a fan of ginger based desserts. The sugar top wasn't crunchy and the custard was more firm than I'd like it to be. Service was nice. Chefs chatted with us a bit and accommodated my mother's taste preferences. So, if you have an aversion towards certain ingredients, just let them know in advance! Very satisfied overall. Stomachs were stuffed and that's all we wanted after a long day :)

Me and my girlfriend ate here over the weekend and really enjoyed are experience. I've been to many sushi places in Austin (the Uchi trio, Sushi Bar, Otoko, Tomodachi, Ichiban, etc) and am picky about sushi. Generally, I like a sushi place that has fresh fish, good portion sizes, and reasonable bill. This place hits all of those. We started off with sunomono salad. It had plenty of fish in it. The Nigiri had big portions of fish on it. Some outstanding pieces were the scallop, fatty salmon belly, medium fat tuna, and snapper, which had a tasty truffle soy dip. We had the yellowtail and tuna roll which had plenty of fish. One roll I found unsigned was the cucumber wrapped roll. It had its own sauce and had real crab not imitation. I like the addition of fresh wasabi to the nigiri. The service was attentive, and we didn't wait around as they kept coming by. The place was medium busy so that could have helped with the service. Regardless, it is a nice open space with a huge sushi bar. There was music in the background that was just loud enough. I'm going to add this to my regulars list. Highly recommended.

Very limited seating (almost all bar) and very limited vegetarian menu. Cant remember what i had but it was OK. Probably a place i would go back with one friend to hangout. Staff were all friendly and helpful and service was good despite the place being so busy and getting our order wrong. One thing i do wish is for them to clear out all the boxes and stock from sight. It made me feel like I'm sitting in a storage room. Not a great place for groups.

The happy hour is totally worth it! Definitely get the chef selection of sushi. The seaweed is delicious too with a variety of fishes in it.

Fresh and delicious sushi! The service was excellent & I left feeling satisfied with what I paid for. Smelled lovely though a tad bit unkempt. (4.5 )

Haven't tried the omakase here though that is the selling point. Mostly have had lunch (lunch specials are great and a lot of food). Cuts of nigiri here are fairly sizable - def not the smaller portions you see at Uchi or Soto. So keep that i mind while ordering - you will get full. All the times I've been it's never crowded so seating has been easy even without reservations (though YMMV). I like this as a little hidden downtown gem.

Yelp didn't fail me! This place is the bomb. The sushi dinner and hot saki really hit the spot. Nice end to eclipse day.

One of the best sushi places I've ever eaten at... the quality is world class, the sushi guys are just awesome...I tried the seared a5 wagyu, it just melted in your mouth, the toro trio ( tuna from the coast of Spain) again was just special, the care and artistry they take is a thing of beauty. Since I love sushi I had them prepare some tako, the slightest touches they add made it yummy Comparable in every way to any high end place, except the cost IMHO

This is our first time in Austin and we were really looking for some delicious food - sushi junai certainly fit that bill got a delicious Japanese meal! The restaurant itself is tucked in a small little area with multiple businesses - they don't have that many tables, but most of their seating is around the sushi bar since they do have Omakase offerings. Although we did not have the time for a full omakase experience, we were able to taste the delicious sushi here. I recommend the salmon donburi with large cuts of salmon sashimi and ikura - slightly seasoned and just perfect bites. The yellowtail lover was also delicious, and although it is drenched in sauce it is not your typical eel sauce, but a perfect marinade bringing out the best of yellowtail. Negi toro roll was delicious too, although some bites could use a little bit more fish! Alas, I'm not too picky. We would definitely come back here for a meal soon!

We came in around 8:30pm and sat at the sushi bar. The best place to sit!!! The sushi chefs are creating masterpieces before your eyes. We ordered one of their larger sushi/sashimi boats and wow it was incredible. I can't wait to dine here again.

My hubby and I had dinner tonight at this restaurant. The food was great, the chef was very nice but our server seemed very inexperienced and didn't really answer our questions with confidence. The host was nice and welcoming. However it appeared he took his break at the bar and was talking to chef about someone that pissed him off. Not a very professional manner to carry himself at a prestigious restaurant. Back to out server; She said, I'm not sure" a lot. She never took a plate away to clear some bar space while we ate. We believed she went to break because she was nowhere to be found, so Lauren was nice enough to check us out at 10:05pm. Anyway, my husband still tipped her 15% and also tipped the chef $10. We will be back with the hopes of a better experience. Date 7/22/33 10:05pm. Table S13. Customer Copy #40050.

Do you know how hard it is to find an Omakase spot on Yelp? Almost every top restaurant in Austin has raving reviews by "Yelp Elite," who sound like they're just doing a paid Ad, or you see reviews from people who's just had their first Omakase and usually orders some basic rolls. So, I decided to go with my gut and come here for their 12 course Omakase. You basically start off with a few appetizers before you get to start eating actual sushi. The appetizers were just ok and felt like they were just fillers. Once you get to the actual nigiri part of the course, it was completely worth it. Very good quality fish, reasonably sized pieces, and dressed perfectly. Each piece was a hit and left our taste buds completely satisfied.

