4. Restaurants

Nippon Japanese Restaurant

4464 Montrose Blvd, Houston, TX, 77006
  • (713) 523-3939
  • Store is closed

Nippon Japanese Restaurant Menu

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  • jessie c.

    Mad love for Nippon. People have complained about their service, but we had decent service. I had their udon soup and some sushi. Fresh sushi, hot udon and quick service.

    (4)

  • Edwin D.

    Whenever we're traveling to Houston, this is our regular lunch stop, which is most often on Sundays. We happened upon it by accident, but how fortunate were we! We enjoy the food and service. It may take a little time when they are busy, but it is worth the wait. Get in early if you want to avoid the rush. Our kids always insist on eating here whenever possible. Their driveway is tight and I suggest only using it if you will be going south on Montrose. Otherwise it is a tough left turn to get out.

    (5)

  • Lisa C.

    I've eaten at Nippon off and on for a number of years. (ok, if recollection serves me right, I've been eating there over the past 10 years!) Last month or so I went with a friend of mine and we were wondering what the fish was that was being brought out to the next table full of Japanese people (but the item wasn't on the menu). It was the codfish and they cook it in a miso/sake mixture. It is SO tasty. The last time I went I ordered the miso soup with mushrooms, and they were the really tiny tiny dark button mushrooms, which made it even more tasty than regular miso soup. It's taken a while for me to explore the menu, but I am glad I have! I can't wait to go back and try items I haven't had before, along with the codfish.

    (4)

  • Long T.

    Solid sushi place with lots of regulars in the area... nothing to sing home about, but it's still a decent eatery. Prices are par for most sushi joints.

    (3)

  • Jimmy W.

    Believe the positive reviews, the sushi here is outstanding at this authentic Japanese restaurant. The sushi is very fresh and the selection is excellent. For appetizers, I recommend the agedashi tofu and the yellowtail collar. The yellowtail tuna, spicy tuna roll, unagi, and dragon roll were all very well made. The cold soba (zara) is also one of my favorites. There is also plenty of outdoor seating.

    (5)

  • Blair B.

    Sushi was very fishy and clearly wasn't fresh. Service sucked, and prices weren't good. I'm not sure what others see in this place.

    (2)

  • Jolyn B.

    Wow, almost straight 5 stars! So based on your wonderful recommendations I took a friend here this past weekend. You were right!! The food was delish! Waiter was attentive and atmosphere was very relaxing and nice. The sushi was great, really fresh and the waiter knew exaclty what he was talking about when we asked for specials. It was pretty busy, but it was a weekend, so that might have attributed to the 30 min wait.

    (4)

  • Therese T.

    This is probably the best (most authentic) Japanese cuisine I've had in the city, so far. Their prices are also value-for-money. Their miso soup is done right, and sushi? Hardly any fusion nonsense, just the real thing. I like that. I just wish the lighting were better.

    (4)

  • Bhuvana H.

    The food was really good here - went with my hubby and the in-laws last night for dinner. We had the agedashi tofu and hotate (scallop) appetizers; the tofu was quite tasty, and the rest of the family seemed to enjoy the scallop. We ordered a bunch of a la carte sushi and sashimi (nigiri); it was all quite good. The service was a bit slow, but that might just be because I'm not used to the pace of life in Houston. And the parking didn't seem to be that big a deal; the lot was small and required parallel parking, but I guess I'm used to that in the Northeast.

    (4)

  • Nadine R.

    The sushi is not fresh here. The fishy odor in the restaurant should have been a clue to turn around and walk out of there. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

    (1)

  • chibimaru l.

    Having grown up eating sushi & sashimi (yes, I'm from SoCal), I must say this is the best Japanese restaurant I've been to in Houston. The menu is not huge, but it covers the basics. I don't think there are any signature dishes but I am definitely partial to the Japanese Ramen (soy flavor). My husband always gets the Tomkatsu, but I've never tried it. The sushi is very fresh and nicely made. The egg custard is light and very smooth. The house salad dressing is *very* yummy--a sesame/ginger mix of sorts (I can't replicate it at home). Prices are extremely reasonable for Japanese, and infact, cheaper than many other Japanese restaurants in Houston that aren't as good. It's a small restaurant, so large parties (more than 7) should definitely call ahead of time. The weekday lunch rush is from 11:45a-1:30p, so the service can be on the slow side during those times. The parking lot is small and tandem parking is almost a sure thing. The atmosphere in the restaurant is such though that if you come out and someone is parked behind you, just go into th restaurant and tell the hostess; she'll have the customer move his/her car immediately. [There's also street parking on Montrose across the street, if you are paranoid about getting blocked in.] If you go in the evenings, the rush isn't as bad, but it will still be busy. The longest I've ever had to wait at night was 5 minutes. The entire staff is extremely courteous. When you enter and leave the sushi chefs call out the traditional welcome and thank you/farewell. Reminds me of when I was in Kyoto a couple years ago.

    (5)

  • Brian A.

    We were not impressed by most of the sushi rolls. The Nippon roll was one of the worst - not great marketing. I like sushi rolls of all different varieties, whether they have crazy bombastic flavors or are just about the fish. First, Nippon does not have much variety, second, it does not offer very good flavor-blasting rolls, and third, which was most surprising to me, even the more basic rolls did not taste very good.

    (2)

  • Erin S.

    i love this place! best sushi in houston. the restaurant has a nice comfortable atmosphere. and the deck outside is great when the weather isn't too hot or humid. the only thing i have against this place is that the parking sucks. in fact it is pretty much non-existant. but i'll park across the street or something bc. this place is that good. the rice is perfect stickyness and the fish is always fresh tasting. def. go.

    (5)

  • Iris F.

    It is hard to find an authentic Japanese restaurant but this is it! The menu is large and exciting. Sashimi and sushi here are always fresh and tasty. If you come at lunch time you get a better deal-- a lunch box with sushi and delicious teriyaki for $11+. Oh and don't miss the yummy appetizers like chawanmushi, agedashi tofu and gyoza. :)~

    (4)

  • Genevieve B.

    My first sushi bar, and My favorite in all of Houston. I first went there on this date in 1993.

    (5)

  • Anon H.

    small, unpretentious, reasonable prices, good food, friendly, laidback atmosphere

    (5)

  • Larina C.

    Blink and you'll miss this quiet little restaurant that serves up traditional Japanese dishes. I love the ramen noodles and the sushi is fresh. There are real Japanese people working in this establishment. It's definitely worth checking out minus hype or trendiness..

    (4)

  • David D.

    As someone who has lived in Japan, they serve the most authentic Japanese food that I have seen in Houston. They serve a lot of menu items the chic Jananese-ish places don't offer.

    (4)

  • Oxen -.

    Absolutely, without a doubt, the best sushi in Houston when they're having a good day. You'll pay for it too. And that's where the problem comes in, as not every day sees the same fresh fish as their best days. Very elegant atmosphere, very friendly boss, fairly crowded on weekends, and a real winner over all.

    (5)

  • Erin S.

    Small and cozy, pleasant atmosphere, and the staff is friendly. At first we didn't get a sushi menu, and had to ask for one. The sushi was surprisingly good and I've been craving more since our first visit. The parking lot was a little cramped but it looks like people just park anywhere the car will fit.

    (4)

  • Song K.

    Nippon Restaurant is nestled in a snug, little area near Hermann Park; perfect for a quiet, low key evening of delicious food and a warm, comfortable atmosphere. The first dish I tried was he unagi over rice and it was absolutely delicious. Their fish is fresh, the portions are filling, and their rolls are creative and mouth watering.

    (4)

  • Jeannie P.

    yes! this place is the best! it's very authentic. Try their hamachi-kama... so wonderful. Also, their sashimi is very fresh... best Ikura sushi I've ever had. Also, their green tea ice cream is delicious!

    (5)

  • Steve W.

    I'm a Sushi snob, being from the bay area. This place is decent, pretty good for Houston. I would rate the fish as fairly fresh.

    (3)

  • Yousif A.

    My girlfriend and I wanted a nice evening outside with sushi and finally at the behest of many settled on Nippon. I'm never one to complain and I understand the other end of the spectrum when it comes to the service industry, but we had a regretfully terrible experience. Our table was ignored the entire night once our order was taken, and after about 45 minutes with no water refills and only receiving half our order, the hostess accused us of already eating our food and refused to check on our order until further arguing ensued. The food itself was nothing spectacular, but I don't really have any allusions about Houston inner city seafood quality, would rather just get take out from Natto and take it to the park in the future.

    (1)

  • Kristin D.

    Stopped into this place on my way out of town with some of my family members. First of all, our waitress was super helpful when we needed help picking out sake and food, which was nice since two of our party had never had sushi. We all ordered lunchboxes, some with California rolls and chicken, some with sashimi and teryaki beef, all with tempura shrimp and tofu. The tuna and octupus were fresh and delicious, the tempura was perfectly crunchy, the tofu was wonderful and the sake was tasty. I've seen some based reviews of this place, but on the day we went, the atmosphere was perfect, the food may not have blown our minds but was delicious, and the staff could not have been more pleasant and helpful. I will definitely go back next time I'm in the area.

    (4)

  • Alex S.

    Sushi and rolls were tasty, fresh sea food/fish, good taste. Good location, walking distance to/from the park. They have different soups besides Miso. If i'm in the area I would eat there again.

    (4)

  • Lindsey C.

    The only reason this is getting 3 stars and not 4 is because of the service. The food is awesome. But the service is really bad. We had to ask multiple times for tea and soy sauce. We ordered appetizers but had to track down the waiter to order our main course. Once the food got to the table it was very good. I will go back, but do not plan on being in a hurry.

    (3)

  • Jezzika C.

    My friend recommended this place to me a while ago, and Nippon has been a highly frequented spot by my boyfriend and I since then. When you walk in, it's super cozy and warm. The PERFECT spot to go on a romantic, low-key date. There isn't abundant seating, but I've never had to wait the times I've been. It's not extremely crowded and loud, but there's always a few others there. The only bad thing about the seating may be that you're pretty close to some people, but it's not to the point where it's uncomfortable. It kind of adds to the warm, intimate ambience. This was the first place I tried authentic Japanese ramen, and I fell head over heels in love. The price is not bad, but my boyfriend and I always end up going overboard on ordering food here so our bill is always a little higher than expected in a place like this. For the appetizer, I always get the BEEF ROLLS! OH MY GOSH, it is seriously one of the best things I've ever tasted. It's thinly sliced beef rolled with sauteed veggies inside, with a teriyaki/some kind of sweet soy glaze on top. I've never seen or tasted anything like it before, and that's why I always get this whenever I go. I've gotten pretty much all the ramen flavors, but my favorites are the pork katsu ramen and the miso ramen. The only thing I don't like about it is that it has a lot of ginger in it that overpowers the other flavors, so I always ask for no ginger now. Otherwise, it's amazingly delicious and refreshing. The shaggy dog roll is great, and pretty much any sushi roll you get here will not disappoint you. I'm not sure, but I feel like the cooks are authentic Japanese cooks, so they know what they're doing. The service is also great. I really feel like I'm in a little Japan when I'm there, and I love it. DEFINITELY a must try!

    (5)

  • Tina D.

    This first time I came here, it was for an intimate dinner for my birthday with the boyfriend. I was craving sushi, and this seemed like a good place to try. When we first walked in, the bar/dining room was busy, but not completely packed. The waiter offered to seat us outside, which seemed like a good idea. We walked out to the porch, where it was much quieter, but it was really dark. It would be nice if they added a few lights to the area. It may have been the crowd, but there were kids AND smokers in the porch area. Neither one, honestly, am I too fond of having nearby while eating. Not the restaurant's fault, but definately a point off from the experience as a whole. The service, was bad. Not horribly so that it ruins a meal, but it was not good by any means. We received out drinks, and then waiting about 15 minutes to have our order taken. I don't think our waiter ever checked on us until we got the check. It definately didn't add anything to the overall experience. What it really, really great is the FOOD. The rolls that we ordered were amazing. The dragon and crunchy rolls, where exceptional here. I think that amazing food really makes this restaurant so great.

    (4)

  • Angie W.

    This is one of the best japanese restaurant in Houston! It's small and family owned by Japanese. Their prices are considered on the low end, but the quality is very high! Everything is good and authentic here! I've been a fan for this resturant for over 12 years now. Just wished they can open another branch closer to westchase. =)

    (5)

  • Lu B.

    Nippon is one of the top sushi places for me as far as quality/value. They don't have fancy rolls, but the fish quality is always good. If you just want basic, clean tastes of sushi then this is a good place. I also love their tonkatsu ramen. Parking can be hard to come by though and sometimes service can be slow, hence 4 stars.

    (4)

  • Pilar P.

    Very fresh sushi. They take their time to make it, but the wait is worth it! Miso soup: good We had the scallops and they were very good too. A bit pricy for the amount of food served but overall a very good experience.

    (4)

  • Casie C.

    I am so glad I found this place! I have been craving and looking for some delicious RAMEN noodles in Houston and when I searched it online, the website brought me to the Nippon reviews. We went here last night for dinner and it wasn't too hard to find. The restaurant is small and it's quite hard to find a parking lot but it can be done. When we entered we were greeted politely. We sat outside in the balcony because the weather was nice. Our server was Japanese and it's cool to go to a Japanese restaurant and knows what they are talking about. I ordered their shaggy dog and WOW it was super good!!!! Authentic and I LOVED it. I ordered one of their ramen dishes, (forgot the name) but I figured anything with ramen or udon or soba on it will taste good and I was right! I will definitely come back to this place and would love to bring some friends here too :) Their dishes are full of flavors that just melts in your mouth which was what I was looking for. HIGHLY recommend the place :)

    (5)

  • Kathy Z.

    My favoriate Japanese restaurant of all times, hands down! My mom use to take me here when I was a little girl, and this was my first experience of authentic Japanese cuisine. The lunch bento boxes are awesome deals. You get choice of entree (teriyaki chicken or beef, grilled salmon...) and tempora and sushi all for under $10. I agree that they don't have a big variety in their menu, but the food here is really authentic and fresh. I'm a sushi purist, so this place works perfectly for me. The prices are definitely cheaper than more Japanese restaurants in the area. The staff is friendly and attentive. I've never had to wait more than a few minutes even on busy nights. The parking gets kind of tricky. You literally have to arrange yourself in some sort of car tetris.

    (5)

  • Taraneh A.

    Coming from New York where you have many amazing places to take sushi it has been a challenge to find good sushi in Houston but Nippon is it! great service. great sushi rolls. great sashimi. service is not rushed. green tea ice cream is amazing!

    (5)

  • K D.

    My boyfriend and I were craving sushi the other night and wanted to try somewhere new. We showed up around 9pm (they are open till 10:30pm). We were impressed! The prices were very reasonable and the service was good. We ordered the dragon roll, shaggy roll and the crazy roll, all of which were super yummy. I highly recommend ordering the crazy roll, it's so good! We will definitely be coming back!

    (5)

  • SP T.

    Nippon is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Houston. The owners are actually Japanese and so are the chefs. That makes the food they prepare just that much better than other non-Japanese owned places. There are 3 dishes that I always order: 1) Hamachi kama yaki (grilled yellow tail collar) 2) Dragon roll 3) Miso Ramen I've also tried a number of other rolls/sushi/entrees and liked them a lot, but I tend to go to different restaurants to get specific dishes they serve. I always have a great experience at Nippon. The staff is nice and quick to respond to your requests. Wait can be quite long during peak hours, but that's not really a surprise considering the popularity of this place. The ambience is very comfortable and cozy. Sometimes we sit at the bar, which is nice and quiet, not too crowded like some other sushi bars I've been to. The parking situation can be a little crazy. I just park at the salon/spa next door after 6 p.m. if I can't find anything in the Nippon lot. Apparently, the spa owner allows Nippon customers to park there after they close.

    (5)

  • Warren T.

    A so-so sushi joint in a city that has PLENTY of them. Sat at the sushi bar with a friend on a weekend evening. Pretty deserted. I always get a Chirashi or Sashimi type platter at a new (to me) sushi joint. The chirashi was decidedly sub par and very expensive for the lackluster quality of the fish and accoutrements. You can definitely do better.

    (2)

  • Jazzy N.

    Called to make a reservation and kept going to the fax line. And that's where it all started... We get there and got lucky with parking. The lot in the back is painfully small for a city where everyone drives. We walk in and I can tell this is a legit authentic joint. The elderly lady working the front desk (assuming owner) mumbles under her breath to wait a few minutes to be seated. So we wait, and see some amazing dishes go past us. We're finally seated and given this menu, if you even want to call it that. The menu listed the food items without any description. So we ask the waitress and the older lady (who came by our table) about what to order, etc. Now understand, I've eaten at many Japanese restaurants but tonight, I was not in the mood for the standard caterpillar roll. The service was horrible. No other way to put it. They brushed off our few questions about the menu items. Our food was sub-par because (as I learned later), the good stuff came off a separate menu handwritten in Japanese right at the entrance. Would I go there again? Nope (unless I magically learn how to read Japanese).

