Azuma Sushi & Robata Bar-Rice Village

I just recently visited the Azuma in the Rice village area and left more than satisfied. It was a Friday night and there was a pretty long wait. We went to the bar and got drinks and the bartenders were very friendly and prompt. It took us about 25 min. to get seated when we were quoted 15min, but when we got to our table it got much better. The server was very welcoming she took very great care of us and even recommended the Yellowtail Chili as our appetizer. The rest of the meal as well as our experience was awesome. I'll definately be coming back. Parking however was absoluetly terrible

Pros: warming staff, great food

Cons: parking, long wait

Posted 07/17/09

i've been to this azuma and downtown azuma plenty of times. each time i left satisfied. it is not so expensive and the service is always great. servers are friendly and food comes out fast especially when you hungry. just when i thought i found a great japanese-american place to eat when i saw an insect./r**ch/they wont let me submit it if i write the word. on their wall. if i saw one that means there are millions of them in the building. so that was the only thing that dissapointed me. other than that very nive place.

Pros: food comes out pretty fast

Cons: not sanitary!

Posted 05/24/09

We went to Azuma on a Tuesday at 7pm. It wasn't crowded. We sat at the bar. The food was excellent. This place is worthy of all the attention it receives. The sushi chef's were so much fun and very friendly and even passed around free Sake. Can't beat free Sake.The manager came around checking on the customers.

Posted 03/10/09

Azuma has good sushi, but some of their menu items are overpriced. My husband ordered the tuna steak tar tar and it had no flavor whatsoever. The Downtown Azuma, on Texas Ave (I believe), has horrible service. They served us our drinks and I guess they figured we'd get drunk and forget to order our food because it seemed like an eternity before they ever returned to accept our order! On the other hand, the Azuma near Rice Village/West U has a great ambience and good service, but definitely be prepared to wait- there's always a waiting list.

Pros: Crazy Irish Man roll!

Cons: Only good for sushi in my opinion.

Posted 01/20/09

Compared to some of the places in this area, Azuma is a pretty good deal. The ambience is nice, the restaurant is clean, and the food is good. I've been twice and both times everyone in the group has enjoyed the food. My first time was on a Sunday afternoon. I was shocked at how busy it was. Personally, I think it's a good sign when a place like this is busy during a non-peak hour. My second visit was on a Thursday night. Again, it was fairly busy and the restaurant seemed to have repeat clients. Unlike RA, which I feel relies mostly on looks and has very little substance, I can see myself going to Azuma for a RELAXING meal. The staff is efficient, yet could give off a little more warmth.

Pros: Great ambience/decent prices/Good food

Cons: Parking could be an issue on a Friday/Saturday

Posted 01/13/09

First off, I usually do not write reviews for restaurants, but after my dining experience here I feel the need to go through the trouble to make a username on this site just to write this one review. Before I made reservations for this restaurant I read the reviews to see how how it is rated, many said they had a horrible host staff and such...but I gave this restaurant a try anyways hoping it would not disappoint me.
I made reservations for a birthday party, when we got there I don't think I've seen the hostess smile once the whole time I was there. I had a few more people that came to join us for dinner last minute, the hostess came over and rudely told me that I had to call back next time if I had more people and we have to spend at least $450 of food if we had more than 14 people, maybe she was rude to us because we look like we just graduated high school and don't think that we deserve the same treatment as an adult that would tip just as well. So we had a total of 16 people that sat down to eat, so they expected each of us to spend about $30 a person, I was outraged, half the time I was going back and forth between the table talking to the waitress to try to resolve the $450 limit problem. Our waitress was very nice and probably if it wasn't her I would've left and cancelled the rest of our food, she tried her best to help take care of the situation and talked to the manager about it. So the bill was roughly about $325 and she said that the manager said that we had to order another $125 to go. My friends saw that was happening and a few of them felt obligated to leave earlier so they didn't have to make us order to reach our $450 limit. On top of that the manager said that if we now as in LEAVE RIGHT AWAY, they would settle it by adding 20% tip of $450 to our $325 bill. I don't know if it is because we are a bunch of college students or what but I don't think anyone should be treated like this. Other than that, waitress was very nice to us.

Pros: Ambience and food came out quickly.

Cons: Horrible management and host staff!!!! Hostess did not smile nor greeted.