I ordered udon ( only $12 dollar ). Pretty good price Also ordered some sashimi. Food is very clean & fresh & delicious . Thank you a lot

This is what goes for good sushi in Austin? Got the Kimono dinner which is 12 pieces plus miso soup and a roll of your choice. Miso soup was quite good! The sushi had good variety but quite bland. Sinew was often found. The Starbuck roll which was to have snow crab in it - definitely is not crab at all. Service was present but unwelcoming. The chefs were ambivalent. The ambience was quite nice inside with light music and good fixtures:decorations. However ultimately this is a masquerade of a omakase/sushi restaurant.

Are you tired of setting alarms and joining waitlists months in advance for booking an evening out? In the setting of Austin rising in the omakase scene filled with hype and social medial presence, Sushi Junai stands out to me for being the best kept secret (for now at least)! I've dined here 4 times over the last 2 years and found the courses, service, and ambiance to be solid and consistent. Also, easy peasy to secure a reservation 1-2 weeks in advance through Yelp! For $150, you'll be treated to 15 courses consisting of (generous) bite sized luxuries like wagyu dumpling, fresh steamed abalone, uni topped oyster, amazing cuts of fish for nigiri. They switch up the menu from time to time to depending on the season. I find the pacing of food and menu development of hot/chilled dishes to be very thoughtful! You'll spend around 1.5-2 hours here for the full experience Most importantly, you leave feeling full- which should be your basic right with paying the price tag Executive Chef Alex Kim and his team take care of us every time! Thank you for all you do!

Once I came in, the interior was super beautiful with the pretty cherry blossoms trees with lights twisted around the branches and besides that when we ordered it was like 10-15 minute wait for the food to come, the employees were super nice. The dish I got was the tempura medley plate which had a variety of vegetables like eggplant,pumpkin, and pepper and there was also a variety of sea food such as calamari,shrimp, and octopus. Miso soup is a classic, but delicious and warm. I recommend coming to this restaurant because the food is amazing, I highly recommend this place to go any time of day!

AMAZING! Really Great Omakase and A la Carte Sushi.. Great Service, Great Food, Great Cold Sake!

Incredibly impressive sushi/sashimi a la carte -- underwhelming omakase. This was the go-to for sushi delivery during the pandemic, with a great selection always on offer including premium cuts such as chutoro/otoro (various levels of tuna belly), ama ebi (sweet shrimp), and uni (sea urchin). All of the nigiri and sashimi were always beautifully executed and presented, even delivered. That said, as businesses reopened, was able to try the restaurant in person. Dining-in with a reservation involves only an omakase (fixed) menu at two price tiers -- prepared dishes mostly tried too hard with execution that noticeably lacks attention to detail. Service was awkward throughout, when asking about ordering a la carte, even in addition to going along with the omakase... which is not an out of ordinary ask for omakase style service, where the chef will ask if the guests would like to revisit or supplement before closing out with dessert, etc. Disappointed in person, after so many flawless delivery orders.

Excellent food, wonderful people. Easily one of the best Japanese restaurants I've been to in Austin

Ambience - we came as a group of 4 so we were seated at a table to the side. I think the experience might've been more interesting if we were at the sushi bar being able to view the sushi chefs and their creations. The space was a bit larger than expected but it was also pretty loud overall, I expected it to be more quiet and intimate. Still, it made the experience more loose, and we didn't feel like we had to keep our voices down or anything. Omakase - 3.5/5 - We didn't really know what to expect from the omakase, I'm used to a more traditional omakase with mostly classic nigiri options. There was a nigiri board, but before it came a bunch of appetizers. For the most part, I enjoyed the appetizers, and felt like they were quite filling. The combinations and flavors were more interesting and experimental than usual, so that could be hit or miss for some folks. My main gripe was some of them had too much going on and a few seemed a little oversalted or overlflavored. The palette cleansing soups in between some of them were really nice though. Yokoi boat - 5/5 - We got a sushi boat as well between the 4 of us, and to be honest, the value of this boat was better than the omakase. It was a little cheaper than the omakase and had a lot of fresh sashimi and nigiri of different varieties (with two rolls of your choice)! Since I prefer traditional sushi over the fusion stuff, this represented a better value in hindsight. Service - the waitstaff was very friendly and attentive, they seemed to have more of a casual vibe and I think we appreciated that actually. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, but I feel like I'd prefer other omakase spots in town when it comes to the sushi style itself.

Omakase course r quite satisfying. Love the Scallop with caviar and the unagi nigiri best. Everything is quite tasting. No reservation is needed except for the center bar seats.

A breath of fresh air compared to the typical BBQ and Tex-Mex recommendations across Austin. This restaurant scored 5 stars on all fronts. The sushi was unique and incredibly textured; the waiters were great hosts, helping us decide what to order; the chefs were creative yet true to their craft, treating us to multiple complimentary dishes. Whenever I'm in Austin, I'll always make sure to come back to Sushi Junai Omakase.