    (1)

  • Celestina B.

    For quality Japanese food at the right price, Nippon is the go-to place in Houston. The atmosphere is quiet and relaxed, and the seating is average in terms of comfort. They offer authentic Japanese cuisine, as well as Westernized Japanese cuisine (ie california rolls, egg rolls)... Some reviews mention low quality service, but I've personally always received good service whilst dining there. Granted, I usually go during the week, not during the weekend, so that may play a factor. The only dish I wouldn't recommend is the egg rolls; they were boiling hot and greasy. The natto sushi, seaweed salad, miso soup, agedashi tofu, california rolls and tempura banana on the other hand were DELICIOUS. :)

    (4)

  • Gracie R.

    At first I was hesitate about this place being that I'm picky about my sushi! But the sushi is very good!!! I also like the price! The staff is friendly and helpful. The scenery is cozy and comfy. It would be a perfect first date place since its very laid back. The only downer is that if its your first time you might over see it! And its best to park across the street especially if you drive anything bigger than a car. Overall the place rocks!!!

    (5)

  • Sylvia Y.

    One of my favorite Japanese places around here. I love the udon and one of the specialty rolls. I think its called the Naoki roll, love the crunchy tempura flakes on top. Yum! And the waitresses are friendly, especially the old woman :)

    (5)

  • Jimmy K.

    Service is lousy, waitress acted completely indifferent. Food was about as indifferent as the service. Once was more than enough for me.

    (1)

  • Laura H.

    I have heard so many great things about Nippon and read some wonderful reviews, so my boyfriend and I decided to finally try this place. It's located right off of Richmond and Montrose, a tiny little place. I was really excited coming here and I guess I was expecting a lot. I walking in through the front door and my bf says "wow this place is small and really quiet." I was still really optimistic so I looked around hoping to find a loop around the side. So the lady seats us towards the back behind the screen thing that kind of divided the restaurant and made it feel really crammed. We were so close to the people beside us on both sides that I could hear everyones conversations. So finally a waiter comes up to ask to get our drink orders, I got the hot green tea which did not come out "hot" Since everyone says the ramen here is amazing, I decided to try the pork ramen as my entree. My bf ordered the Katsu don and for our appetizers we got the grilled whole squid and the fried soft shell crabs. Also I wanted to see if the fish here was fresh so we ordered a few fresh salmon nigiri and also some spicy chopped scallop. The service was super slow. I mean how could they even see us raising our hands to call them if they put a huge folding wall in the middle. So I got out of my seat to come up to them and all the workers were just bunched up in the front talking. There were many times we needed service and had to wait a long time before they would even acknowledge us. So the food comes out and the soft shell crab was served on some lettuce, nothing special just some fried soft shell crab. The grilled whole squid was good though, a lot like Genjis. Ask for a side of spicy mayo to dip it in. The Salmon nigiri wasn't as fresh as I thought it would be. Maybe it was the cut because it tasted a bit rough. The spicy chopped scallop was really good, could have been a little more spicy though. So now for the entrees, The Katsu Don was WAY to sweet, needed something even out the flavor. And i was really disappointed in the Ramen. It was blan and didn't have much flavor. It didn't even look appetizing when it came out. Maybe i'm just being picky, but once you had ramen in Los Angeles and New York, Ramen here isn't the same. I don't see myself coming back to this place.

    (2)

  • Peter T.

    Food: 3.5/5 Ambiance: 2.5/5 Services: 3/5 Prices: $$$ (avg 20/person) I came here many years ago for a date and really liked it. First, the date suggested Yan Sushi (closed now), i said NO WAY, it runs by non-Japanese, so we ended up at Nippon. At the time, this was the most authentic Japanese restaurant i've been to... So, fast forward few years and i went back again last night for my big day - me Birthday and brought along me partner. We got there about 8pm and was seated right away. OK ambiance, low noise level, so far so good. The waitress was new so the mamma-san (i guess she's the lady boss) came and took our order. We had the Tutu...miyaki something, its red snapper fillet mixed with veges & lots of onion wrapped in aluminium foil & grilled ($14.95), not bad at all. At least 3 pieces of reasonable size fillets, still soft and just enough flavor from the onion and lemon slices, tasty but something you can easily make at home, nothing special. Next, we had the Sushi Assorted A ($16.95), i think there were 8 or 9 pieces of Nigiri & tuna roll. Well, where should i start... first, the rice fell apart even when i start to pick them up with my chopstick, you guess it, it got ugly when i dipped them into the sauce. The fish were not amazingly fresh but they were properly sliced and prepared. After that, we had the ramen instead of udon as recommended by the boss... compare with those you get in Japan, the broth is very water down, not as flavorful and rich BUT the best was the shredded pork, they were so tender and tasty, for $8.50 a bowl, they could have put more of those meat, theres only lots of seaweeds, bamboo shoots & bean sprouts. I really missed those ramen stalls in Japan... Anyone know any place in Houston that come close to those? For dessert we had the green tea ice cream and Banana tempura that comes with huge scoop of vanilla ice cream (not Blue Bell but not bad either :) I love green tea ice and both the desserts were good. So, overall I dont think i will go back to Nippon coz they are several more places that I like to check out which been told are "quite" authentic... Ginza, Teppay & Sasaki. But dont get me wrong, Nippon is still authentic and good nonetheless but if given the choice between Nippon & Kubos, I go for the latter!

    (3)

  • Padraig M.

    It's a pretty good place. I had the $30 sashimi plate which was disappointing ; both small amount and selection of fish and the taste/quality not all consistently excellent. Ill have the selection that's half the price next time, or go a la carte. Dragon roll was good and the tempura ok. Service was pretty slow and muddled , but at least friendly and welcoming.

    (3)

  • Sami A.

    Nippon was the first place I ever ate sushi. I'm pretty sure it was a California roll or something but I felt really brave at the time. People who keep saying that this place is hella authentic must be getting some sushi hipster menu I've never found but there is a certain je ne sais quoi to eating a roll in a restaurant that has a reputation for authenticity.

    (4)

  • Michael F.

    Been coming here since late 90's. The best sushi in town. I saw Jacob Dylan eating here once around 2000 with his band The Wallflowers. The Montroll is wonderful as is the California, Spider roll and Tekka Maki. The Teriyaki Chicken is also great. When I have a cold I always get the Chicken Udon soup with the imitation Crab. One time though they gave me the soup and had forgotten to put in the Chicken! It was a bit humorous. The Seaweed salad is nice too.

    (5)

  • Holly S.

    Sushi, I heart you. Thanks to Nippon I have finally tried my first real piece of sushi...and with a little help ordering from my friend! =) We decided to stop into Nippon this week after work for an early dinner. For one of the first times ever, I'm glad there was traffic or else I would have missed this tiny little gem. There are not easily viewable signs leading you to Nippon, but I guess that's what Yelp is for so you can get an exact address and guesstimate where you are supposed to be. The parking situation is pretty dismal, but being there early helped with that. There is a petite patio near the front door and along the Montrose side of the restaurant. Inside the aura is quiet and calming, but also a slight bit scary. I started to wonder if the place was even open. Then I saw my trusty sidekick and one lone patron dining by himself, so I assumed they must have food here and it has to be pretty good for someone to come all alone. Now just some background on my sushi experiences: there aren't any. I have had rolls and apps galore at many sushi restaurants, but have yet to have a real piece of sushi. This being my years of change and cultivation I decided to go for it, albeit I didn't get too risque and stuck with the salmon. I came to this decision after we discussed with the lone patron what would be appropriate for a newbie sushi eater and this is what they decided for me. And did they make a good choice or what!!! The salmon was tender, buttery and practically melted in my mouth, with a little soy and wasabi it totally hit the spot! For my other entree I had the Shaggy roll. I know what you're thinking, I came for real sushi and ordered a roll, but this roll is the bomb dot com! The flavors all melded together nicely and the presentation just makes it taste that much better! We also had the Hamachi collar for an appetizer which was uber yummy and I tasted a small bite of my friend's Monkish Liver...not my favorite. In closing will I go to Nippon again? Yes.

    (4)

  • Martha D.

    We usually frequent Miyako and Sushi King when we get in the mood. We decided to try Nippon because we had heard good things, but it only seemed like hype. We sat for thirty minutes before someone decided to take our order. I ordered the crab puffs, I love cream cheese so it was awesome in that part but I swear there was no crab in them. The sushi we ordered did not seem fresh. I could not finish anything because I had a hard time eating any of it because all my body wanted to do was throw it back up. So I would say if you have a good sushi thing going don't go exploring here.

    (1)

  • Craig H.

    Food was pretty good here. My girlfriend and I are huge fans of sushi and I wanted something authentic and this place did just that Somewhat busy on a Friday night, but the Spider Roll was good. Good sushi for an even better price. Parking is EXTREMELY limited so just keep that in mind.

    (4)

  • Jonathan L.

    I think the hype from my peers made this place disappointing for me. The miso or pork ramen was not up to par. Might as well bought instant. Banana tempura/ice cream was not good.

    (2)

  • Larae M.

    I was having one of those days where I had to stop and ask myself whether my life was a comedy or a tragedy...I ran over a dog, my doctor gave me bad health news, I went off-roading on the highway in order to avoid an overturned 18-wheeler (causing my under-carriage some damage), and it was raining. Wow. At some point, I was expecting lightning to just strike me dead at any time. Yeah, it was that kind of day. And so after work, I needed a huge pick-me-upper. I begged my friend to meet me for sushi, my remedy for all things bad in this world. We were originally going to default to Aka, Miyako, or Zake, but I remembered that I hadn't tried Nippon yet. I thank the Japanese Gods for hearing me out that day as it turned out to be my saving grace. The restaurant was fairly empty when I first arrived around 5pm on a weekday. There were two other patrons, both sitting alone, quietly enjoying their meals. I was seated by the window overlooking Montrose and for once, I felt SERENITY. This restaurant plays soothing, ambient, classical type music (not house/club/dance mixes like most). It was perfect for the type of day I was having. I was able to read my book, watch the cars passing by, and watch the raindrops falling from the sky. For the first time that day, I was at peace. And then came the food. I ordered the Monk Fish Liver from the Japanese menu, the nigiri platter, and hamachi kama (grilled yellowtail collar). I'd have to admit that out of all the sushi restos that I've tried in town, this place ranks up there as one of the most authentic and fresh. The hamachi kama was grilled perfectly to where the fish fell apart nicely as we dove into it with our chopsticks. The Monk Fish Liver had a great, buttery taste/texture with the green onions complimenting it well. No complaints on the nigiri platter either...everything tasted very fresh. My true test for a Japanese resto is by tasting their ramen, which I did not get to do here since we were too full. I"ve been searching for good ramen in Houston (like the ones in NYC, LA, Honolulu), with no luck. Not even Saisaki, who's highly regarded by most here on Yelp as THE authentic Japanese resto, can get it right. I'm hoping to order it here next time. I'll also be bringing my Dad next time to help decipher the Japanese menu. If you're looking for a quiet escape from the big City (or Med Center, haha), come here. And take me with you.

    (4)

  • Caroline K.

    Everything was served steaming hot! Usually when I get a plate of tempura, it would be somewhat lukewarm. Not here!!! The shrimp inside was juicy, fresh, and scorching hot. I came here mostly for ramen. The broth was excellent. The noodles were perfectly done. The bean sprouts added that texture with the chew. Overall, everything was very tasty and delicious. Highly recommend tonkatsu ramen!!!

    (5)

  • Natasha T.

    I love Nippon! Their ramen is pretty good, mainly due to the meat. Delicious and tender. Their sashimi is fresh, prices are pretty cheap, and the zaru soba is good too. It's so traditional, i just love it!

    (5)

  • Michael L.

    Pretty good for Houston standards. In fact its probably one of the best Japanese places to go in Houston. The ramen was not as good as NYC, but probably the best in Houston. The rolls were decent and inventive. They had Uni from california which was fresh and creamy. The sake list is small, but what they had was good. All in all i decent experience given the location. The service was average, but the people were friendly. Would come back if im in town.

    (4)

  • Eileen W.

    Are you having trouble finding authentic, home-made Japanese food? We're not talking about sashimi, nigiri, rolls, tempura, you know.. the typical food we see at a Japanese restaurant - I'm talking more like their typical, yet unique meals Japanese families like to eat.. ie. croquettes, natto fermented beans, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, etc! Well... I am proud to announce that we have such a place in HOUSTON, TX! My friend introduced this place to me and she mentioned that this restaurant has an "American" AND a "Japanese" menu. I didn't know what she was meant until right when we walked in, and I saw this hardcore "Japanese menu" at the front table and 2 Japanese men on the side chit chatting and sipping beer. I felt like I was in Japan again at a cozy, dim-lighted sushi bar. Great mini-moment. So this Japanese menu.... it's a menu in Japanese with no English translations, and it's handwritten in pen. Hardcore right? If you can't read Japanese, you'll be stumped but you can always ask for recommendations if you're feeling adventurous. My friend and I were feeling adventurous and ordered a few things we've never had before. We even thought of just pointing at something on the menu and just ordering that w/o knowing what it was. We ended up ordered Toba (dried salmon), Enoki Mushrooms with White Fish (baked in a buttery sauce), and Aji Shisoha Age (fresh Aji fish wrapped with shiso leaf & fried) with the help of our friendly waitress. When I took my first bite into each of these dishes, I had an "errrr? interesting....." reaction to them because I've never had this taste before. I don't have these moments very often. The last time I recall having this moment was when I had Uni for the first time and blowfish sashimi in Japan a few years ago. Awesome stuff! And sooo... these dishes started growing on me right after that. However, their Japanese cooking is authentic (not the typical, trendy fusion Japanese food we are getting used to) and delicious. My friend quoted our dinner here last night as "that was stupid good!" aka... deliriously good! Check this place out if you are feeling open-minded and willing to try their Japanese menu. I plan on coming back asap. Don't forget to end the night with fresh mochi or a sasadango (Japanese confectionery). The 3 dishes + desserts came out to be $40. ---- 2nd Time at this restaurant tonight! The waitress recommended some more items and we had no regrets. Try their Gyu Tataki (raw/seared thin beef slices with the perfect light ginger sauce and sauteed onions) and Ankimo (monkfish liver). We noticed that their special dishes should be eaten slowly so you can savor the taste and texture of each bite. It's like you have the urge to understand and appreciate how the food is made... The Ika Tempura and Naoki Roll were decently yummy too! :) What I liked about the roll was that there isn't too much rice. I tasted a lot of the spicy tuna and avocado. Their Uni on the otherhand was on the expensive side (1 order -- 2 pieces = $12.50) but the 3 pieces of uni per sushi was well worth it... boy was it some thick uni! In any case, at a restaurant like this, it seems like their sashimi turnaround isn't as quick as other Japanese restaurants and they won't be able to buy in big bulks bc of that reason. Let's not order Uni here next time.. although it was good. I'm used to max $5 per uni order, what can I say? By far, one of the best finds of Houston...!!!

    (5)

  • L T.

    Yelp tricked me! How does a place w terrible service and sub par food get 4 stars?! The pork bone ramen was the best thing we ordered, but that was mediocre. If you've eaten ramen in LA or Asia, you will be disappointed. For Houston, it's probably as close to authentic as you can get. Do not order teriyaki chicken. It was microwaved frozen chicken patties with teriyaki sauce poured over it, served w an oversized garnish (shaved raw radish). The center was still cold. The owner didn't believe us when we told her it was cold. You can't hide the painted-on grill marks on frozen Tyson chicken strips. Any idiot can microwave them. Unfortunately the chef failed to microwave sufficiently.

    (1)

  • Victor C.

    Ramen is pretty good. Come on a busy day and it will, almost certainly, take forever, and you will notice immediately the frustrated looks on the faces of most of the diners and may witness a few walkouts. I like sitting here, though, nice patio; and it is certainly the best bowl of noodles within walking distance, so we tough it out. The sushi is lame, don't bother.

    (3)

  • John S.

    One of my favorite Japanese restaurants in town... Although this was my first time back in years, it was great... It's one of the few Japanese-owned Japanese restaurants here in Houston too. All the sushi was fresh and tasty... I'm always a fan of a good spicy tuna roll or a spider roll. The maki was really good too.. Tuna..yum! It may take a little while since this place can get kind of busy, but there are lots of great appetizers... The Gindara and the Chicken Karaage are good options. Definitely plenty of space at the bar,lots of small tables.. if you come in a large group, it might be tough. Also, the parking is like playing tetris, so carpool if you can.

    (4)

  • Julia S.