Posted 01/04/09

To date, this is by far the worst sushi restaurant I have been to around the Houston area. We arrived for a slightly later seating on a Saturday night, around 9:30. The place was still pretty crowded but the hostess took us to a table that had not been wiped down, felt greasy, and still had the prior patrons credit card slip in the middle of the table. We sat there for about 10 minutes looking at the menu before the waiter approached us to ask if we wanted something to drink. We quickly ordered our usual starters - edamame and miso soup. The miso soup came out lukewarm, with a regular soup spoon, a few measly pieces of seaweed and no tofu. I was starting to have my doubts especially as we had liked the downtown Azuma when we had eaten there. The rest of the meal was a disaster. They brought out our sushi rolls one by one, forgot to bring any ginger or wasabi, and the spicy tuna roll had so much cayenne pepper sprinkled on it, it was inedible. The spicy yelllowtail was fine, a little strong like the fish had been sitting out for awhile, and the Azuma roll was actually pretty good. We also got the sushi combo A. The california roll that came with it on the menu was actually the king crab version, we requested the crab stick substitute which they charged us for, despite it being a cheaper substitute. Half the fish from the sushi combo was inedible. It had the smell of a grocery store fish aisle where the fish has been sitting out on ice all day. The yellowtail actually appeared dirty. Don't even get me started on the lackluster service. After the waiter finally came by when the meal was half done and I asked for a refill on my soda, he took the glass away and didn't return. I eventually had to get up, walk over to the bar where he was chatting with some coworkers and request my soda again. I rarely bother writing reviews for restaurants, even ones that I really enjoy. Do yourself a favor and go to the Azuma restaurant downtown or The Fish, way better sushi and service.

Pros: there's a wine bar nearby, try that instead

Cons: extremely poor service, half the sushi was practically inedible

Posted 01/03/09

No matter what day I go in, the staff are always smiling and happy to serve us. It just makes our night to a wonderful evening. The food is great and never have any issue with food. Except over eating...

Pros: Great food and always fresh

Cons: parking

Posted 12/10/08

After just moving to Houston from New York I've been eager to find a local sushi restaurant to enjoy. I eat sushi several times a week and have always tried to find a place where I can eat good quality seafood and get to know the staff personally. Azuma WILL NOT be that place. After hearing good reviews about the place a friend and I decided to check it out. We both work in the restaurant business so our eating schedule is the opposite from that of most people. When we arrived it was about 15-20 minutes before their sign said they closed for lunch. We felt bad because we both know what it's like to have someone show up shortly before close but we decided since he was from out-of-state we'd go in anyway. A hostess greeted us at the door simply by telling us that the kitchen was closed. We looked again at the sign on the door to make sure we hadn't read it wrong but the fact was they decided not take in 2 customers because they didn't feel like it. I was extremely offended because neither of us has ever turned a customer away in the years we've spent working in restaurants, especially when according to the sign they were still open. They had an opportunity to make a loyal customer who would come again and again and introduce new people to the business regularly but instead I refuse to ever set foot in there again. Last time I checked restaurants were in the hospitality industry... there is nothing hospitable about turning someone away.

Pros: Don't know

Cons: Staff doesn't care about making new customers

Posted 11/22/08

I went to Azuma last night with a group of friends. I did not feel like sushi so I got the Azuma Seafood instead. It was absolutely divine!!! Highly highly recommended. It is a mix of shrimp, fish (not sure what kind, but it was the best part of the dish), scallops, mushroom, some other vegetables and seafoods, etc in a very tasty sauce, plus rice on the side. Yum!

The decor is great, the atmosphere/ambience is wonderful. It gets pretty crowded - we had to wait 30 mins for a table on a Thursday around 7:30pm.

Pros: complimentary valet parking

Cons: waiting for tables

Posted 11/20/08

I heard so many great things about azuma that i had to come and see it for myself. As i walked into azuma, I was greeted with a chirpy petite hostess with a huge smile on her face. she happily ( I mean very happy) sat us at a table. My server was exceptional! I explained to her that this was my very first time dining at azuma and that i needed some help. She explained to us that the red devil man roll and the crazy irishman are amongst the most popular rolls there. i went ahead and took her suggestion and boy it was amazing! I definitely will be coming back and try some other things out.