Little lowkey spot , hidden around the corner . The staff is very friendly and acknowledging on the dishes. The quality is great but the coruses for the omakse in my opinion is not worth the price

We loved our experience here and being able to sit at the bar and watch the chefs work. The toro sampler as delicious if you love melt in your mouth sushi. The miso cod was also so buttery and flavorful as well. The decor was also beautiful. This is a great spot for a date night!

I have to give 5 stars for the service and delicious -simple (done well classics) food. Sushi Junai is located in the same building as the elephant room. I came here yesterday after the 9pm show. The waitress kindly accommodated my party even thought they were about to close. Food came out quickly and tasted great. I'm always looking for new sushi places to try out in Austin and this one is pretty good (and affordable) the menu was vast! I can't wait to come back again and have a full meal!

Wow! Lauren our waitress was fantastic! We were a big group and had a very large order - she was patient, presented options, knew the menu very well and was so so kind. Thankful for this experience because often times when you go to restaurants with a big party, you're treated poorly. Highly recommend coming because her service was excellent! Also, the food was very good! Compliments to the chef! Will for sure be coming back again. Thank you PS - highly recommend this bottle of wine!

This place is incredible. Food, Service & Ambiance is top notch. Melt in your mouth good, incredible service and fun conversation with the chefs.

Wasn't able to snap any pics of the food but really enjoyed this restaurant. The servers were attentive and anticipated my needs. We arrived during happy hour and each had a chefs sampler as an appetizer. Everything on it was delicious! Flavor explosion in your mouth with every bite! The server recommended the candy cane roll and it was a show stopper! Also enjoyed the rainbow snow crab! I loved the specialty rolls. We ordered a few basic rolls with our appetizer and they left a lot to be desired. The basic rolls weren't great! I will definitely come back! Loved this location!

Great service. Incredible menu and the food was amazing and on spot. Servers knew the menu and suggestions.

Omakase roughly translates into "You decide what is best". It's my favorite way to eat at a Sushi restaurant because you throw caution to the wind and let the experts take care of you. The chefs at Sushi Junai pull this off with adept execution and a creative mixture of flavors that will leave you giddy with anticipation as you patiently wait for the next surprise. The $150 price tag is worth every dime. The portions were just right. The variety and quality was on point with high end Sushi places. More importantly, the flavors in each bite sized dish were simply delicious. The 5 stars are well deserved. Service was prompt and friendly.

I want to say that normally I'd give Junai Omakase a 4 out of 5, however, the majority of my complaints stem from their limited staff, and there's only so much they can do to make up for it. I highly recommend that you try the food, but please be patient and understand that they're only human. I decided to go for the omakase (after all, it's in the name), and while it is absolutely delicious, don't expect a bunch of sushi. There was sushi included, which isn't always the case with omakase, and I always forget about it before the food starts coming. Each course was outstanding, and I only wish I had a better memory to detail exactly what they served for each course, but one dish that stuck out in my mind was the monkfish liver. I didn't expect to like it, and it was delicious.

If I asked you in theory where is the sushi better Texas or Florida? You would think Florida especially the coastal towns with access to fresh fish daily: Wrong !! The best sushi I have ever had to date was a place in Dallas and this place. A simple salmon roll to spicy tuna roll are elevated to sheer art here. We also had a spider roll and, California roll and a Stonehenge roll ( shrimp tempura based roll) all were bursting with flavor. There are only few tables so you are bound to sit at the sushi bar. In this place it's very comfortable and roomy with a good view of the sushi and regular chefs. There is tasting menu that couple near us got that I will try on my next visit. Really worth a visit when in austin.

The chef was so entertaining and everything was so fresh! Would highly recommend! Service was excellent, we felt so welcome and comfortable. The sushi was 10/10!

Great food. fresh sushi. Friendly service. We lucked out and got a table during prime dinner time on Friday night. Thanks for being accommodating!

This place is absolutely addictive! Even when I'm away from Austin, I find myself daydreaming about it. The sushi is consistently fresh, the staff goes above and beyond, and the cozy atmosphere truly feels like home.

Been here twice now, first time was probably a 5, this time last week was somewhere under a 4, but I think that was an anomaly, so here is goes... The food is quite good, I've had rolls from their menu and also enjoyed the sushi combo. It was served with a roll of your choice and seaweed salad and miso soup, making a nice meal. The sushi was decent size pieces, visually appealing and had some excellent flavor to it. The issues I had was that I had ordered the sashimi instead and ended up with sushi because the wait staff had mistakenly rang it up. These things happen, but when the restaurant is mostly empty on a weeknight, it feels like a miss. The other oddity with my wait staff experience was I ordered a beer with dinner and got a glass of beer which was nice and cold. It was so tasty I finished it by the time I got the sushi but found it odd that I was not asked if I wanted another one. I was offered desert at the end of the meal but just found it odd that they would not ask if I wanted another beer (or even water) since it was in the midst of the epic heat. Food was excellent, will be back for that but the wait staff experience was mixed. Maybe next time I will try the sashimi...

The best sushi restaurant in Austin. Reasonable prices for delicious quality food. A bit tucked away on Congress but it's a great vibe. Music isn't too loud, lights aren't too bright, food is cleared quick, and servers don't hover.