    I went with a group of friends to try out non-sushi Japanese food. This place was recommended by my Japanese friend as being the most authentic Japanese restaurant in town. I'd say it's pretty authentic when there's a separate Japanese menu. My friend quickly compared the menus and said most entrees are the same, the main difference were the appetizers, the Japanese menu offered a lot more choices. Upon sitting, I was immediately impressed with the service. We were a group of 11 and the waitress offered to do separate checks up front. That was nice of her. Our table ordered a variety and I think everyone enjoyed their food. For appetizers to share, we ordered the octopus ball (not sure about the Japanese name). It was good. Tasted sort of like the fish balls you get in Chinese noodle soup with octopus filling. Personally, I ordered the Japanese ramen which came in very big bowl (glad I was sharing it with my husband). It very tasty and I'm thinking it's going to be my go-to dish in the winter months. I also ordered the agedashi tofu (pretty standard), scallops appetizers (oh buttery goodness), hamachi collar (it was okay), and monkfish liver which I've never had before. It was a bit fishy a bit livery but I like it! Then again I'm a big fan of liver. However it was a bit much for some of my friends. For dessert, most everyone ordered ice cream. A few ordered the mochi ice cream (big hit!!). I ordered the Japanese confection which is red bean paste covered in mochi and wrapped in a leaf (maybe bamboo?). It was good, but pretty small. Parking, as everyone else mentioned, is a pain!! They just don't have enough parking spots for their clientele. Overall great dining experience. Can't wait to go back!

    (4)

  • George L.

    On the strength of my Japanese friend's recommendation, I tried out their tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen. The rich and creamy broth has got great flavor, and the pork literally melts in your mouth. Its that tender. Ginger and the bean sprouts give it a nice crunch as well. Like most other ramen places, there isn't much meat in the bowl, and for some reason, they don't allow you to add more for an extra price. We've asked twice to no avail. I tried out their sashimi "B" plate as well, but nothing about the freshness or flavor of the fish stood out to me. But the ramen alone is definitely worth a trip, especially at less than $10/bowl. Service is meh, but that's ok so long as you have nothing else to do after.

    (4)

  • Felice L.

    After moving to Texas from California a few years ago, the one thing missing from my life was good, authentic Japanese food. And to this day, I'm not sure how I lasted so long but thank goodness, I found this place. This place reminds me of my favorite Japanese restaurant in Berkeley, "Norikonoko." Slightly hidden behind the trees on Montrose with its wooden building, Nippon is so unassuming and homey with a small parking lot behind. The restaurant's run by a Japanese family (always a good sign when looking for authentic food) and the bar is almost always filled with Japanese businessmen. I knew this place would not let me down. My only fear when I was here was that my bf would hate Japanese food - and what the hell was I gonna do then? No Japanese food? I'm part Japanese and I live and breathe Japanese culture, food especially. No doubt, the relationship would be doomed if he disliked the food. A lot was on the line here. After discussing with the waiter, we ordered the Shaggy Dog Roll and the Crunchy Roll to begin. The fish, the crab, the ingredients - so amazingly fresh and sweet. The last time I had fish this fresh was probably back in California or Japan. Yumm...And as an added plus, the rolls were huge! We wanted more but since my bf's so picky about his food (he dislikes salmon and shrimp, which limits the options), the waiter suggested we tell him what we like and the chef will make a special roll just for us. Sweet deal. Not quite sure what else besides crab, tuna, and masago was in there but it was heaven! It fit my bf's taste perfectly and pretty much converted him into a sushi lover. For that, I am so forever indebted to Nippon. With all this said, Nippon does not have as much selection of sushi and rolls as other places like Sushi King, Aka etc. It's an authentic Japanese restaurant - so it's not going to be heavy on the rolls since that's an American thing. But that also means you get the other yummy goodness like tonkatsu, udon, and ramen. The other time I was here, I tried my friend's udon and it was amazing. I essentially finished off my own roll and with a friend, finished off whatever was left of his udon. The udon was firm and not overly cooked, which is crucial and the broth was so flavorful and good. I couldn't stop myself. I looove this place. We've been to some other restaurants around Houston and still think Nippon is the best Japanese place because of its authenticity, the experience and the fresh rolls. Thanks Nippon for satisfying my cravings and for converting my bf. I owe you big time.

    (5)

  • Jon A.

    Houston roll and shaggy dog roll!

    (4)

  • Jackie M.

    i came here for part 2 of my houston ramen quest, and i'm ecstatic to announce that the quest is over! the ramen is freaking amazing here! i got the pork ramen, which is the most popular. the broth is creamy and flavorful, and the noodles are soft but chewy. and the pork just falls apart in your mouth, like lucky charms marshmallows that have been soaking in milk for a long time. so good. so good. i also ordered some sushi. i know this is going to sound really stupid, since anago (sea eel) is frozen anyways, but i can tell that the sushi is good if the anago tastes good. at most places, the anago tastes like clay and is rubbery. but at good spots, if the anago is prepared correctly, it will have a better taste and texture than unagi (fresh water eel, the most commonly preferred of the 2). i also tried the hokkigai (surf clam), which wasn't as spectacular, but it's kind of expected, since it's not an often ordered item. i knew this place was going to be decent when i came in and was greeted by an actual japanese woman (they actually exist in houston?!) the waitress was japanese, and so was the sushi chef, and they actually spoke japanese too. so this is where the japanese population has been hiding in houston. the table behind me kept calling the sushi chef "father" in japanese, to which he retorted, "don't call me father! i'm more like older brother!" lol

    (5)

  • zoe p.

    What more can I say ? this restaurant deserves its stars. The ramen is so good, the sushis are so fresh, and their shabu shabu and sukiyaki are very good and inexpensive too ( I believe the price was 18 dollars and it can feed 2 people ) it s off menu so you ll need to ask for it. The off menu grilled hamachi was also awesome. The service is very professionnal, maybe not very warm, but very respectfull and quiet , like in Japan.

    (5)

  • Chris K.

    Wow so delicious. I usually gauge the freshness of the restaurant by the freshness of the ginger. If they pay attention to the freshness of the small things, then they must pay attention even more to the freshness of the fish. It was delicious. I had a roll and the japenese ramen, pork base. Probably freshest ginger at a restaurant I've tried and by far the freshest fish as well. Service is just ok. Super polite and nice but just didn't come by that often. And parking is a little tough. But all in all, probably my new favorite sushi in town!

    (5)

  • Linda H.

    Very good authentic Japanese food. The owner, chef, and waiters are all Japanese. They even have Japanese menu (all in Japanese) which I wish I could make sense of it. I recommended this place to a lot of my friends, and they all loved it! Definitely check it out if you are looking for authentic Japanese food or fresh sushi!

    (5)

  • Dylan S.

    I really enjoyed this restaurant. Very nice ambience. Great service. Their sushi is very fresh w/ great flavor. Parking is a bit tricky. I would only park in the back if you are coming in a rented car and are great at maneuvering (that last part excludes most Californians...) Otherwise park on the street.

    (4)

  • Tammy N.

    My friend and I went here after spending the day at the zoo. It is located on a busy street! We thought the lot next to it was parking except it is only for the salon. They have parking in the back of the actual restaurant. It's a cute really tiny place. They even ask that if you have parties larger than 4 then please make a reservation. Right when we walked in, we were greeted and asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside. The restaurant was blasting their AC so we decided to sit outside. Horrible choice we found out later bc the mosquitoes were eating us alive! I was a little fatty and so I ordered the Dragon Roll and the Tonkotsu Ramen (pork broth). The dragon roll is delicious!!! Spicy tuna roll with salmon and avocado on top! The spicy mayo really added the perfect kick. I loved the roll! If I come back I will definitely get it again, except it is on the expensive side ~$12. Then I got the ramen bc it was starting to get cold. I have been craving ramen for months now and I must say I've been pretty spoiled since I go to Downtown LA to Little Tokyo for ramen. Nippon is not bad. It's authentic ramen with really fresh ingredients. The pork was soft and melts in your mouth. I think the broth could've been richer with the the pork flavor. And I didn't like that they added bamboo shoots to it, it took away from the broth taste. Maybe next time I'll get it without the bamboo to see how it taste. The service was great! Definitely worth a try.

    (4)

  • Nancy N.

    Best pork ramen noodles in Houston, The uni/sashimi is good and it's made by real Japanese people! The terriyaki steak is tender and has a good sauce and it's over grilled onions. The parking is horrible but they do have additional parking across the street.

    (4)

  • Elizabeth R.

    For some reason ramen comes up a lot in my Japanese lessons, and I had a hankering. Houston's such a big place that I reckoned there had to be some real ramen in town somewhere. And it turned out there is, right around the corner from school! (Rice) I was so delighted by the Japanese language menu, and even more delighted to see miso ramen and soy ramen (among others)- and the people who run this place are actually Japanese, which I'm sure some of you know. I tried the vegetable maki rolls, and they were delicious, but I don't think of this place as a sushi destination- more of a Japanese comfort food shop. The green tea here is delicious, which is an exception to the rule of course... and sitting outside on the porch in nice weather is such a treat. As the winter descends upon us, this northeasterner will be basking in the chill and using it as an excuse to get more giant bowls of ramen- hold the meat, for this vegetarian. Tabete mite kudasai!

    (4)

  • Alex V.

    Awesome sushi place. Been on a sushi scavenger hunt to find the best places in Houston since I moved back 3 years ago. There are a couple that are really good but after being a repeat customer at most of these places I think this one takes the top spot. The quality of the tuna, the miso soup, the specialty rolls they offer, and the knowledgable and friendly sushi chefs make this place the University of Texas of sushi places (i.e. the best!). The set up of the place is much more traditional than most of the other spots around town which are a much more trendy and flashy. If you want good quality sushi and dont really mind the traditional atmosphere. Head over here as soon as possible.

    (5)

  • Stephanie L.

    Ramen. Don't expect a quick meal. They seemed quite understaffed. We were seated and it look awhile to get our order taken and even longgerr for the food to arrive. I think the waiters forgot about a few tables on the patio....so you probably don't want to sit out there. Our server was in the middle of taking our order when she got distracted and started seating a table. Then she took another tables order and it took about 10 minutes for her to come back around and finish taking our order...sadness. Okay, the food. Tempura appetizer. It comes with two shrimp, an onion, two green beans, a sweet potato, and maybe one other thing. I can't quite remember. It was okay. Not bad, not good. The pork based ramen is pretty delicious. It seems to be a little light on the pork the first time we got it, so the second time we went, we asked if we could add extra meat...the answer was no. Regardless, the broth is really good and this ramen is still better than most places. Udon with shrimp tempura and egg. Ok ok, I get it. It's shrimp tempura in broth. Of course it's soggy. But this was a whole new level of sogginess! I'm going back to ramen next time. Spider roll. Oh sadness....skinny skinny little soft shell crab. There were only 4 pieces. I've never had a spider roll that only had 4 pieces. I mean really? THAT'S RIDICULOUS. Okay, so overall. Slow service. But depending on what you eat, it can be delicious.

    (3)

  • Tim W.

    Always awesome. I'm usually a sucker for katsudon.

    (5)

  • Andrew C.

    When we first got there, we couldn't even walk in because people were standing in the doorway. That doorway also serves as the waiting area since there's a big table that takes up the entire space. This isn't the only cramped area. All the tables are tightly packed too. Be prepared to get intimate with your neighbors - minus 1 star. I went with a group of friends and all 5 of us ordered the pork ramen since it seemed like the thing to get based on the reviews. A couple of my friends and I were concerned that the ramen wasn't going to be enough so we ordered some sushi as well. I can't remember the names but they were nothing special. One good thing about the sushi was that it came out fast and gave us something to snack on while we waited for the ramen, which was a long time. When the ramen finally came out, we were pleasantly surprised by the size and realized we probably could have done without the sushi. The broth had a nice deep flavor and there was a solid amount of noddles. As others have mentioned, there wasn't much pork. The few piece I had were good though. One thing we didn't like was the occasional piece of sliced ginger that we would bite into. I'm not a ramen expert but I don't think that's normal - minus 1 star. Our server wasn't very attentive. We had to wait a while before he took our order. Our waters were empty most of the night since he never bothered to check on us. We finally flagged him down for some water and he came back with a couple of pitchers. I ended up filling everyone's glasses. Plus 1 star for me, minus 1 star for him. If you've been keeping track, that equals a 2 star rating. The ramen is pretty good. The service is lacking and the overall dining experience just isn't that great. It's not a worth a trip back for me.

    (2)

  • Jennifer C.

    In comparison with other Japanese restaurants, although they don't serve a great variety of food, the price is more expensive and the parking spaces are limited, the food are undoubtedly TASTY. I usually go for their UDON, RAMEN or DONBURI. More specifically, I recommend nabeyaki udon, Japenese ramen, beef don, & katsu don. For Japenese ramen, you can choose the soup. They have miso, soy sauce or katsu. I like katsu the most. Also, as compared to other dishes, these are less pricey : p I only tried their appetizer once. I don't remember the name, but it was made by tofu and eggplant. I usually don't like eggplant, but it turned out to be very good and really open my appetite. Their PLUM WINE is good but I would say it's way much cheaper to directly buy a bottle of wine from Spec's! I had their Houston roll couple times, the yellow tails were really fresh. However, I love their CATERPILLAR ROLL more. I think I already run out of words to precisely describe how delicious it is. Just try it by yourself, then you'll know! In their lunch menu, they also serve bento box which is around $11. You can try their teriyaki because it is much more expensive in the dinner menu. The service is generally good, but when they are busy, like tonight, I was not happy with the service they provided. (1) When people from other table asked for a plate, the owner without notifying us directly took away a clean plate on our table. At the same time, my boyfriend and I were still in a conversation. I was surprised at first place, but when I figured out what had happened, I found it really, really,...really RUDE. (2) We asked twice and waited for at least 15 min to get the check. Since I've been here many times and this was the only and the first bad experience, overall, I would still recommend this restaurant to other people.

    (4)

  • Amrita P.

    Food was good and not overly priced. I had the houston roll and the nippon roll both pleasing the fish was fresh and the sauce went well with them. Will definitely comeback to try their ramen.

    (4)

  • Christopher N.

    It's quiet, authentic, and has a Japanese person at the sushi bar! Shocker. Solid choice but on the pricier side. Parking lot is small and has a steep entrance/exit, so be careful!

    (4)

  • Nhan N.

    Like with Kubo's Sushi Bar and Grill in Rice Village, Nippon is one of those Japanese restaurants where you know you've hit paydirt because there are Japanese patrons sitting at the tables! Try their lunch bentos, soups, and sushis--and if you're game, you can order in Japanese or chat it up with the staff in Japanese as well.

    (5)

  • Hieu T.

    So while I was sitting at Kata one day, I struck up a convo with the guy next to us and he started asking me where my favorite places were and etc.. and he told me about his and about this place. He said it was the oldest japanese restaurant in Houston and was good. I had to try it out and I was craving some good Ramen so why not. Their toro was good quality and thats my benchmark on how i test and judge the quality of a sushi restaurant. Their don katsu "pork flavor" ramen was awesome. This place is very authentic in its decor, staff, and food. I'll be back

    (4)

  • Ben F.

    Okay, so I'll be honest, my review is for a different Nippon than the one you'll go to. It's the same location but it's not the same. I'll try and steer you away from the key errors you can make but this advice isn't for you if: a) you thing the California roll is great, b) you love the cocktails at your favorite sushi place (Ra - I'm looking at you), or c) you are not willing to spend some time trying whatever is put in front of you. If you are willing to try what is put it front of you, then this advice may mean something to you. First, avoid the lunch rush if possible. Dinner either early or late is a much better option (plus parking is the only real downer here) because... you want to sit at the sushi bar. For those of you who are Anthony Bourdain fans, this is the part where you turn it over to the chef. Second, put down the menu and talk to the chef. This may require a little effort. If all else fails talk to you waiter and get him or her to help you out. You will need to earn you street cred here b/c unless your Japanese is fluent, you are not getting most of the stuff you really want to order or more correctly have served to you. For those in the know, you are trying to order "Omakase." Third, since you are trying to go "omakase," make sure to ask what is good today and then let chef know what kind of budget you want to spend. Also mention any allergies or huge dislikes. Try to do this without being an a$$. Fourth, plan on taking a while. This is not a particularly quick process. Lastly, okay, you aren't brave enough to order omakase. Here's my quick picks to get you going - Octopus tempura, Whole Spanish mackerel (served two ways, you'll see if you order it - be brave), yellow tail or tuna collar, and nagiri of salmon (flamed, if you can talk them into it), tuna, mackerel, spicy sea scallop, or whatever is recommended on the day.

    (5)

  • Janel C.