Pros: complimentary valet, service, food

Cons: even on a slow night our food took 30+ minute to come out.

Posted 08/31/08

I am not sure why anyone goes there, particularly when there are so many excellent Japanese restaurants with better service and more reasonable prices. The sushi was not fresh. It is also strange that they have robata bar in their name, but everything we ordered from the robata grill was either fried or pan seared. All this with an outrageous tab.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Food and price

Posted 08/18/08

I recently visited Azuma for the first time ever with two friends for lunch. We were looking for good sushi at a reasonable price. We left paying $74.58 and $15.00 (20%) tip = $89.58 total. The food was average in comparison to other sushi restaurants in Houston. I can?t say the price is justifiable for the food quality. Lunch is lunch, and you can get better and cheaper sushi elsewhere. So we?ll never be back. My friends also stated that in the future I can never pick the restaurant for our lunch outings. Thanks Azuma

Respectfully,
Neva Comin Bak

Pros: Clean place and the drinks stay full (Good Staff)

Cons: Price

Posted 05/15/08

We ventured out to try a new sushi place this past week. We were pleasantly surprised at the good sushi (some pretty nice rolls) and they make good cocktails. The waitress that served us, both times we went, she is excellent. I would recommend this place to anyone. If you can't eat raw fish, don't... they have other nice items on the menu to try.

Pros: Good food and drinks, nice decor

Cons: Parking, No reservation for party under 6 people

Posted 04/25/08

I have read other reviews of this restaurant . I am real sorry others have not had the great experience we had. First of all the restaurant is beautiful with lots of wood. It is a very nice restaurant to take a date. They play upbeat music at just the right volume to make conversation easy. They have a very large choice of non sushi asian fusian dishes. We had 2 sushi rolls, miso soup, hot tea and rice. ( I had traveled all day and needed lite comfort food.) The fish used was fresh and the actual presentation was very elegant.
The restaurant was very crowded between 9:30-10 pm. However, we only waited 20 minutes. Our server was EXCEPTIONAL. He kept up with our table and a huge table of 20 or so next to us. He did a great job. This time when we go we definitely get Sake. They have many choices. We are taking our friends here as we are very pleased with EVERYTHING. I like the contemporary decor with the exposed wood beams. Very lovely. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience.

Pros: Lovely restaurant, great service and fantatic food

Cons: Very popular expect a wait even late at night.

Posted 03/12/08

It's interesting...I wish I would have read the other reviews from customers on here before I wasted my time and money at this "sushi restaurant". The food was below par and the service was poor enough to make me want to run down the street to another sushi restaurant.
The hostesses are RUDE and the waitstaff is non-existent. After we were seated, it took 30 minutes just to order, and we were treated like an inconvenience to THEM. Needless to say...I will gladly spend good money for legitimate sushi and customer-service. Oh, by the way...don't sit at the bar--they never look up to take your order. Annnnd don't sit under the loft room--terrible acoustics. I've been back at least 5 times...and it just hasn't improved. I prayed and prayed...but no one answered the call. Too bad, really. The food's mmmokay. Nothing to brag about. Oh, did I mention...the service is terrible? Right. That's what it boils down to...an empty beer and no waitress in sight for 30 minutes. Sweet. This is a real winner.

Pros: I got to eat.

Cons: only after a LOT of waiting.

Posted 02/12/08

I've been to many many sushi restaurants all around town and I have to say this is one of the best Sushi Restaurants in Houston!!! From Complimentary Parking (YES IT'S FREE !), Fabulous food, excellant knowledgable service, I would have to say that this place is an excellant place to go to! Our waitress recommended the drunk irishman roll and it was superb!
I read some other reviews in here and can not relate to any of the horrible service that they mentioned. Everytime I come into azuma the service and food is beyond my expectations.
In my opinion to the last review (YORI71), parking is not as horrendous, they have FREE valet service (unless you are too cheap to tip the poor guys), I also believe that the last reviewer came in already in a bad mood and took it out on the people at azuma. My husband and I had to wait for a table for forty five minutes, she just needed two of her friends to arrive to be seated right away!

Pros: EVERYTHING!

Cons: NONE!