    After my Saturday night plans fell through, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to check out this Japanese resturant I'd read so many rave reviews about. I'm so glad I did. I'm lucky enough to live within cycling distance, which removes any parking headaches. I recommend this if it's doable for you - that lot does look difficult to navigate. The inside is cozy. Nothing pretentious, just a small Japanese restaurant. It reminds me of the tiny sushi and noodle houses you see in San Francisco. I was eating alone, and sat at the bar. The service was great, especially for 8 pm on a Saturday night. I ordered the Houston roll - very fresh. I can't say anything that others haven't already. The yellow tail almost melts in your mouth. No chewy fish here! I also had the smelt roe nigiri. Slightly sweet, just a little salty; it was perfection. And a very generous size, too. I didn't try their noodles, as I was so intrigued by the promise of truly fresh, reasonably priced sushi. I was amazed. I will be back for noodles next time! And I have to give credit to the sushi chef - he was so sweet! I don't speak Japanese, and while I try my best to pronounce menu items correctly, I'm sure I don't always do it right. The young chef taking my order didn't bat an eye, or act as if I was any different from the customers placing their orders in Japanese. This is definately a new regular spot for me.

    (5)

  • Robert W.

    The ramen was really good. The place is really warm.

    (3)

  • Brendan L.

    Awesome Japanese food. We spent a few years in Japan, this is the real deal, and probably one of the most authentic places in town. Minus one star for hit or miss service, and a restaurant that seriously needs rennovation. That said, we're regulars; Nippon is the go to spot for good Japanese.

    (4)

  • Michael C.

    Great sushi, very fresh and authentic. Never had a bad meal here. It's definitely worth checking out and highly recommended. Very small place (good for a date) and great service.

    (4)

  • Jesse H.

    I've been searching for a non-Americanized Japanese place in the Montrose/Midtown area and I am delighted to say that I've found it! Our waitress was really sweet and helpful. She suggested the seaweed salad and it did not disappoint! Best seaweed salad I've ever had and just a hands down good salad. It's always a good sign when it looks like there are actual Japanese people eating at the Japanese restaurant.

    (4)

  • Jackson M.

    Nippon is a nice simple Japanese restaurant that serves good Sushi. It's not fancy or trendy, it doesn't serve many sushi rolls stuffed with mayonnaise, cream cheese, or smoked salmon or deep fried. Interestingly, most of the employees and many of the customers seem to actually be Japanese which I don't often see in H-Town (not that there's anything wrong with non Japanese sushi chefs). I noticed they had no happy hour specials or daily specials on sushi, but the prices are reasonable. If you want a fairly authentic Japanese restaurant in Montrose, this is a good place to try.

    (4)

  • jing g.

    I love Nippon. When I drive by and I see business thriving, it makes me happy because I know they'll be around for a long time to come... The atmosphere is intimate and relaxed. You can either sit at the sushi bar, at the tables near the sushi bar, or in the main dining area. There is also a nice outdoors area looking out onto Montrose (I believe they're currently expanding their outdoor seating area). The food here rarely disappoints. I have my favorites, but the few times I've deviated from the norm, I have been rewarded. Their grilled saba appetizer (not listed on the menu) is perfect each time and a great deal at less than $6. I also consistently get the seaweed salad ($4.5), the niku soba (thin sliced beef with soba or udon $6.50), or the soba with shrimp tempura and egg (under $7.00). The sushi here is very fresh and on a good day will melt in your mouth. Some other items worthy of mention is the terriyaki beef roll, the veggie tempura, and this curry potato cake which think is only available on the Japanese menu. Great food, great service, I am so lucky to live close by...

    (5)

  • travis r.

    Nippon is super tasty, I almost always order the same thing here, lunchtime sushi and chicken teriyaki bento box, which at 7.50 is a wonderful deal. The staff here are super nice. I recommend sitting on the patio so you can look at the beautiful Peter Zweig designed building across the street. I eat here all the time and I recommend it highly. cheers!

    (5)

  • Thuy N.

    This place is very easily, the BEST sushi place I've discovered in Houston. It's not pretentious at all with its appearance and amazingly not enough people know about this place. A sushi place that is run by Japanese! From the hostess to the servers to the SUSHI CHEFS! Family owned and very unique in their food items I LOVE the Spanish mackerel...only place in town that always has it and serves it as uniquely as they do. If you love fresh, authentic sushi (not the americanized, commercialized, for the weak of stomach kind of crowd). The staff is nice and friendly.

    (5)

  • Lana B.

    Best japanese noodles in town!

    (4)

  • Rhea F.

    Recently got a chance to try the Tonkotsu ramen here. OMG best ramen in houston. I've tried all the other authentic japanese places I could find in Houston, and this was the only one who had a ramen that was anything close to a proper ramen joint in Tokyo. It's definitely not the best ramen in the world - nothing phenomenal compared with the excellent ramen joints like Ippudo in NYC and the myriad of other amazing ramen joints in california. But! Beggars can't be choosers, and this is really the closest I could find in Houston. Stock is suitably fatty, and the slices of pork in the soup are nice, fatty, and melt in your mouth. yum =D

    (4)

  • Robert Y.

    My wife (Japanese) and I went to this restaurant based on the good yelp reviews, but what a disappointment.. The food quality is well below average and the service is rude and unfriendly. It is run by a middle aged Japanese woman, who does not seem to like running this place. Imagine the Japanese version of the stereotypical mother-(monster)-in-law. This makes the dining experience rather unpleasant. This all could be overlooked, if the food taste was excellent (I am a foodie after all), but the food taste, execution and quality is below average at best.

    (1)

  • Don N.

    We went to Nippon in hopes of finding good/decent sushi. After dinner, we were extremely dissatisfied. First of all, the waiter was extremely grumpy, he looked as if he was forced to work during Halloween weekend. Secondly, we never received our appetizers. The sashimi was ok. There's plenty of sushi restaurants in Houston who serve the same type of food with a happy waitstaff. It was so disappointing that we actually left hungry and went to another restaurant for a complete dinner.

    (1)

  • Geneva H.

    Awesome ramen and the gyoza was freshly made and delicious!!

    (5)

  • Terry T.

    All I can say is the sushi is great and the beer is cold!

    (5)

  • Jennifer S.

    not authentic. gigantic rolls with +++ rice. the restaurant is not owned by Japanese, and you can totally tell. a disappointment.

    (2)

  • Anna T.

    After circling around Montrose to find something to nibble on, my growling, empty stomach was frankly growing very hungry! My friend finally recommended this cute, little hidden gem for sushi eating lovers. We were promptly and warmly welcomed inside. At first impression, I already sensed a friendliness from the staff so kudos! My friend, being a regular here, ordered us the Sake Toro (fatty salmon), Tuna, and Chopped Scallop Sushi and for me, I got the (hyped up) Miso Ramen Noodle Soup. Any requests you might have, they will surely oblige as my mouth was not on fire when I asked the sushi not to be too spicy. They are also not meager with their proportions which all customers can definitely appreciate especially if you're running on said empty stomach so double kudos! The sushi was on point, delectable, and filled my tummy up. The (didn't live up to the hype) Ramen, on the other hand, tasted a bit bland and boring. So do enjoy their fresh plethora of sushi, don't order the Ramen is the remedy to an empty now whole stomach!

    (4)

  • Katz U.

    I first went there on Dec 2006. I've never expected to have a such a good sushi in Houston... I think they good be better than LA's sushi restaurant in terms of cost performance. Waiter and waitress were very polite. The master is training them in very traditional Japanese way. So if you want some very traditional Japanese sushi restaurant with very reasonable price... this is the place to go!

    (5)

  • Christine L.

    Was told I must try the Ramen so I did. It was pretty filling on a chilly, December day. I don't know about $9 good, but it was good. I had mine with the pork, not miso. Would prefer if it actually have more slices of pork in it... I'm going to need to try the sushi next time.

    (3)

  • Kristine K.

    Fine sushi, but snobbish service. Will not be a return customer.

    (2)

  • Isabella G.

    not great

    (1)

  • Emily E.

    I don't know how this place has gotten such good reviews. Usually, I don't rate on service but I have to mention that their's was horrible. We arrived for an early dinner at 5pm and there were about 2 other parties there, and they smashed our family of 4 into a table big enough for 2 (plus, when it comes to sushi, we order A LOT). We kindly asked if we could move to the table next to us which was larger, and why they had to ask their manager I have no idea. So after discussing the matter with her they started disassembling and clearing off a smaller 2 person table at the other end of the room to try to add onto our table. wtf? No sense at all, so we told them to stop because that was just ridiculous. Did they think they were going to be jam packed by 5:30 or something because I don't know why they were so adamant about keeping us in our place. My mom was so angry she wanted to leave, but we were all starving... Little did we know, we should have listened to her, because then came the food... I am a self proclaimed sushi aficionado, I've been eating this stuff since I was a kid. It is probably my favorite food, and I've experienced the real thing in Japan. This place is below average (try TAIKO or KENEYAMA for much better). Some of my pieces of nigiri were not cut properly, and their unagi (eel) sauce is almost Indelibly sweet. My dad (who hates raw fish) ordered their chicken teriaki which was a disgrace. He could have had a better teriyaki chicken out of a lean cuisine box for half the price. The chicken was bland and looked like it was a precooked frozen chicken slathered with teriyaki sauce, not to mention that the grill marks on it were totally fake! Definately will not return even if they payed me. But if you like churrascarias try out Nelore next door (almost half the price of Fogo de Chao, and just as good, maybe better)!

    (1)

  • TASTY T.

    bonus! finally a japanese restaurant that is actually run by a japanese couple, done the old school way. wife is the front "man" and the husband is chef. food is okay but i aint complaining i was in a real japanese restaurant. gochisosamadeshita.

    (3)

  • Nala L.

    If you want a true Japanese experience without leaving the country this is the place to go. Everyone is Japanese and the food is authentic, yes I have been to Japan. Great sushi! The only down side of this place is the parking. Be prepared to fit your car in a small space. Otherwise, I wouldn't eat sushi anywhere else.

    (5)

  • Arash M.

    Excellent sushi. The Tentoji udon is the best I've ever had. Family run and super intimate ambience. Try it!

    (5)

  • John S.

    I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place. It is hands down the best Traditional Japanese food in Houston! The sushi is great, and the staff and atmosphere is just so inviting. It may be a bit expensive, but it is so worth it . Any-who I think this is one of the only places that serves Sabu- Saub and right at your table if you want. If you don't know what sabu-sabu is look it up then run ,don't walk, to try it at Nippon. If you live in Houston or have people in take them here. They wont forget it. Oh and their green tea is just phenomenal. So if you are ever in the mood for sabu-Sabu lets do Lunch!

    (5)

  • Christine H.

    The #1 ramen I've ever had was in Tokyo, Japan. The #2 ramen I've had was in Osaka, Japan. The #3 ramen was in L.A., CA. Nippon serves the #4 best ramen I've ever had. If you're up for getting the fourth best ramen, you must come here. Get the pork flavored ramen--nothing like fatty bits of tender pork melting in your mouth. The ramen noodles are just the right degree of al dente. The bowl is huge, so one of these will fill me up, but I like to be greedy and also order a spicy tuna roll as appetizer. Their spicy tuna isn't your ordinary boring kind with just seaweed, rice, and mashed up tuna. There's cucumber and other things that just make it simply delicious. I've had sushi here, too, and it's pretty good, but I mainly come here for the ramen. The downside to Nippon is the place is so small and often crowded. And even when it's not, the wait for food could be ridiculous. This past Saturday, I came at 12:30 PM, had to park across the street, and waited 45 min. for my ramen. Was getting grouchy but soon forgot all about it when I took my first slurp.

    (5)

  • Casey S.

    Great atmosphere: Very quaint. The "Shaggy Dog" Roll is excellent.

    (4)

  • Hit U.

    One of the more authentic Japanese restaurants. Food is well-prepared and soups are hot and tasty. Portions are small and prices are reasonable. Agedashi tofu here is better than Zake's.

    (5)

  • Dre C.

    I was craving katsu, but i couldn't find any restaurant nearby that had it on the menu... so i came back here. it was actually decent. Not the best I've had but not the worse either

    (3)

  • Martin K.

    I tried the most basic Japanese ramen there was. The soup was very flavourful yet it wasn't too salty. The noodles were just the right firmness. The pork was very lean (good for health minded people). The warm broth is comforting and satisfying on a cold, blustery day. The fragrant layer of oil on the surface of the noodles may not appeal to the health conscious, but it gives the noodles that extra kick and flavor. It is evident the Japanese love their ramen, from the way they slurp down the tasty broth right to the very last drop.

    (4)

  • Clare E.

    Best sushi in town talk to Naoki and he will set you up w/ the best fish. Great noodles and tempura as well. Everything is great!

    (5)

  • Nancy H.

    yelp tells the truth. the parking in the back is ridiculous. don't follow the cars into the back. be smart, park across the street. hahaha...we had outdoor seating so we could watch the circus of cars try to park in the back. NAOKI is a must eat...a crunchy coating and soft inside will make your mouth remember this roll. DRAGON ROLL is also a good choice with its cucumber whiskers. fish was fresh and the other rolls we got were tasty too. throw in a pork katsu and that's a good dinner. considerate service. it was raining and they offered us an umbrella to run to our car. price is a plus! 4 ppl + many many rolls = 80 bucks

    (4)

  • Alex G.

    Great place to dine!

    (4)

  • Beth P.

    My husband and I just moved to this area a couple months ago and were looking for a local sushi/Japanese restaurant. We love sushi and Japanese food, especially me having it for the first time in Japan. Anywho, we're not picky but we know what we like. We happened upon this place, which Nippon in Japanese means "Japanese" so essentially the restaurant is called "Japanese" Japanese Restaurant haha. For starters we ordered edamame (soy beans) and gyoza (pot stickers). We discovered that edamame is very good when you dip it in soy sauce. The potstickers were everything we expected. Our sushi selections were Kani (crab), Spider Roll, and the Montrol. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his sushi as did I. The real show stopper here was the dessert. We ordered green tea ice cream and Japanese confections. The ice cream tasted like green tea, but was still sweet and creamy. We're not for sure, but it's probably healthier than regular ice cream. The Japanese confections are red bean paste inside a green tea rice ball. I know it sounds unconventional, but it was soooo sosososoo good. And it came in a cute leaf wrapper, it looked like candy. I think my husband and I just found our favorite sushi place in our area. We will be going back!!

    (5)

  • Christine L.

    The food was pretty good but by no means anything too special. I actually thought (even for sushi) it was fairly overpriced for what you get. What really gets it 2 stars instead of 3 stars: the service was some of the worst I've experienced in Houston.

    (2)

  • David S.

    This my go to neighborhood place for Japanese. Come here often for a good meal and conversation, and Nippon has never disappointed. Fresh ingredients and well prepared authenticate Japanese food. Interior is decorated with light woodwork and original art, cozy to the point of being crowded, but noise is not an issue. Service has been attentive. Patio seating available for the summer.

    (4)

  • Amber R.

    Tried & true Nippon always delivers a great meal. I will return again & again. That is all. Thank you!

    (4)

  • Ad C.

    One of the best tempura in town. Everything else is so so. I can't pin point it, but the food in general was not that satisfying and for some reason causing me indigestion both times i visited it.

    (3)

  • Mimi D.

    Ramen, to die for. I usually get the pork ramen and the pork is soft and tender which is perfect. The only reason i was shy of giving a 5 star rating was the service. Sometimes it can be slow (getting take out) but overall, its delish!

    (4)

  • Mitchelle T.

    This place is great! I love the food, the plum wine and especially the sushi! My favorite is the Naoki! Which is named after the son! IT'S GREAT! My husband and I took a couple of friends there and they were impressed! The place is a little small, but not a big deal! At least for me its not! Just to fore warn you there is not a lot of parking so go a little early or park across the street. I highly recommend this place and go there as often as possible!! Oh and if you go there try the Naoki! MMM, so yummy!

    (5)

  • Matthew M.

    Best sushi in Houston! I like authentic sushi, not california rolls and edaname. This place is very authentic and serves top quality sushi much better than any of the commercial sushi joints around Houston. The fish is always super fresh and served properly. They have a secret menu and if your daring enough the staff will prepare for you any Japanese dishes you may be hankering. The chef will also serve you Omikase style, which is like a Japanese tasting menu. One of my favorite Japanese delicacies is Udon soup and these guys make bowls of Udon fit for a Sumo wrestler or an Emperor. Sorry they dont have the biggest roll selection because this is authentic sushi! So pull your skirts and try some real stuff!! O ya they also have a great patio for those gorgeous days!!

    (5)

  • Kevin P.