Posted 02/11/08

I love it when employees write reviews of their own restaurant, sushieater12345! The service was horrible!
Oh, and am I the only person who tips VERY well AFTER I receive good service?! This place has NO service! And the sushi is mediocre! At BEST! IF YOU WANT AN HONEST REVIEW, KEEP READING:
I typically don't waste time writing reviews, I read them, but I rarely write them. I created this account solely based on my experience at Azuma this past Friday night. I tried to make a rez over the phone, when I was told that all members of the party had to be there to get seated (which was understandable). When we arrived, we were missing 2 (TWO) members of our party and they refused to seat us (we were a party of 6 and the restaurant was almost empty). They made us stand and wait up front until the rest of our party arrived, some 30 minutes later. We sat for about 10 minutes before anyone even bothered asking if we wanted something to drink. Once the drinks came, they asked if we were ready to order, to which we we said yes, then she disappeared and we had to search high and low for anyone to take our order. We had finished our drinks by the time the order was taken. When we were finished eating, the bill came and were then told they have a 4 credit card max. When we tried to split the bill 4 ways, she added extra gratuity to each bill, on top of the already added 19% gratuity to the total amount! Highway robbery does not sit well with me, ESPECIALLY when the service was horrible! And that's putting it mildly. Not once were we asked how anything was or if we needed anything, we had to hunt her down to get anything. I will not return, nor will I recommend this restaurant to others. It's unfortunate, because I deal with people all the time looking for great restaurants! Maybe they'll learn that they're not the only game in town and that places are popping up left and right that don't put restrictions on people who want to go out and spend money!

Pros: the beer was cold

Cons: the entire restaurant, from the lack of parking to the attitude of the staff !

Posted 02/10/08

I called at 4:30 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon to make a reservation for an early dinner on New Year's Eve. I was told that they only make reservations for large parties, which is fine. So I asked the young woman that answered the phone how difficult she thought it would be to get a table that evening without a reservations. In a very exasperated and rude tone, she replied, "I have no idea how busy we'll be, but if you want to try, you are welcome to," and before I could ask another question, she hung up on me! Although this kind of treatment should really never happen, I probably would have overlooked it had it occured during a busy time, but on a Thursday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.?! I think I'll just stick to Miyako's!

Posted 12/26/07

Next to Musashino's in Austin,TX this restaurant has the freshest and most tastiest sushi in Houston. I recommend eating as many pieces of the nigiri sushi as you can--their fish is very fresh and their rice has a great texture with just the right amount of sweetness. The fatty tuna sashimi (its either the chutoro or otoro, i forgot) is well worth the splurge!! I'm not a fan of all of those new and "specialty" rolls, but the Angry Irishman/Crazy Green Irish roll was excellent! As for appetizers, edamame is always a great choice, but if you want to try something new, you should go for the spicy yellowtail. The desserts are mediocre, so I suggest filling up on the sushi! This is not a place to go if your trying to save money, but the freshness of the fish (which is usually very hard to find at sushi joints) is well worth the price.

Pros: Very fresh fish!

Cons: Can get pricey, Popularity of the restaurant can result in a long waiting time

Posted 12/10/07

It was pretty crowded when my friends and I went for dinner on a Wednesday night, but we were seated promptly. The sushi was fresh and tasty. It's a little bit pricier than other sushi places around town, but I wouldn't mind going there again. It's a little bit more hip than I expected, so if you're looking for a quieter place to eat, go somewhere else.

Pros: fresh sushi

Cons: price, noise

Posted 11/11/07

Its a pity the hostesses can't get their act together. The food is generally good and when you finally get served, the waitresses are courteous. But the hostesses are unprofessional, inefficient, lack communication skills, and make waiting for a table a very unpleasant experience. We've eaten at the restaurant both when its busy and late on Sunday afternoon when its quiet and the hostess behavior has been the same. Despite several empty tables, we were asked to wait. When we were finally seated, we had no service. We finally got up and left and won't be back. How silly of us to give them so many tries; what a waste of a perfectly good afternoon.

Pros: decent food

Cons: lousy hostess service

Posted 11/05/07

This is my favorite sushi place in Houston. Their specialty rolls are delicious. I don't drink sake, but everyone at my table ordered it and loved it.