    Overall Impression: Nice cozy and quiet restaurant on Montrose near Richmond for both family and a hot date. Slower service, but nice staff. Good quality sushi I would come back for. Omakase was very disappointing. The rolls looked very appetizing. Crowd: My mom and me Ordered: Omakase (chef's custom preparations) Cost: $45/person First course: Surimi crab and cucumber salad. Surimi crab had great flavor and tasted just like a snow crab leg. Second course: Scallop with mushroom and butter. The scallops were on the hard/gummy side. I was pretty disappointed with this dish. Third course: Chicken yakitori and shrimp shumai. Shumai was very plain, seemed like it was steamed from a frozen pack (i.e. meat and shrimp weren't best quality). Chicken yakitori had good flavor, but it wasn't out of the ordinary. Fourth course: Sushi/sashimi plate. Excellent ingredients used. Sushi plate had 1 pc toro (fatty tuna), 3 pc california roll, 1 pc salmon, 1 pc shrimp. Sashimi plate had 2 pc toro, 2 salmon, 2 pc yellowtail. This is where you should spend your money here. Very fresh fish. Fifth course: Shrimp and vegetable tempura. Shrimp was tasty- very crisp and juicy. Yam was hard - did not like it. Zucchini and onion were average. Sixth course: Grilled salmon with rice and sweet pickles. Salmon looked like it was pre-packaged. Well grilled. But was average. Seventh course: Green tea and red bean ice cream. very delicious. a little bit icy, but it was still very good. If this was omakase in New York, they would have been shut down on the first day. I do not recommend it here, as the chef did not even come out to greet us, nor did he prepare anything out of the ordinary. It was extremely dissapointing. HOWEVER, there were other things on the menu and that I saw around us that seemed to be worth spending money on. I will be back to try those.

    (2)

  • Lisa F.

    Walked into Nippon's last Monday evening (10/31/2011) with a client heading towards the sushi bar and the old adage saying sprang to mind, "IF IT SMELLS FISHY DON'T EAT IT!!!", plus the fact that not one wait person or sushi chef approached us until we were on our way out the door. My client told me later that he put his hand on the glass ice box where the raw fish is displayed and it was NOT even cold! I also noticed that some of the fish in there looked very questionable, almost slimy, YUK!!!

    (1)

  • Julia H.

    I love Nippon! I've tried other Japanese restaurants in Houston, but nothing is like this place. I've traveled to and lived in Japan and when back in the US I always miss a good Japanese izakaya. Although it's not quite the same thing, Nippon reminds me of one. It's not a trendy place with the focus on fancy sushi rolls. This is the place you can go to explore the range of great Japanese food beyond sushi. If you ask for the Japanese menu (the handwritten kanji can be hard to read though) there are a vast array of dishes that aren't available on the English menu. You can even get fantastic Japanese standards like shioyaki sanma which I've never found at a Japanese restaurant in the US before. The only real downside here is the parking. It's small, cramped, and generally a pain. But the restaurant itself is great. Reasonably priced, fabulous selection of food, a focus on solid Japanese dishes instead of strange fusion nonsense.

    (4)

  • Diana L.

    We came here on a rainy Sunday and had the nabeyaki udon, japanese ramen and a couple of hot green teas. The broth was well-seasoned. The noodles were al dente. I loved the pork in the ramen, perfectly tender with just the right amount of fat. It was the perfect fall meal on a dreary day. We can't wait to come back again and try the sushi!

    (4)

  • Lesa T.

    I finally found a Japanese restaurant in Houston that is run by Japanese people, and yes, it's really good. We ordered the dragon roll (salmon, spicy tuna, and avocado), which was very fresh and tasty. While it was $12.50, the prices of the other rolls offered were pretty average ($5-13). Then we had a bowl of the Japanese Ramen ($8.50) and the Tentoji Udon ($6.95). Although it's pretty cheap for noodles, these were probably the best we've had so far here in Houston. The broths were really delicious, and the serving size was just enough to fill me up. I highly recommend this place, and I can't wait to go back again. The only drawbacks to this place is parking (the lot is pretty terrible, so you're better off parking right across the street) and the long wait in service (it took more than 30 minutes to get our food).

    (4)

  • Elli C.

    I'm from California where Japanese food taste better than Houston. But because I live in Houston, I gotta find me my sushi fix.. well that place is Nippon. On a day I crave sushi, I immediately think of Nippon's Chirashi bowl. Eventhough quite pricy at $15, it's worth it. On the Chirashi - rice topped with salmon, tuna, yellowtail, tako, shrimp, imitation crab, salmon roe, tamago, etc. My favorite is the salmon roe, so savory and fresh :) My husband always gets the Ramen here. So far this is the best Ramen we could find in Houston. But still no where as good as ramen in California.

    (4)

  • Jennifer N.

    First thought for dinner on a cold night? Ramen! First thought on location? Nippon! The ramen craze has been slowly sweeping over Houston, but Nippon has definitely been a constant. I'm ALL for the new ramen shops that have been popping up all over, but I'm about quality not quantity and the new places I've tried have not delivered the flavorful broth and perfect al dente noodles that Nippon offers. Add a tasty crazy or shaggy dog roll and some hot tea and you're stomach will leave warm and satisfied. Parking is tough, so try and beat the dinner crowd.

    (4)

  • Van L.

    I can honestly say, this is the most authentic Japanese restaurant I have seen in Houston. The food is actually prepared by a Japanese guy (usually in most "Japanese" places, the food is prepared by either a Chinese or Hispanic person - not that they can't). The restaurant is a cozy cottage type place. It has a small dining area filled with tables that seat two perfectly, along with wooden floors. The decor is, as you may have guessed, Japanese (soy sauce container, dishes, divider, lamps, etc); please see photos. As suggested by many other reviews, I would also suggest the ramen for first time visitors. I was able to taste the "pork" (white) ramen, as well as the miso ramen. The pork wasn't dried out nor did they give you a piece of fat and call it meat. The ramen were seasoned to perfection without the aide of adding more spices or soy sauce to it. I did also get a chance to try their fatty tuna roll. It was also good, but I thought it was over priced ($8.50). As it being a new place to me, I just randomly ordered it thinking it was in a good price point for a decent sized roll with quality ingredients. The portion is what disappointed me - for that price, it was the size of a black mushroom roll at typical restaurants. And just a FYI: the parking can get crazy. Given, I went right after work, so I was the only one there, but the parking lot is extremely unorganized. How you may ask? No lines, no real spaces, and I can imagine someone getting super pissed off for getting boxed in. With all that said, I would highly recommend this place to any sushi or ramen lovers. It really is as good as it can get...or at least until I find another place.

    (5)

  • David H.

    So i'll start off by the saying the reviews are true...this place has some shoddy service. Prepare for a long slow meal, with awkward pacing, and just mixed quality on the food. Came here on a Saturday night and was promptly seated, which is always a good thing. Didn't get a sushi menu...which was pretty rough. Had to actually ask for one from our neighboring table to see what they had to offer. Ended up ordering the takyoaki (which was undercooked...gross), a sushi roll and 2 bowls of ramen (miso and pork). The takyoaki was undercooked, which definitely was a shame as I am on a bit of a quest to find decent takoyaki. The ramen was pretty shameful though, as the server first brought over 2 bowls of miso ramen (which we couldn't even tell was miso, tasted too beefy/porky), and then it took another 30 minutes to bring us the second bowl of ramen. What a crying shame. The pork ramen if you do come here, was the superior of the two, but be warned that the pork it comes with is super fatty (too fatty=gross, as was the case here). Also, be prepared to bump elbows with your neighbors, as space is at a bit of a premium here. That, and getting your check (it definitely looks like the owner likes to calculate each check herself, hence the 30 min wait for a check?). It's a bit of a shame, as I would like to support a mom and pop store more, and the place has a decent look and feel to it. Parking is a different story (park across the street to be safe)

    (2)

  • Melissa M.

    Most Japanese restaurants in Houston aren't owned by Japanese people, so when I walked into Nippon and was greeted by a lady with a Japanese accent I was already loving this place. It's a small but welcoming restaurant. We were immediately seated in the main dining room. There is a small area with tables by the sushi bar, but it is quite cramped. Our service was good, with the owner (my assumption) coming to take our order and check on us during the meal. There were so many items on the menu that I wanted to try but I went with my old standards and then tried a bite of my husband's food too. The salad that came out before our meal was huge and covered in the most delicious salad dressing. I would go back to Nippon just for the salad. The tempura was very good - light and crisp. The shrimp tempura appetizer actually comes with veggies as well. I wasn't even sure what all the vegetables were but it was all very good. The chicken teriyaki was very good and a nice large portion. It was served with cabbage and a small scoop of potato salad. The potato salad was an unusual choice and one I hadn't seen before, but it was good. My husband had the oyakodon which he loved. It came in a beautiful square box and was a little sweeter than other places we've had it. We really liked the level of sweetness, but I can imagine it might be a little too sweet for other people. His maguro (tuna) and tamago (egg omelet) sushi were both very good and fresh. The cost of dinner was about $20 a person which wasn't a bad price. I also liked that we didn't feel rushed out of there once we were done with dinner. I can't wait to bring my Japanese father to Nippon. He's going to love it! Parking is a pain. When we arrived, the lot behind it was full. My husband dropped me off so I could meet our friend and then he wandered around looking for parking. The waitress finally told me he could park in the spa parking lot next door which is what he did. I assume they have some type of reciprocal relationship. I'll definitely park there from now on.

    (4)

  • Christine C.

    Gosh, Houston. What a disappointment. Knowing that Houston doesn't have ANY ramen houses, I didn't come with high expectations. But "best ramen in H-Town"? Seriously? The noodles were soft and over cooked, and the broth was so bland and depressingly tasteless. The frozen packages of ramen at H Mart are 10x better. Menus were also stained and sticky...but the service was friendly, sashimi is pretty fresh, and the salmon teriyaki was surprisingly tender with a nice crispy skin. 3 stars. no mas.

    (3)

  • Meggen D.

    One trip to Hawaii, and I was ruined for life. I just haven't been the same since my first real Japanese ramen experience. Sadly, Austin, where I abide, hasn't fully jumped on the Japanese ramen bandwagon. There are a couple of places, but I just haven't been wowed. As a result, my ramen hunger hasn't been sated. So, last time I visited Houston, I made it a point to find a great place to get ramen, and I did! Nippon was fabulous! I got the pork Japanese ramen. Not only were the noodles perfectly tender and chewy, but the broth was rich and flavorful. And to top it all off, slices of fall-apart roast pork were served on top! For as good as the ramen was, I could've eaten a plate full of that pork a la carte. So so good! I thought about ordering sushi, too, but I'm glad I didn't. The bowl of ramen did me in. And I slurped up every last bit! I left a happy, happy girl. Nippon, will you please open up a restaurant in Austin? Preferably right next to my apartment. Thanks! :) I'll definitely be back next time I'm in town! ...Unless Nippon comes to me first!

    (5)

  • Alex S.

    This is one of my go to sushi places. I love how cozy and friendly the staff are. The sushi rolls are simple which I love since most places put too much in a sushi roll with different sauces which covers up the taste of what's most important...the fish. My fiance and I always get the sashimi platter, which comes with the most decadent raw prawn, they will even deep fry the head. It's also relatively inexpensive considering the quality of sushi

    (4)

  • Maxwell F.

    Food - Great and diverse Pricing - Medium/High Service - No complaints Ambiance - Japanese X-Factors - TV with Sumo Food The sushi I had was of a more generous portion than other places I've had. There is a diverse selection of menu items for those not interested in typical Sushi fair. Pricing The sushi and rolls were priced very well. Some of the cheapest sushi I've had in Houston so far. Service The service was great for our party of 11. Everyone got what they ordered and it was rather quick for our large group. Ambiance It's a Japanese restaurant and that's exactly what it felt like. Right on! X-Factors Sumo wrestling on TV? Never seen it on before - made my night. I would definitely come back for more. Your dollars will be well spent here.

    (5)

  • Alice T.

    Good place for a cheap $7 bowl of soba or udon. Everything else on the menu is standard Japanese restaurant prices- sushi around $4-12 a roll, hand rolls for $4 each, chirashi about $12, bento boxes, etc. We just wanted noodle soup, so three of us left the restaurant for something ridiculous like $22 total. It was awesome. They have a pretty good variety of soups- shrimp tempura and udon/soba, beef and udon/soba, Japanese ramen, udon stir-fried. All bowls are around $6.50-8.50. I wouldn't necessarily say this was the best I've ever had, but it was a big bowl and pretty flavorful. It wasn't just watered down soup with some noodles floating around. The Japanese ramen had a more meaty soup base and was a little bit spicy. The shrimp tempura udon was standard noodle soup. There wasn't a wait, but the time to get food out was kind of slow. The table behind us ordered three rolls of sushi and were waiting for it when we got there until after we had ordered. Note: They aren't open on Mondays.

    (3)

  • Nicolas C.

    My wife tried the salmon shioyaki with tempura bento and I tried the beef sukiyaki with tempura bento. Both were very satisfied. Tempura tasted freshly made. The sukiyaki was very flavorful.

    (4)

  • David R.

    This is our family standard for sushi, ramen, udon, and tonkatsu. To begin with the sushi chef is Japanese, a rarity in our part of town (I think Japanese sushi chefs command top dollar on the Westside). Reasonable prices, with their hard-to-beat sushi happy hour. Friendly and helpful service, and a very pleasant interior, although I do miss the old (20+ years ago) location farther north on Montrose, now occupied by General Joe's (oh, the horror!).

    (5)

  • John N.

    "Great food, service could be refined. Solid overall!! No yuppiness here"

    (4)

  • Alvin J.

    Where to eat good ramen in Houston? Granted I'm not a connoisseur nor I have been to Japan but I love me some good ramen noodles and I've tried some good stuff out in Cali. Been disappointed by my experiences here so far (Ginza, Umai, etc). Having seen so many positive review on Yelp plus the recommendations of a couple of friends we decided to give Nippon a try. The parking lot was a bit small and it was packed but luckily we found a spot. I saw some folks park in an empty lot across the street. The first impression was that the place was keepin' it old school (no techno soundtrack) and the place was actually really quiet. Service was very good and attentive. We put in our order for the orders of tonkotsu (pork) ramen as well as one roll (spicy tuna with tempura crunch) and to start an order of seaweed salad and some gyoza. The salad was very light and not as salty/vinegary as I'm used to in other joints. The gyoza were AWESOME...the filling was nice and not that gray mush that you get from frozen gyoza (which other restaurants use). The ramen came next and while not as good as what I've tried before I thought it was hands-down the best version I've tried in Houston. The broth had a very strong pork flavor, the noodles were cooked perfectly, and the pork portion was generous. The one disappointment was the roll which came out last. The roll portion was big but the amount of tuna was kinda small, plus the tempura crunch was way too much. All in all I enjoyed my ramen and if I have a craving for it I know at least this is a legit option.

    (4)

  • Wendy P.

    this place is very great! i love their udon, sashimi, and also red bean ice cream!!!!! me and my bf have niku udon and tentoji udon and there r so yummyyyy :3

    (4)

  • Christy D.

    The reason I had this place bookmarked? To try their ramen. I've never had real ramen before, so obviously I had to check it out. I ordered the plum wine to start. It was pretty good at first, but it had a certain cloying sweetness to it. I have a feeling that's just how plum wine is (only ever had plum wine in ice cream before), so take that how you choose. I ordered the Houston roll to start. All I remember is that it had yellowfin tuna. It was very fresh and tasty. I felt like it was worth my money for being only $5.50. Then I had the ramen, of course. The waiter gave me a choice of pork, miso and (I forgot the third) broth. Despite my unease with pork, I went with the pork broth since he said it was the most popular. Well, the verdict is that it was very good, and pleasantly warming to the stomach on a cold night. When it comes to big filling bowls of asian soup, I'd much prefer it to pho. I love the noodles so much more than the blah rice noodles in pho. But know that since I'm an amateur, I don't know what ramen is supposed to be like. There were a couple of fatty pieces of pork which I bit into and didn't care for. Also a hard boiled egg floating around, which I avoided, since I was unsure about the flavor combo of it with the soup. For $8.50, though, it was a pleasure. We finished off with the red bean ice cream. Refreshing and lightly sweet, it was the perfect end to our meal. Well done, Nippon!

    (4)

  • Julie I.

    Checked this place out with my colleague for lunch. Almost missed the placed driving, its a small sign, no visible parking, and limited choices for sushi compared to other restaurants. The restaurant was cute and quaint. We both ordered salad, miso, and sushi. All were good, but didn't blow me away. I would recommend this place to anyone in the montrose area looking for Japanese fare.

    (3)

  • Alan L.

    Best ramen in town. Comes in miso or pork (tonkatsu) flavor... the regular menu only shows 1 flavor, but both are on the japanese menu. Sushi is good too. I rate it similar in quality to kubos in rice village. Overall best japanese restaurant in houston. Small and quaint... but so is the parking lot.

    (5)

  • Dexter H.