Posted 11/04/07

The decor in this place is warm and inviting with a bar, lowlights, and hearthy feel. Had a late dinner about 9pm and was served promptly. Place was bubbling with conversations even on a weeknight. Sushi and udon soup tasted wonderfully fresh and balanced. Service was courteous. Good cozy date place.

Pros: atmosphere, food, service

Cons: price

Posted 10/19/07

I have been going to Azuma since they first opened their doors about five years ago... and I have yet to be disappointed! Some of the faces have changed, but they definitely haven't lost focus on Serving Their Customers with the Freshest Sushi and Sashimi in town.

I have had my share of having to wait for a table, but I am so picky that I only dine at a sushi restaurant where there is a constant flow of business, which means the fish is extra fresh! I was surprised to read some of the negative reviews that they have received recently and even inquired with the manager the last time I dined at Azuma. He said they are working hard to address some of the complaints and that every customer has different needs and requests, which can make pleasing their customers very challenging at times.

I recently visited the Kirby location for lunch and I think just about everyone else decided to have sushi for lunch that Thursday as well. There was about a ten minute wait before a space opened up on the sushi bar. I had the sushi lunch special which was a spicy salmon roll with crunch, covered with masago, spicy mayo and sweet unagi sauce. It also came with three pieces of sushi - escolar, flounder and maguro. It had just the right combination of sweet and spicy and a surprisingly good texture due to the "crunch" (which I believe is tempura pieces). The service was excellent and our waitress made sure our tea glasses were never empty...also a great place to people watch!

Pros: Excellent Food, Great Place to People Watch, Complementary valet helps with parking

Cons: Crowded at times

Posted 10/08/07

I've been to Azuma many times and its never let me down. I read a few comments left on here where the person stated "Here in America! we have health codes" now really, what is that saying? does it mean that people in other parts of the world don't have common sense to be clean? or that you're just being an ignorant fool. Another was how someone wasn't japanese.........i'm sorry to say but most your food anywhere you go is cooked by someone who speaks spanish. I've been to Azuma many times where the patron is the one being unbearable and i give it up to the staff for taking all the BS they dish with a smile. Azuma is a great dining experience and i give them 5 stars.

Pros: Great is the word

Cons: Customers that think the server is their slave

Posted 09/18/07

I?ve been going to the downtown location for quite a while now, but this was my first time at the rice village spot for dinner. Great food, service, and ambience without all the pretentiousness. The server was very attentive and made excellent recommendations. Menu is great--even if sushi isn?t your thing. And, if it is, try the escolar and otoro?very fresh but makes it hard to go back to all the regular sushi. The banana tempura was the perfect finishing touch for dinner. Otherwise, tons of dessert places nearby to choose from. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys sushi or is looking for a date place.

Pros: service, food, location

Cons: go before the dinner crowd to avoid waiting, sometimes parking

Posted 09/09/07

"Best Sushi of 2006"?? Not so much.. How about best sushi all-year-round, any year? I'd have to say "Sushi King". The name even says it all. Azuma is not the nice classy restaurant to take out a potential client. I'm not sure why they even try for a "serene utopia of Asian waterfalls and relaxation" kind of atmosphere, because that's simply not the case here. I felt like I was having dinner with the entire jungle. Not only was it packed and unbearably loud, the food was mediocre, along with lazy hostess/seating service. These unprofessionals just stare at you and expects you to walk up & give your name. I'd rather pay that same amount for 4 decent meals at the local Macaroni Grille, speaking of which is just divine on nights when you're not expecting much. If I was asked out on a date to this specific Azuma restaurant (assuming there's another one that's possibly better), I would say no.. Just--no.

Pros: good imitation of a mature lounge

Cons: just about everything else about this place bothered me. i'm not high-maintenanced, i just know what i want and when i want it.

Posted 08/30/07

CITY SEARCH- HOW DO YOU HAVE THIS RATED 5 STAR WITH ALL THE TERRIBLE REVIEWS! PLEASE REVISE!!! Like other reviews have said I enjoy sushi several times a week. I also KNOW sushi and good sushi. My boyfriend and I had visited the Azuma downtown and had a pleasant experience. Last week we went to the Rice Village location WHAT A DISSAPOINTMENT. We were seated in a booth in the corner. After about 30 seconds we both looked at each other and noticed a stomach churning smell. It was with out a doubt the unmistakable smell of URINE. I am NOT a super picky person but there is no way anybody could eat at a booth the reaked of URINE. We should have left then. We asked to be moved, after the waitress got an atitude we were moved to a table near by. The waitress returned to the booth and sprayed some unknown liquid all over the booth chairs. A couple was seated there shortly after we moved. Gross. Our food was unmemorable. The Crazy Irishman was so so. The handrolls were drenched in mayo and the scallops were no where near fresh. Our waitress was rude and not attentive. Overall I left feeling sick to my stomach, I couldnt tell you if it was the food or the smell but either way I would avoid this spot. Not sure if they have had a change in management recently or what., Seems like recently their reviews have gone downhill. Too bad.

Pros: Location

Cons: Everything else

Posted 08/29/07

HERE IS THE DEAL: I eat sushi every week n Houston. Every week, A different restaurant. I KNOW Sushi and Sushi Restaurants. Last week, we went to Azuma. The restaurant was crowed, so we put our name on the table list and sat down at the bar to wait. Because there was a 20 minute wait, we decided to order sushi at the bar. We waited 15 minutes at the bat, however, but got no service. Finally, the sushi chef asked if we wanted a drink. We ordered a drink, but after more waiting we decided to just go to a table because the bar was noisy and the service was so poor. The waitress finally came and we told her we were waiting for our drink and the table to be ready. She told us that we needed to wait at the bar back of the restaurant, since they wanted to serve sushi at the bar. There was NO bar seating at the back of the restaurant and I was in a leg cast! Clearly, the waitress was quite insensitive. After standing in the back and continuing to wait for the drinks, we decided to leave. Prior to leaving, we talked to the manager about the situation after more waiting. The manager offered NO Apology and was disinterested! Bottom Line - Customer Service was VERY poor. Skip this place

Pros: Don't know

Cons: rude staff, disinterested management, slow service, parking

Posted 08/11/07

I had been going to Azuma?s for quit some time now. My friends and I went yesterday and it was by far THE WORST DINNING EXPERIENCE EVER. When we ordered our drinks my friend had a BIG DEAD FLY in her water. She got up to tell the manager he said ?HERE AT AZUMA WE HAVE FLYS COMING IN AND OUT ALL THE TIME, OUT KITCHEN DOOR IS SOMETIMES LEFT OPEN.? My friend tells the manager that his response was no justification because they have raw fish in there. He sent her a .99 cent bottled water and asked for us never to go back again.

I am discussed with the way the manager handled the situation. Especially because he said that they have flies in there kitchen. Azuma?s Management needs to learn 101 on how to treat customers and handle situation. Especially because we are in USA and there are health codes to be followed.

Pros: ********HEALTH HAZARD**********

Cons: HORRIFIC CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted 07/18/07

Be sure to ask for the sushi bar if you come to have sushi. It was our first time there and we ordered nigiri sitting next to people who were having the rock steak. The smoke coming from grilled meat does not help you enjoy your supposedly fresh fish. I have lived in Japan and tasted great sushi in the US, in Boston for example but let me tell you, if you had good sushi before, this is not the place to have it. The rice was dry and cold and the fish obviously lacked luster. Maybe it lost its freshness between the sushi bar and our table but I think this place does not live up to its 5 star ratings expectations.

Cons: parking, service, sushi

Posted 07/17/07

I really am frustrated how a lot of Houstonians think that as long as chef looks Asian, this must be a Japanese chef. I sat down at the counter near the robata grill and asked the Chef if he was Japanese. He said Hai or Yes. Since I speak Japanese fluently, he studdered and then admitted to me that he is Korean. Ok, why would you lie about that? anyhow, i ordered an assortment of Sushi, closely observing the Nigiri and how much wasabi he puts in and how many times he needs to squeeze the rice. Japanese Sushi chefs press the rice twice. Too much contact by hand is not good for the rice or the taste. Azuma Chefs touch the rice on average 5 times. It shows in the taste and how the sushi holds. The rice is good pretty good, but the nigiri is amateur level for Japanese standards. Now to the miso shiru or Miso soup. In japan the miso soup tells you if the chef knows what they are doing. The Miso which is the ingredient is low grade, straight from a Japanese supermarket. Throw me a bone you guys are in a restaurant business, try to import it from Japan not just pick it up from a wholesaler. Now to the robata, great grill but the fish was not cooked too well, it was slightly raw and was too burnt. That means you should use less heat on it. Also, the fish had some scales (Uroko). Unacceptable!!! In japan the Chef would get fired for that. Wasabi, please use fresh wasabi grounded at the store not from a wholesaler. The ambience is great, but it is not japanese because you have Koreans say Irashai mase and lying to you that they are Japanese. If a customer asks are you japanese, just say I am Korean, why Lie?
t