    It was my first time at Nippon and it is a VERY small restaurant on Montrose and not the best place for a large group. We walked in with 6 and the older lady at the front straight up told me, "My restaurant is too small for 6". I just looked at her and told her politely that I was willing to wait at the bar. After 20 minutes she was able to put two tables together for us which I appreciated. Customer service could use some help. Took forever to get a waiter and even longer for our food. This is not a place to go if you're looking to get in and out. The only thing I wanted to tried was the highly recommended Japanese Ramen Noodles. For an appetizer we ordered the grilled whole squid which was delicious. Definitely ask for some sriracha for that extra kick. I ordered the pork ramen noodle it did not disappoint me. The broth was flavorful and the pork melted in my mouth. It's definitely a comfort meal when the cold hits or even with all this rain we're getting. Next time we will try the sushi and I'll return with another review.

    (3)

  • Xiaodan M.

    This is the only Japanese restaurant in town is solely owned, operated by Japanese as far as I know. It is a good sign when 90% of the wait and sushi staff is actually from Japan. Food is great, service is outstanding. Only complaint is their ramen. It's not bad but would make a perfect stop for an all around Japanese dining experience if they put more thoughts into it,

    (4)

  • MA N.

    I tried my first ramen here and had the pork one. The noodles were clumpy which I didn't really like. The pork however was amazingly good. It was cooked at the right temperature and well-seasoned. I didn't eat the bamboo shoots but my boyfriend said it tasted like the pork. This ramen I would give an 9/10 just because the noodles were clumpy. I also ordered their shaggy dog roll. I actually like the shaggy dog here but when I came, the tempura inside tasted like it was left out for awhile...like it was kind of stale. It didn't bother me much though and I would still come back for it. My boyfriend ordered the Chirashi and said it wasn't the best. He didn't like the assortment/variety of the items they had and said it wasn't as fresh. He said he would not order the chirashi again from here. Overall, great service and good food. I'll come back to try other dishes :)

    (4)

  • Tim J.

    Houston's best Japanese restaurant. Especially if you are looking for the real deal. Been here tons of times, cant wait to get the various size and shaped containers to arrive. Love the freshness of the Tuna, uni and cold soba. And I got to try Fugu here. The poisonous puffer fish cooked in to Saki. Talk about an experience driven by high stress followed with mouth numbing excitement. Sweet shrimp- Crazy good with a surprise ending(Gotta order it and find out what happens to the head) A+ Must Try! So go say hi to Naoki(the Sushi Chef), and just let the crew here surprise you. Because it's all good!

    (4)

  • Taylor B.

    I went here with my friend Anh for lunch today after taking a good 30min circling the street, because google maps put the marker on the wrong side of the road. The restaurant is very zen full and pumps meditation music through out the restaurant while you eat. This is the biggest fall back of this place, because it makes you feel intimidated while you eat. Because it's such a small place and there are very few windows it's way to quite to the point that it's uncomfortable. The music does the opposite of what it's suppose to do because there is nothing take your mind off the silence, and it actually ends up enhancing it. The food however was fantastic! The Shaggy dog roll is flavorful and has a indescribable texture to it that enhances the taste. The sushi is priced okay for the area and it's not bad, although the Shaggy Dog Roll blew everything out of the water. All in all nice place, but the silence really made eating weird. Go here for the shaggy dog roll

    (3)

  • Joshua S.

    The Shaggy Dog roll was a great recommendation that we saw other Yelpers post about. We also had the Japanese Ramen and the Nagayaki noodles. Both were pretty good but not amazing. I would not protest to coming back to this place but it probably would not be my first choice.

    (3)

  • Cicely B.

    My sister and I ate here after following another yelper's advice and were pleasantly satisfied with the whole experience. This is the only place in Houston that sells Takoyaki (a dish I had been dying to try). I love Asian food and had never eaten authentic Japanese cuisine before. I loved it SOO much!!. The chicken skewers are tender, the takoyaki was yummy, and the staff are so nice! In a setting that intimate, it is a perfect date spot as well. It's funny how every time I find a good date spot, I'm not on a date.

    (5)

  • Luciana L.

    Great food, great lunch prices. Definitely would come back when we are in the area.

    (4)

  • Kylie Y.

    Staff makes you wait a long time to seat you. The food is a little bit more expensive than usual Japanese restaurants, no a lot of selections on the menu, and the tasting of the food was average. Sometimes they do have special fish on certain days and good thing about this place is that they have fresh wasabi.

    (3)

  • Cynthia C.

    Cafe Nippon is pretty good sushi. The dragon roll was super cute - it had a "head" piece with octopus eyes. Daw. The roll was salmon, avocado, tuna, roe. I also ordered the tuna, Houston, and Philadelphia rolls. I'm not big on cream cheese, but the tuna, yellowtail and salmon were yummy. I liked the ginger, but my boyfriend thought it wasn't flavorful enough. We both agreed that the wasabi could have been spicier.

    (4)

  • Rosemary L.

    Food tastes good, but the waiting time is too long. We came in at around 8:35 pm and no waiter/waitress served us until 5 mins later. (The place was not that crowded at that time though.) After we ordered, my bf and I were starving. However, we could do nothing but wait for another 50 mins. Anyway, the time paid off. The shrimp tempura tastes good!! I only ordered a small beef udon, and at first it seems nothing special. What impresses me most is the soup base. It's not too salty, convincing me that the kitchen may cook the soup by themselves (instead of just grabbing a random ramen). The beef slice, delicious. I feel like the food is over-qualified. The missing star is for the speed. Please hurry up & show the hospitality to guests!! P.S. I noticed that there were lots of Japanese gathering. No wonder why the food is impeccable.

    (4)

  • Emily C.

    The Chirasi bowl is my favorite. It comes with a little salad.I like dressing on the side. My 11 year old son loves this place. He usually gets shrimp tempura and a maki roll. Phily roll with salmon is great! Go Shaggy dog, too,

    (5)

  • Vi N.

    Ok this place looks like they turned a little house into a restaurant. They have a small parking lot behind the place but you'll be lucky to find a spot. So we parked in a lot across the street. Upon entering the premises, there was no hostess and no room for waiting. We were literally hovering over other guests while they were eating. How uncomfortable. The little old lady who tried to seat us didn't even know who came first so she was about to take whoever back. Until someone spoke up and said they were there first. The tables inside the restaurant was way too close to each other that you could hear other people's conversations. Awkward. In addition, the service was just terrible. One of my friend came after us and no one came to get her drink order. So she had to wave one of them down. Also, none of our drinks were refilled. We ordered... Edamame: It was pretty standard. Can't mess that up. Although I asked for Sriracha chili but the server couldn't understand or speak English so she said...cheese? No, chili sauce. Ooh cheese sauce? No Sriracha red chili sauce. She gave a confused look and said ok. I guess she ignored the request because she couldn't understand but my friend asked for it again and surprisingly, she brought out the correct sauce. Pork Ramen: 4 stars for this dish. It was very good. It came with a half boiled egg and 3 pieces of pork tenderloin. Miso Ramen: This was not good at all. My bf couldn't even finish it...and he usually love miso soup. I don't recommend getting this at all. I would come back only for the pork ramen and hopefully when it warms up a little, ill sit out on the porch.

    (3)

  • Sooze L.

    Nippon was serene and pretty delicious. We sat at the sushi bar, where, besides a television playing softly in the back, the place was fairly quiet. The service was prompt and professional. Friendly servers. The food: Agedashi tofu--Delicious. Rolls--Fatty tuna with green onions. A+. I loved this roll, and it's kind of rare that fatty tuna would be served in a roll. Very good. The Montrol roll, on the other hand. I thought that there was nothing worse than spicy mayo sauce on sushi. I was wrong. This shrimp, avocado, and cucumber roll is made with the most disgusting plain mayonaise. It was pretty intolerable. I really regret ordering this piece, as I much prefer fresh light rolls with raw fish. It made me skeptical about ordering any more rolls, so I had some nigiri for the second round. Tuna nigiri--Pretty well presented, fresh (for a Sunday). Tofu skin--Way too sweet. Udon noodles--Not my thing. but a customer favorite. My dining companion loved them.

    (3)

  • Rosamund P.

    The chirashi don is fresh. shapu shapu is also delicious with generous portion of beef and tasty sauce~~~~~~~~~~

    (5)

  • David N.

    Wow really? This place has 90+ reviews with a 4 star average? I was expecting more but I was totally let down. I would give this place 2 1/2 stars but I'll round up since I did come later in the night and only order rolls. It looks like a lot of the yelpers had some of their other stuff such as ramen or udon. We had 5 rolls. The rolls were cheaper priced than most places and they state rolls include 4-8 pieces but it doesn't state which rolls have how many pieces. The cheaper rolls came out with 4 pieces. This is the spider roll/cajun roll, crab and crawfish. I did enjoy the crawfish since it tasted like a deep fried version and I was able to eat the entire shell. We also had 3 of their * rolls. These came with 5-8 pieces. I was very disappointed by their caterpillar roll because it's one of the most expensive rolls yet there was only 5 pieces. Granted they were big pieces but 70% of it was just rice. That was my biggest complaint with this place was that every roll they made they made it seem bigger by just stuffing it was rice and covering it in soy sauce. I also will round up just because they are open later. They close at 10:30 on weekdays. That extra 30 minutes means so much since I won't come into a place unless I have 1 hr before closing. So many places close at 10 pm on weekdays. Thank you for offering a decent later evening option.

    (3)

  • leila d.

    My 5 Start rating for Nippon is due to their wholesome, absolutely delicious Ramen soup! If you are ever in the mood for Japanese soup you have to try the ramen at Nippon. My boyfriend and I have been searching Houston for the best Ramen for over a year and I can say without a doubt they have the best! They also have incredibly fresh Sushi. The restaurant is intimate and perfect for a relaxed evening. Make sure you make every attempt to pronounce the dishes correctly. If not, you may get an evil look from one of the waitresses. You will know exactly who I am talking about if you get the "look"! Saying Arigatō at the end always does the trick if not :)

    (5)

  • Rachell N.

    So let me rate this place according to overall experience: Parking: horrible. We were told to park by the salon next door. We saw a guy from inside the salon monitoring us, so I got out of the car and asked if it was ok to park in their lot because the Nippon staff said that we could. The salon man looked irritated and said that the staff shouldn't say yes if the owners didn't agree to that. Service: I don't know if it was an extremely busy night, however our service was poor. We made a reservation 45 minutes earlier than our arrival time, but the staff didn't have a recollection of that. We had to wait, which was no big deal. But we were asked to move after we sat down to accommodate a larger group. Two people for that group didn't show up for dinner so they were asked to move to a smaller table. Food: My sister had the katsu don, which was actually pretty delicious. I ordered the sushi combination A, which was also pretty delightful. However, my husband got the chicken teriyaki, which was dry and bland. He usually devours chicken teriyaki, but tonight he didn't because of his disappointment. It's during the holiday season, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that they were just extremely busy and a bit overwhelmed. If asked whether I would recommend this place and/or return, I would not.

    (2)

  • Sandy I.

    Really my rating is 3.5 (4 for food/value and 3 for service) - Been here several times, and has been my go to for Japanese food when in Houston. We come here for lunch and prices are reasonable ($8-$11) based on quality and portion size. The ramen is good and the bentos (favorites are ones that include tempura, sautéed vegetables, or salmon - the chicken teriyaki was a bit tough on our last visit), and the beef sukiyaki are excellent. The restaurant appears to be a mom & pop place. However, the warmth and service of a family run business, is not prevalent, IMO. For example, there isn't really a greeting or welcoming when you arrive, it's more like, how many? We asked the Japanese lady/likely the owner, who was taking our order about more information on the sautéed vegetables, a bento box option, and her response was, they're sautéed vegetables. We just kind of looked at her for more, the type of veggies, teriyaki or shoyu sauce, nope nothing. She said you not ready to order, i'll come back. Kinda funny. We ordered it anyway. It was good, a mix of fresh veggies w/ a few canned (water chestnuts and baby corn) sautéed in a light soy marinade (likely).

    (3)

  • Erin K.

    Great spot in my area for when I'm craving a bit more of a traditional sushi night. No overly fancy or crunchy rolls - just simple, fresh nigiri. The Dragon roll is really clean and a favorite. Generous portions in their handrolls and reasonable prices. The food comes out pretty quick, don't need a reservation, and friendly waitstaff. Everything you need!

    (4)

  • Wendy F.

    I am SO sad to say this, but I've decided to boycott this restaurant due to their service. Up until now, I visited Nippon about once / week averaging $40 - $60 per trip. Their food is still SO fabulous. From my many observations, here's what I've gathered. The restaurant is run by the Japanese lady who is such a control freak, she will not let anyone else calculate the bills. I've waited 30 minutes for my bill before and another 30 minutes just to pay because the bills were backed up. Also - she seems a little racist. Only the Japanese workers are allowed to seat people. Maybe they're relatives, IDK, but seems to me that if you have customers waiting at the door, it's not good to have them stand there while the non-Japanese waiters have nothing to do... The last time I went in, I brought my 4 year old son with me. They give out little packets of Pocky Sticks (chocolate covered crackers) to children at the end of the meal. My son shared his with me and asked if he could have more. So we waited patiently until the Japanese lady was not busy and my son asked her if he could have another packet. She said NO!! WTF? I just spent $80 there and this is like the cost of a fortune cookie. Seriously? You're going to say no to anyone asking for another fortune cookie? Anyway, maybe I'm taking this too personally, but I just cannot continue to spend what essentially equates to a car note on an establishment that provides such horrible service.

    (2)

  • Vinh N.

    Came here for an early supper yesterday. Very traditional Japanese restaurant. Had a a hankering for ramen and was told this is probably the best place you could get Japanese ramen in Houston. I agree. It's good here; good pork-based broth. The boiled pork pieces in the soup were marinated teriyaki sweet. There are better egg noodle soups in Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants in Houston, but the Japanese version is distinct enough for me to want to come back and eat. Also had a Houston roll and unagi nigiri. Chef is very good with his presentation and the pieces tasted fine even though somewhat small. This place doesn't seem to have happy hour specials but its regular prices don't seem so bad.

    (4)

  • Michelene E.

    Nothing special.

    (2)

  • Eunice T.

    Even though my Google maps directed me into the alley behind the restaurant by CVS, I perservered through my frustration & just walked following the blue dot until I found this place. & I'm glad I did. So many yelpers recommended here for Japanese that I was determined to try it! I wish someone had told me that the sign is obscure & that the parking entrance is easily missed if you didn't know where you were going. Parking here is a bee. The sushi is terrific & worth all the parking bs. So is the mushroom miso soup & the fried chicken bites. I went for lunch & would love to try this place for dinner. They have lots of fancy sushi rolls along with plain old California roll (which is really sushi BTW). What I like the most though is that it's owned by a cute old Japanese couple.

    (4)

  • Lynne T.

    The food at Nippon is excellent and the prices are great. I love their udon and sashimi . The parking can be bad so try not to come at rush times. The service is terrible, 95% of the time the owner insists on being hostess, waitress and cashier, even though they have other wait staff. Go slow when you order from her because odds are she might miss something. When they bring you the food and you think something might be missing tell them immediately. So if you love sushi go, but be prepared to wait and deal with slow service, it is well worth it.

    (4)

  • James M.

    Terrible food quality. I've eaten here many times as I live nearby. I've really tried to like it but this place is not good. First off the sushi is boring and bland. More importantly their other ingredients are very cheap. You can discover this by taking home and seeing their teriyaki beef in better lighting. It's about 50% fat and gristle and must have cost them about 50¢. I really dont know why people like this place.

    (1)

  • Ashley P.

    I frequent this place a couple of times a week .. The lunch specials before 3pm are to die for .. Where else in Houston can you get a fully loaded bento for about 10-15 bucks ? The waitstaff is pretty friendly but there is one waitress that gives me a look that makes me wish i were never born.. intense .. but other than that .. the place is amazingly awesome .. Please Try : Katsudon- panko fried Pork cutlet with egg over rice **crazy tasty , also comes with salad & miso soup all for 8.95 :D In my opinion, they have the best bentos in Houston.. i always get the chicken teriyaki ,cali roll, and tempura Yakisoba- fried noodles & vegetables with your choice of meat ..topped with pickled ginger ..sooo good sukiyakidon - different but extremely delicious .. pretty much sukiyaki ...in a rice bowl .. mushrooms, chinese cabbage, and yam noodle green tea ice cream ! - matcha green tea ice cream that is subtly sweet but wickedly delicious Plum Wine - sweet but not over bearing , overall DELISH!! ..For the most part you can not go wrong with anything that you order .. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as i do !

    (5)

  • Alexander W.

    When I first came here a couple years ago I didn't know they had Tonkotsu (pork) ramen. Now that I do, all hell has broken loose. I have slurped down their golden noodles several times and I recommend Nippon's ramen to many people. Granted, the ramen isn't epic like Ippudo NY or Daikokuya LA but it definitely hits the spot. The broth will warm up your hungover soul. There are still only a few pieces of pork, but more than I remembered. At $8.95 it doesn't break the bank.

    (3)

  • Becky D.