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Chef lied to me and said he was Japanese, Food is not quite Authentic

Posted 07/03/07

I posted my reivew of the downtown restuarant in the wrong place & I could not figure out how to delete it.

Posted 06/06/07

I have been to many sushi restaurants all around town and i would say that Azuma has the most fresh sushi I have tried ever! their food is excellent! Try the crazy irishman, it's the best roll i had ever eaten. The waitress who was helping us was extremely nice and our drinks are hardly ever empty!! their food and service is impeccable! Their food is not as expensive as any other restaurants, i read other feedbacks regarding the price and in my opinion, azuma is moderate in their prices. for those who think that azuma is too expensive for you then please dont go there. I believe there is a reason why azuma does not t have the same price as Miyak* or Jap*n because they do not want the same cheap customers!

Pros: Quality of Food, Excellent Service!!

Cons: parking

Posted 05/24/07

For all those who have wanted to try sushi but can't get past the raw fish, come to Azuma and try their COOKED sushi rolls. I took my parents to Azuma for Mother's Day to try something a little different from our normal routine. Our waitress was very friendly, patient, and gave us some great recommendation for sushi rolls and sake. Mom and I shared the Crazy Irish Man rolls and the White Angel rolls; they were so delicious we ended up ordering another round. My father ordered the Combo B: skewered grilled shrimp, beef, chicken, fish, and mushrooms with a side of sweet potato diced. My father loved his plate but also picked at our sushi rolls too. The only small problem I did have was my fathers plate came out a little later than ours, but he was able to nibble on our sushi until his food came out. The service was excellent, our waitress even gave us a complimentary sauce for us to try with our sushi rolls.
For those who need a price range; for all (3) of our meals the price came to about $69.99, and that included (20pieces) Crazy Irishman Roll, (16pieces) White Angel Rolls, Combo B, and the Sake.

If you want to try good sushi and great service go to Azuma, they will treat you right.
We will be going back.

Pros: Everything

Posted 05/13/07

The hot rock beef is delicious, and the sushi is great. Bar is hopping and the music is uber-hip -- as is the crowd.

Posted 05/03/07

I've never had a bad meal or experience at Azuma. The food is delicious and well prepared and the wait staff is always courteous and attentive. I absolutely love the quiet atmosphere and you can't beat the location. Azuma will continue to be my favorite spot for sushi.

Posted 04/03/07

I'm only writing this review because of how suprised I was by City Search's 9.7 rating of Azuma's. I have sampled many Japanese resturants in Houston, including Oishi's, Cafe Japon, and many others... and for the price, Azuma's was absolutely my least favorite. The sushi was served chilled... as though the rice had been refrigerated and was maybe a bit stale... and the Salmon Roe sushi (a staple of mine), which should have been cold, was lukewarm and watery and, once again, questionably fresh. The production and visual impact of the shushi was sloppy, and the proportions on the Philadelphia rolls were all wrong (too much avacado!). Anyway, I just thought I'd put that out there. Obviously a lot of people disagree with me! But I hope that they have at least sampled what places like Cafe Japon and Miyako have to offer before coming to their decision.

Pros: Good parking and convinient location

Cons: The sushi just isn't prepared well!

Posted 03/05/07

The service was great, ambiance was romantic and the food was fabulous! We will DEFINITELY be back again!

Posted 01/18/07

I was excited about going to Azuma after reading all the great reviews on here, and especially with it being "one of the top ten in the U.S.". The service was great and the restaurant was very nice but I was disappointed with the sushi. It was only mediocre. The irishman roll was good, but not better than other rolls I've had at other Houston restaurants. The sushi was fresh, but nothing special. My brother ordered a robata special and everything was extremely dry and hard to chew. My other brother ordered kobe beef to grill on the rocks and that was slightly more tasty than the other things at the table. Other than that, the sushi in this restaurant did not live up to all the great reviews it has been receiving.