    Mmmm... sushi. Im lucky enough to work very close to Nippon so when the girls want sushi, we go the whole block down. Im a fan of eating out on the patio because the inside is pretty cramped. Im also a pretty big fan of the bento box, theirs didnt let me down. 3 pieces of sushi, white rice, potato salad, cucumbers in vinegar... probably an orange slice and some shrimp and veggie tempura. It was a lot of food. The fish was fresh and the rice was good, not too sticky and not too vinegary. I feel like a chump for discovering this place 3 years after I moved to Houston. I was defiantly missing out. Check out the sushi origami at the front desk. Really neat.

    (4)

  • Albert N.

    Food - 2/5 Service - 3/5 Price - 2/5 Atmosphere - 3/5 Best Dish: Tonkotsu flavored ramen I will put the onus of my decision to rate Nippon a mere 2 stars mainly because of the hype going into the meal. First and foremost, ramen is one of my favorite foods ever--each time those famous noodles at Daikokuya in Los Angeles hit my lips, it is undoubtedly an out of body experience. Because of this, I was admittedly holding out for a glimmer of hope that maybe...just maybe I was going to feel the same way at Nippon. I mean if I could find a place in TX that gives me the same level of gratitude and excitement as "Daik", there would be no reason to visit LA ever again. This is the definition of setting myself up for failure. Secondly, a few friends had not only been to Nippon in the past but they also had given it pretty good reviews. I generally trust what my friends have to say when it comes to food. A lot of them have the same passion for fine cuisine as I do so we've always recommended to each other what restaurants to go to and what to order. Unfortunately, Nippon did not live up to my expectations. Not even close to tell you the truth. I went with a group of a couple guys and we shared the beef rolls and fried squid appetizers, a sushi roll, and our own bowl of ramen noodles (tonkotsu flavored). The beef rolls were not bad--quite tender and flavorful. It came with 6 individual pieces...a great number if you like to share. The fried squid was absolutely garbage. One of my friends said it tasted like the Tyson's frozen squid you can buy at the grocery store. The sushi was so so, there was nothing special about it and the portions were very small. It also didn't look prepared very well, the pieces on both ends were falling apart. Nothing irritates me more than an obvious lack of effort. Now to the ramen. The broth was flat, it barely had any taste to it. I couldn't tell the difference between this broth and the water-based broth you can microwave with those instant noodles packages. The actual pork was very tasty; too bad there were only a couple bits and pieces of them scattered inside your bowl. And the amount of ramen you get is next to nothing. My other friend who was with me legitimately questioned if he had even eaten anything after he finished his bowl. It took him a total of 4 bites. Altogether, the tab came out to be over 20 bucks a person for 3 people and we were all still hungry. That's just bush league.

    (2)

  • Harry W.

    I was disappointed when I visited here. I ordered the Dragon Roll. While the spicy tuna was extremely spicy, the fish did not seem fresh. I also tried the tonkatsu. It was a very generic cutlet. I also did not know they charged extra for tea. I will probably come back again, but only for sushi the sushi. For the price, it's not bad.

    (3)

  • Paul M.

    We were seated outside and my girlfriend asked to be moved to a table in the sun. You'd have thought we asked to be seated on the roof. We ordered sake nigiri, spicy tuna roll, and tiger eye roll. Tiger eye is supposed to have jalapeno, but ours was rolled with green pepper. That really changes the flavor of things, to say the least. Service was average. On the upside, prices were reasonable.

    (2)

  • Holly T.

    While the food at Nippon is very good, the service at this restaurant is the worst I have ever experienced. I went to Nippon with 6 friends the other night for dinner. Because this is a small restaurant, we were sure to call for a reservation several days in advance. We were able to get drinks fairly quickly, but waited..not joking...an hour before someone came back over to take our food order. We tried calling 2 different people over to our table for service who both said someone was on their way. After waiting an additional 10 minutes, someone finally came over. We ordered a lot of food because we were starving at this point. They brought out several dishes but all at different times. My friends all got at least one dish but my food never came out! Of couse, nobody came over to check on us so everyone was done eating and I still didnt have any of my food! The woman finally came over..about 20 minutes later.. and when we told her what had happened, she realized she forgot to put in 5 of our rolls- 3 of mine and 2 for others at the table. This was annoying, but it made me more mad that she was so rude about it too! Did not bother to apologize or see if she could get us anything else while we waited longer. I ended up just asking for 1 of my rolls because everyone else was already done eating and I didnt want to hold everyone up longer. When the check finally came, it was all hand written chicken scratch so nobody knew exactly what we were being charged for. We couldnt even tell if the rolls I had ordered- but never received- were taken off. Of course, nobody came back so we could ask even after we had continually tried calling someone over. We were all over it at this point so we just paid it without argument and left. Dont waste your time going here unless you have 2.5 hours of your time to waste on dinner. We had a 7:30 reservation and left at 10pm--not because we were sitting and conversing- but because the service was just awful. We thought that calling ahead for a Friday night would prepare them for our group of 6, but apparently that was not the case. There are plenty of other great sushi restaurants in Houston that offer much better service. I wouldnt recommend this place to anyone.

    (1)

  • Helen C.

    My friends have loved this place for years, which is why I started coming here. I do think that this is a great place for authentic Japanese cuisine (as opposed to the hipper, trendier places catering to a certain crowd...), and that their sushi is tasty and fresh. I love sitting at the sushi bar, because the sushi chef will chat you up and prepare things for you right on the spot. But I will say I couldn't give it more than 3 stars (and even then, I was wavering about it), because their service is sub-par. I've noticed that from the beginning, the owner (and some of the other servers) have not provided a great experience. One of the first times I came here, they charged me more tip than I gave them, and I had to come back and ask them to change that. (They argued with me the whole way through!) Another time, I asked for vegetable udon, and the owner said that she would make it (even though it's not on the menu) and asked me what I wanted in there. When I named a couple of vegetables, she said that she would choose what went in. (Then what's the point in asking?) And we've come with bigger parties before, and had them mess up orders (we waited 1 hour for one of our dining buddies to get food!). It was interesting because that particular night, the server had said he had had bad experiences with other tables before. He said the tables were full of horrible people, and that that's why he had gotten in a fight with some of them. But by the end of the night, I understood that he actually meant ... he was the one with the problem. I won't deny it, though, I love that they have some authentic and yummy dishes here (I have friends and family that have resided in Japan and they say it's pretty good!), and I will probably keep going back. But definitely not for the service -- they never fail to disappoint me in that department. Oh, and like everyone said, the parking is TERRIBLE.

    (3)

  • Mary H.

    It's unfortunate Houston's Japannese cuisine selection is sparse. I mean authentic tranditional Japanese food..not your typical teriyaki chicken and the fusion stuff. Friends recommend this place as the best Japanese food in Houston. The food here is not bad..but when it comes to the freshness and the selection of their fish, it's a bit lackluster.

    (3)

  • Trang T.

    After reading all the reviews I decided I needed to give this place a try and I've been coming back ever since! My first visit there I made the wrong choice of not trying their ramen. I ordered: Ebi Tempura/Miso soup/house salad/various nigiri pieces. The tempuras were a hit for me and so was the soup (loved the cute little bowl it came in). However, the salad was weird tasting and the sushi pieces were just horrible. They were not fresh tasting nor was the rice any good. I HATE wasabi and some how there were pieces of wasabi stuck to the rice. Gross! I learned my lesson. No more sushi from here! My next visit, I got the Pork ramen/chicken skewers/kanisu/fried icecream. The chicken skewers were good but the meat was too dry. I guess cause it was white meat. I hate white meat. The kanisu (crabstick and cucumber in a vinaigrette) was SO good! The flavoring of the vinaigrette was perfect. The best part was that they didn't use crab stick. They used real crab! YUM. Then the Park Ramen came out.....i fell in love! It's a MUST TRY. Fried icecream was just fried icecream. Service is okay...not consistent. Sometimes ill get great service and sometimes it's just..bleh They are welcoming. Food comes out fast when it's not busy. Parking SUCKS when you go during its peak hours. But during dead hours(2-5), park anywhere you please! Verdict? Let's just say this place has a new regular.

    (4)

  • Nicole D.

    Without a doubt, the sushi at Nippon is the best I've had in Houston, if not the best I've ever had, period. Everything was very fresh and tasted amazing. Parking is tight, but thankfully I found a spot right away and didn't have to look elsewhere. The first waitress we got had a really hard time understanding us when we giving her our drink order, and we ended up with a different waiter for our food order (I'm assuming it was at her request). The vegetable tempura was excellent - the vegetables were all crisp and delicious... but the real treat was the sushi. The dragon roll was, without a doubt, the best roll we ordered, and the Naoki roll probably comes in second. I'm a personal fan of the spicy tuna roll, and theirs definitely didn't disappoint. Probably my favorite part of the meal was when our waiter brought out our caterpillar roll and dragon roll orders - the presentation is amazing! He had told us already that those two would take a little longer to prepare because of the presentation, but I wasn't expecting what we got. Both orders had cucumber "antennas" and little roe eyes (see pictures). I recommend that everybody try Nippon. I've noticed a lot of mixed reviews, so maybe the restaurant has "off days"... but if they do, yesterday was definitely not one of them. :) I wanna pick Nippon up and take it home to Ft Worth with me :D

    (5)

  • Melissa T.

    My friend and I went to Nippon for a late birthday dinner. She has told me so much about how authentic this place is that I had to try it. I was feeling adventurous, so we opted for the Japanese-only menu and allowed the waitress to order everything for us. We didn't provide any preferences but were pleasantly surprised by her choices. She chose the monkfish liver topped with green onions, raw ground tuna, which we were encouraged to mix with a small amount of soy sauce, aji tempura, and some steamed egg thing in a cup. All are considered appetizers, but it was just enough to hold us over. (As I'm typing this 4 hours later, I am hungry again. Next time, I will be sure to order an entree.) We also ordered mochi, which comes in a pair, so we got green tea and vanilla. You can never go wrong with ice cream and glutinous rice! Our bill came out to $46, which is steep for the amount of food we received. I guess that's the price you have to pay for authenticity though. I will definitely be back!

    (4)

  • Kimberly M.

    I read up on reviews for their ramen and decided to try it out. The bowl was pretty decent sized. I managed to barely eat it all before reaching super-full level. I liked how many things were mixed in with the ramen. There was some bamboo, seaweed, egg, bean sprouts, and pork. The only thing I didn't like was the miso broth. It hardly had any flavor. The bamboo shoots had more flavor than the broth. I LOVED the added pork, it was melt in your mouth soft and seasoned well. If it wasn't for the broth, I would've given this review 4 stars.

    (3)

  • Scott N.

    Having tried many of Houston's Japanese restaurants over the years, this place is the by far the most legit and authentic that I've come across. Their sushi fish is incredibly fresh, and they offer many obscure dishes that you can't find elsewhere (authentic-style ramen, natto!?, red-bean mochi ice-cream, etc...). Their bento boxes during lunch are hands down THE BEST in town. As some others have mentioned, their ramen is decent an authentic and probably the best in Houston, but I've definitely had much MUCH better in the past. That said, it still hits the spot when I crave it / miss it. If you try it, I suggest the pork broth. This place would have a 5/5 if it weren't for: - The sometimes horrible parking situation: The parking lot can sometimes get into a gridlock. If it's busy, I STRONGLY suggest parking across the street behind that concrete building, which used to be an art gallery. - The service: The service is OK. On a few rare occasions it's been terrible. That said, it's always perfectly acceptable during the restaurant's more quiet hours, but it seems like they don't know how to handle the large crowd when it's packed. When this happens, the wait-staff isn't particularly attentive to folk and every now-and-then getting the check (or ordering additional items) takes for ever (greater than 20min has happened once or twice). In the end, I can see how some people would be turned off from this place (especially due to the service), but as Japanese-food fanatic, I'm willing to put up with all of their faults to satiate and ingratiate my taste-buds with their killer food. So I leave you with this (if it will make your decision to come here easier): Hands down, come here if you love Japanese food. Think about coming here if you like it. Pass on it if you're pretty apathetic about it. Run away if you dislike it.

    (4)

  • Felicia L.

    I go here for the pork ramen which is quite authentic and comparable to the delicious ramen I ate when visiting Japan. So whenever I'm in the ramen mood, this is the only place for me.

    (4)

  • Lauren T.

    This place rocks! We went with friends and ordered omakase from the Japanese menu. It was incredibly fun to have them bring out whatever they wanted and have no idea what was coming next. And it allowed me to try some more traditional, home-style Japanese food I never would have ordered a la carte. I didn't love everything (couldn't do the langoustine brains!) but it was all interesting and most of it was delicious. The fish and mushroom dish they brought was one of the best things I've eaten in a while. The meal ended with a huge portion of sushi. A truly unique dining experience--we didn't realize we'd been there three hours until we got back to our car. Downsides: The parking lot is awful, and the menu looks like it was made on a mimeograph machine from 1983, rendering it extremely difficult to read. Servers' English skills vary. I can't in good conscious give five stars until I've been back to try more of the menu, but so far, I'm impressed. I don't know if I'd go back just for sushi as I already have some favorites in that category, but I really want to try some of the other noodle, stew, and seafood dishes.

    (4)

  • Alex S.

    My amorcito and I accidentally discovered this place last May 2011. This is by far one of Houston's best kept secrets. The food is simple and true (no gimmicks or 'fusion' crap). The fish is incredibly fresh. Oysters are amazing. We love the fatty salmon. This has become our new favorite sushi spot!! If you wish to hang out at a venue with minimalist decor where lounge music is played and fashionistas hang out: this sushi place is not for you. If you care more about the quality of your meal and hanging out at a tranquil spot where you can enjoy your food, you too will love this place. = = = = = = = PS: we stopped going to this place about a month ago (July 2011) because we had a bad experience. This 'dude' was sitting at the end of the bar and for some reason thought we were talking about him. He confronted us very rudely and cursed at us, and since we had just ordered the check, we were asked to quickly pay and leave. We somehow have not gotten over this, specially because this individual was aggresive and mean towards us, and we believe the staff could have done a better job at handling the situation. We have never gone back.

    (4)

  • Kelly N.

    I remember this place being fairly decent but that was over a year ago. Agedashi tofu was good. The chopped scallop here was overly mayonnaise-y to the point that it was just disgusting. Dragon roll was just ok. Probably won't be back anymore. :(

    (2)

  • Christine Kassandra H.

    Must try to ramen with pork soup base. It is definitely comparable to ramen in Japan. Oh and their fried icecream is one of the best I've had.

    (4)

  • Amol G.

    Have eaten here several times. Sushi is decent for the price but nothing special. The service can be hit or miss (mainly miss). Asked the sushi chef (older grumpy guy) what looked good today and he snapped back at us with "everything". The place has totally lost its charm. Staff must work on their attitude.

    (2)

  • Ryan L.

    Siting at the sushi counter and sitting at a table are two different experiences. At the table, it's your usual sushi place, nigiri, sashimi, hand rolls, etc. At the bar, you get to interact with the awesome sushi chefs, who can inform you on what's fresh, and watch them skillfully prepare stuff that may or may not be on the menu (at least, the English menu). You can hear Japanese fly back and forth between chef and customer (this is where Japanese expats go), and watch glimpses of Japanese TV. It just feels authentic, and I wish Houston had more sushi nooks where you could sidle up with a sushi chef and get a good omakase. Ordering off the menu is kinda nice, but when you have such a skilled chef, it's best to let him drive. It will take a while, but just order a round of sake, and shoot the breeze with the sushi chef. Learn to dine, and not to just eat, because dining Nippon is an experience. Only thing is, expect this experience to set you back 50 bucks a head or so. Hey, authentically Japanese, even down to the prices.

    (4)

  • Melody W.

    The first time I came to Nippon, I got the lunch special and was decidedly underwhelmed. A friend of mine implored me to give Nippon another shot, and I have to say that I'm very happy I did! If you like the fancy rolls that a lot of the area sushi joints offer, Nippon is not for you. Like Emily W. said, Nippon is very traditional and highlights the raw fish (sushi/sashimi) and other entrees on their menu. If you like sashimi, I'd get the hamachi (yellowtail) and toro (fatty tuna). Their salmon is also solid. Skip the herring roe.. it's gross. Get the unagi and uni as sushi and a chopped spicy scallop handroll (off the menu item!!). Most places make you order 2 pieces with one order, but if you ask nicely, the owner will let you order 1 piece of each (sashimi or sushi). Hamachi Kama (yellowtail collar) is a must order. If you're not feeling up for raw fish, get the unaju (eel with rice). Yum. Edamame is also really good here- and I don't usually order edamame at restaurants. On a sidenote: to continue my quest for decent ramen in TX (much like Alexander W.), I tried their Tonkotsu ramen. Nippon gets extra brownie points here for having more than just the Tonkotsu ramen available (see Alexander W.'s review for the miso-based ramen), but then gets back to even with the overcooked noodles. The broth is flavorful and the pork is actually soft and crumbly (not overcooked like most places), but there isn't enough pork and the egg is a sad excuse for half a boiled egg. I just want... more. More veggies, more pork, more egg, more al dente noodles! However, for Houston, it's actually pretty decent (if they can manage to not overcook the noodles so badly). All in all- a great place to go for sashimi and a la carte items, and a half-decent place to go for ramen (if you aren't a ramen snob).