Pros: Service, Ambience

Cons: food is mediocre

Posted 01/03/07

Azuma is the gold standard for Japanese/Sushi in Houston. The location is great, the restaurant atmosphere is perfect, the staff is pleasant and efficient, and the food is great! Try the crazy irishman roll for a nice treat. The fish is always fresh and delicious. The drinks are always strong and perfectly made. Most of the entrees are very good as well. I wish they had chicken tempura though. Overall Azuma is my favorite place in Houston for Japanese.

Pros: Food quality, atmosphere, great service

Cons: Price, lack of parking

Posted 12/31/06

Just had dinner here last night-our first houston sushi restaurant. Not too impressed. Service was ok-our waitress was nice. My sushi roll was brought out about 5 minutes after I ordered-literally!! Never had sushi made that fast-normally wouldn't complain about quick food, but this was brought out before our appetizers even. We waited about 30 min for my husbands food-our waitress kept asking if we were ok or needed anything-when my husband finally asked where his dinner was, she acted like she'd forgotten to get his, and it came out later-but who knows how much longer it would have been before he got his dinner if he hadn't asked for it?? My sushi was ok-I've had better, and I didn't finish it. I probably wouldn't go back. Not for average sushi.

Posted 12/15/06

the ambience is amazing: a bit on the trendy side but since the space was small and dimly-lit, it provided a somewhat personalized dining experience and a cozyness that the bigger trendy sushi restaurants failed to accomplish. the sushi is top quality with interesting options to choose from. the desserts are equally satisfying. parking may be a problem since the sushi restaurant is located on a rather popular upper-end shopping center. i love how it's just walking distance from cova (for all you wine lovers out there, this is a MUST to go try in houston - not to mention that it's also a great after sushi place to chill). overall, a pleasant dining experience.*

Pros: good quality sushi, ambience, romantic, walking distance from a wine lover's heaven (cova)

Cons: crowded, parking

Posted 11/19/06

We heard so much rave about this place from friends and co-workers that we HAD to go check it out for ourselves. My boyfriend and I had an amazing experience. The sushi was so fresh..the rolls are one of a kind! We REALLY love their Red Devil roll. And I had the BEST Escolar. I've never had any that fresh before. And everything wasn't too pricy, considering the area they're in (near the Rice Village). Oh..and the Espresso Ice Cream cake was to die for! Parking is a little disappointing..but there is complimentary valet. But over-all..we loved it so much, we will DEFINITELY be coming back!

Pros: great sushi, different variety of dishes to choose from

Cons: parking, wait is long (but understandable for the weekend)

Posted 11/12/06

My boyfriend and I love trying new sushi restaurants. We went to Ozuma ONCE and have not been the same again. Their food is excellent and the presentation is a work of art. We consider it the best sushi in Houston by far.

Posted 10/29/06

The restaurant is beautiful and very trendy. I found the food to be good but a little on the higher-priced side. The sushi was fresh and came out beautifully displayed. There is usually a wait for a table.

Pros: fresh sushi

Cons: parking

Posted 10/26/06

It's a pretty nice place overall. The decor is very good, and the prices are lower than or on par with what I'd expect for a place that looks this nice. However, when it comes to the quality of the fish, sushi fans should expect better. It was chewy, cut too thickly, and had a slightly unpleasant taste to it. The nigiri comes with huge pieces of fish on top. If it was good fish, then this would be a plus. I personally found that more is not better. The specialty rolls are very good, though!

Also, don't be confused... this location does not have happy hours, as indicated by citysearch.

Pros: Ambience, friendly staff

Cons: Well... the sushi :(

Posted 10/10/06

I love this place. The food is excellent, always fresh & delicious, service is also great. No matter if you dine alone, with a date or a group you will still have the same excellent service & food. Two weeks ago they passed the ultimate test to my standards (a picky eater). . .I decided to celebrate my B-day with a small group of friends (about 14 people) at Azuma and we have no complains at all. On the contrary, those who never been there became fans inmediately.
This is a great sushi place with a fun atmosphere.

Pros: Great food, Fresh, Location

Cons: Reservations rules, waiting time.

Posted 09/07/06