    (4)

  • Hsing P.

    First of all, I would like to just say that I would come again. Parking was very small. And the place definitely was bustling for this tiny Japanese restaurant. The menu frankly was confusing. It wasn't very well organized and felt like it was put into the photocopier in a crooked orientation. But luckily, the waiter was able to help me out. Now onto the food. Got the pork ramen. The pork broth was good, but a little too salty. The seaweed wasn't the best, but it did it's job. The ramen was good, but you could tell that it was not fresh, but at least it was al dente. So the pork ramen, which was recommended to me by the waiter, was just okay. Now I had to try some sushi, but the nigiri and sashimi were so expensive I thought. For 2 pieces of nigiri, the prices were between $4.00 and and $6.00. So I didn't try the nigiri. The sushi rolls seemed pretty cheap, just about $5 each roll, and they were of substantial portions. So in the end, I just asked for some aji tataki, which is off the menu. It's basically a whole fish served as sashimi and fried you eat the majority of it raw. The fish, most importantly, was very fresh. You could tell by the look of it and the tenderness of the meat, which is extremely important for sushi. Now, the only downside that I can say was that one piece of the sashimi portion had a bone in it. But a very small piece to be fair. Otherwise it was a definite, win. And at only ~$12, it was a fair price. If I were to come again, I would probably skip the ramen, and order the aji tataki again.

    (4)

  • David W.

    There's some good Nihon-ryoori (japanese cuisine) in Houston, but if you want GREAT japanese food... you go to Nippon. The sushi is fine and the Udon is great; however, the baked saba is fantastic- and so are most of the other seafood dishes. This is not an American bar-and-sushi joint, so don't expect American waiters with American attitudes. Nao-san runs the real deal- a serious Japanese restaurant with the vibe of same. The quality draws a big crowd, so be prepared to wait for your food and perhaps a table. Also, food is served piece-meal, not all at the same time. Try sharing the dishes and enjoy a casual meal here rather than rushing to the entre. I recommend any of the seafood but your best bet is to ask Nao-san (the woman running the place) what's best.

    (5)

  • Tania C.

    Excellent Sushi ! Everything is very fresh. The atmosphere is pretty relaxing! And the price is pretty cheap! I wish we had the same quality/price in Miami where I live :(

    (5)

  • Jo Jo C.

    I think there is better sushi in my hometown of Atlanta, but if I am ever in Houston again, I would go here again. The shaggy dog was solid! I enjoyed sitting on the patio, other than tree brush being blown into my water and food -haha! Nice spot, that you should definitely give a try! It looks like I should have tried something other than sushi...

    (3)

  • Karen C.

    Friend introduced me to this place couple months ago and I kept telling him "this place is awesome, why didn't you bring me here before?" I can only review about the ramen because that's pretty much all I've had from here and a few appetizers. I'm not a big fan of agedashi tofu (pardon my spelling), but I LOVE their agedashi tofu - I order it every time. The other two appetizers I've tried was the crab rangoon & yellow tail collar and I really like them both. I usually order the soy based ramen and the noodles are perfectly cooked al dente. You can order extra noodles with your ramen. I would have to say that its the best ramen that i've in Houston yet. Number#1 pet peeve, parking is a total nightmare.

    (4)

  • Karen N.

    I really like a Japanese restaurant run by Japanese people. This makes me smile rainbows and sunshine on the inside. What I didn't like was parking on the other side of their restaurant and running across a busy street risking my life for sushi. Was it worth it? Well... maybe. The sushi is fresh. I always make sure to get the same type of sashimi from every new joint I tried. This one had some good stuff. The seaweed salad - HUGE - like it was McDonalds supersized! But the rolls were... they were kinda ugly. I got a fatty tuna something or another and when I first saw it I was a little judgmental about it all. But the taste... it swayed me. Price. Very reasonable. Will I come back? It's a tad bit out of my comfort zone since dodging traffic is also involved in a bit of a commute so I'm not sure. But when a hankering for udon calls you never know.

    (3)

  • David T.

    In every way, and absolutely A+ restaurant.

    (5)

  • Shanice L.

    This place takes the cake in terrible service. The only reason I gave it three stars is because of how good the sushi an takoyaki were but it might also been because we were starving and had been waiting for oh almost an hour. It's a cosy place to be sure and we came around dinner with a group of 6. We had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated and by then my boyfriend was very irate. And then we waited. And time passed by some more as we waited wondering where our waiter had disappeared. It was only when my boyfriend said we were leaving and went to pay for the coke did the old lady at the register come to our table and try to placate us. So we stayed cause I was really craving sushi. The beef teriyaki was effin delicious. Got a medium rare and it was cooked just right and super tender. I got the naoki and crazy roll. I liked the naoki roll cause they doused it with a lot of crunchy tempura topping. Overall good food but poor service.

    (3)

  • Byoung Kyu S.

    I really do feel bad for a 2-star review but...... I LOVE the food here. I eat here every time I am in Houston and if I was rating just on food, it's 4 or 5 stars all the way. Uni is HUGE and fresh. Actually, all their sushi/sashimi has been super fresh. The portions are large and for the quality, prices are very reasonable. However, service here sucks. Service has steadily gotten worse each time I dine here. This last time, I had to ask 5-6 times to have my tea refilled. Each time, I had to get off my chair and walk around to find someone. Same scenario when I was ready for my bill. They even forgot to bring me the amaebi heads until I had paid for the bill and was ready to walk out. I am in huge dilemma since I really do love the food here, but I had stressful dining when the service sucks. I'll be in Houston in a couple weeks so we'll see if I go back.

    (2)

  • Chasity M.

    I wanted to branch out and try something different, so I went to Nippon for the first time. And rather than order sushi, I went for the miso ramen. Let's just say that I don't think Ramen is my thing (except for the twenty-five cent variety). First, I wasn't aware that it would have large chunks of pork in it. And the flavor was bland as compared to the pho that I love so much. There was a very long line when we arrived, but we really didn't have to wait at all. And the service was ultra attentive. I just did not think the food was all that fantastic. And the prices were a bit higher than at other sushi places that I love (Osaka)...and why pay $8 for a bowl of ramen when I can get pho with chicken for $4?

    (3)

  • ocz ..

    Best Japanese food in Houston I had so far. Can't wait to go back and try more dishes.

    (4)

  • Brian L.

    Holy Shioyaki Batman! This place is as legit as I could have imagined a Houston Japanese haunt to be. I really felt this was a true interpretation of Japanese comfort food served up without a hint of trendy pretense. Three people ate until completely full, drank multiple Japanese beers, toasted with a bottle of Sake, all for $98.00. The Tofu appetizer is amazing. The dry, smokey.... something component that topped the creamy tofu was so dynamic. Not only was it tasty as all get-out, it was so thin that it flexed and shimmered like fire in the radiant heat of the tofu. That wasn't the only dynamic part. Everything just came together- like any great appetizer, it slapped around in your mouth and got your tasting hat on. The salt grilled Yellowtail collar is like delectable fish butter. I ate everything that wasn't bone and wished I had more. Finally the Ramen was so delicious. I know, without any reservation- this will be my cold weather/head cold soup of choice for a while. I feel like I am cheating on Pho and my homemade Chicken noodle, but this stuff is a HOT temptress. I loaded it up with sriracha and got my sweat going. By the time I walked out of Nippon I was sweating and uncomfortably full, but I also had that feeling that every Yelper suffers through bad meals for.... That I had found a new favorite.

    (4)

  • Don B.

    Long time lurker, first time poster. The hive brain has me now. Been here twice. Tried five rolls, 3 were amazing, two were good. Price was tolerable. You know how sushi can be. Decent happy hour.

    (4)

  • Masie C.

    First off, the parking is terrible at this place. other than that, this place is pretty awesome! This time I ordered the ramen. It's hard to describe the reason why, but I really really liked it a lot. The pork that came with it was so tasty and the soup tasted so good. I think they put a lot of MSG in it because my friend and I were both super thirsty after. Not something that I really liked, but it was worth it. The place is smaller than I remember it, so I would not recommend this place to someone who is semi-claustrophobic. I'm glad we got a table right when we arrived, but it felt like we were sitting with the table next to us. I restrain myself from giving all 5 stars only because I had not tried anything else besides the ramen (everyone at my table got the same thing) I definitely will be back to try other dishes, and if they keep up the good service and clean environment, I wouldn't be surprised if I change my rating to 5 stars.

    (4)

  • A T.

    The service can be spotty, particularly during the off hours. If you come in the middle of the afternoon, sit at the sushi bar for better service. I don't understand why anyone would come here for the ramen, there's more interesting things to be had. Order off-menu if you're experienced - the Aji Tataki is delicious. The menu is poorly laid out but you pretty much know what's on there already, or ask for the sushi menu card, and I highly recommend the Naoki roll.

    (4)

  • Christina B.

    After having lived for a few years in Japan, I was heart-broken at having to eat "sushi" and "Japanese food." (Read: dried out raw fish and teriyaki sauce dumped on anything.) That was before a Nippon waiter was a TA in one of my classes. Seriously, if you'd like a taste of REAL Japanese food, Nippon is the place to go. Donburi (rice bowls), ramen the way it's supposed to be, curry! You can't imagine how often I end up eating dinner there. When you go, always ask what the specials are that evening, or at least ask for suggestions. There's almost always something delicious off-menu. Be a little adventurous and stay away from the tourist stuff like sushi and teriyaki. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

    (5)

  • Melissa D.

    SUSHI is to die for. BEST whole scallops in town. If you ask nicely you can get the miso with baby clams. Service can be spotty so we just go during the week when we know it is less busy.

    (5)

  • Vinh N.

    Four star is mainly for the Ramen. Couple rolls are not too shabby and the fish is pretty fresh. Maybe priced a little high for what you get but not too bad. Ramen isn't amazing or great but it's basically at the top for Houston. Miso or soy broth. Pork is tender but not traditional in my experience with my encounters with "traditional" japanese ramen noodle houses in other cities. Parking log it very small so be ready to cross the street. Guess it's free at least. No valet available either. Never had issues with the service so usually a pretty good experience.

    (4)

  • Jeff F.

    OK. Not sure how to start this review without sounding like a total snob douche bag. But here goes. Prior to moving to Houston, I lived in San Francisco. I have also traveled quite extensively through North America for my job so I've eaten a lot of places. That being said I know what I like and I know it when I see it. When I first came to Houston the locals told me where to go get the best sushi - I went and was shocked by how horrible it was. It took me two years to try again. Having said that I really wish I liked Nippon better. The food was ok, if I didn't know any better this place would have rated 4 stars. But if you really know and like sushi you know when it's great. For me the fish seemed mostly bland and one roll from the other didn't taste much different. The salmon was pale. I'm a huge fan of Yellow Tail and I only had one roll here as it didn't warrant going back for more. On the upside the Sushi was cold not that horrible room temperature you get some places. The Miso Soup was good (Scalding hot but good) and the Yakatori was tasty. The reason I really want to like this place better (and the reason they got three stars) is because the staff is so nice and attentive. The chef even made us a custom order and didn't charge us an arm and leg for it. It's good, not great. Not a bad place to have a meal but I'm going to keep looking. Douche bag out.

    (3)

  • Jessica H.

    I love their ramen!! That's the only thing I ever get here. The pork in the ramen is just so fatty and yummy! I've tried their sushi before, but I think the real reason why I go here is for the ramen. I am sure their sushi is pretty good as well.

    (5)

  • Gretchen P.

    So, the reviews of Nippon are all over the place. It's a little hard to wade through; after my meal, I understand star-rating discrepancy. Parts of the same dishes were great, but then parts were not great. Not completely bad, just...not so good. I recently went here for dinner. Udon and a Spicy Tuna Handroll. My Udon was $8.50, but others were only $6.50. The handroll was $4.50. (I'm listing the prices, because there is no online menu--I hate that.) The Udon was great save one tiny transgression; there were a couple of pieces of krab, not crab. That could have easily have been remedied by me (toss them), but it was just the principal that they had been in my soup. Beyond that, the Udon was great. The broth and abundant noodles were wonderful. There was also one tempura shrimp and egg along with slices of Shitake mushrooms, greens, and one lone broccoli floret. If I pretend that there was no krab and a few more bite-sized broccoli florets, the soup would be a solid four and a quarter stars. I'd read that the Naoki roll is the thing to get, but as I was getting the soup, I stuck with a handroll, and was glad I did. It's one of the best I've had in recent years. After reading other reviewers complain about the Nippon's predilection for adding copious amounts of rice to their sushi, I worried after taking the first two bites. While there was a fair amount of tuna, there was almost too much rice. I had a flashback to the time at age seven when I realized that my mom was right. The cup of frozen yogurt may look substantial, but there was a huge bubble of air in the center. In a surprise move, the handroll proved my mom wrong. The tuna wasn't just placed on top of the roll as I first feared, it stayed with me throughout; there was just too much rice. There were also thin strips of cucumber, which I appreciated. Nothing more boring than just one-ingredient sushi (yes Aka, that last was directed at you!). Oddly enough, everyone complains about parking; I've never had a problem. In fact once, when picking up a to go order at Kam's, I easily found a space at Nippon. (Gretchen turns away from Yelp and silently thanks the parking goddess.) I also want to mention, don't let the potential parking malady keep you from this cute little restaurant. So, in summation: while the addition to krab, overuse of rice, and the taunting of just one broccoli floret were mildly annoying, the tiny interior of the restaurant, the staff, and the lanterns outside are adorable and the food is spirit-lifting.

    (4)

  • Phill K.

    So what better excuse to go back here than having a good friend in from out of town. Parking was a pain..a massive pain because the cars in the back lot just seem to pile up on top of each other like a funny tetris game.. but we stuck to it, did some spot hunting and finally ended up parking across the street next to the art gallery. this time around we ordered a ton of sashimi--fatty tuna, giant clam, sweet shrimp (with the heads), ebi, unagi (my fav), yellowtail, ika, yellowtail, flying fish egg, salmon, salmon roe, and some others i can't remember.. some gyoza (dumplings--which were awesome..not charred or burned at all), seaweed salad, and or course, our own bowls of miso ramen. This is the real ramen, not the 4 for a dollar pack you get at the super market. They can sometimes be a bit on the salty side when they do their ramen but in this case, they got it how I like it. I do sometimes like the ramen at teppay on hilcroft/westheimer a little better sometimes but it depends what I feel like that day. Nonetheless, everything we had that evening was top notch. The wait was forever probably because we had ordered so much but hey, it was super fresh and my friend was impressed.

    (5)

  • Amy S.

    Yummmmm! Ordered Beef Katsu and Taitutu- something something (red snapper with vegetables, Salmon roll, and Houston roll. The fish was delicious. It came in a foil wrap and all the delicious flavors soaked into the tender, flaky fish and into the perfectly cooked vegetables. I was very impressed. The beef had great flavor and perfect crunchiness. The panko used was a type I've never had before. It was probably the best. It tasted good had good texture. DON'T ORDER THIS IF YOU'RE ON A DIET. The entree came with two large portions of beef katsu (HUGE PORTIONS) but much of the meat and breading was fat. Not oil fat, not "hey this is good it's kind of unhealthy," but straight fat. Maybe that's why it tasted so good... and the beef was tender. Salmon roll was simple, and the salmon was very, very fresh. No question about that. Houston roll was decent. I love any roll with yellowtail. The fish was fresh. The roll itself could have used more flavor (maybe more masago on the outside). The spicy mayo was THE BEST. It was SPICY SPICY SPICY and it wasn't too thick. I've seen spicy mayo done wrong so many times, and it was a relief to have some d***n good sauce. Service: EXCELLENT. Very attentive, but not intruding. Also extremely polite. And what truly makes this place authentic... the owner is Japanese. How rare is that! Especially in Texas where every Japanese restaurant is Korean or Chinese-owned. Not that that's bad, but you definitely get the full experience here. By the way, prices were very reasonable. $5 for any roll that you would commonly see for $7 elsewhere. Entrees priced from $11-18 which includes rice and a salad (not that cheap iceberg lettuce either, they spring for the good Romaine stuff here). I'll be back.

    (4)

  • Connie F.

    I've been craving tonkotsu ramen and read decent reviews about this place. The ramen was okay, not as good as I expected. =/

    (3)

  • Jessey Q.

    Best Uni in town & Toro too, All Japanese workers, family run, great staff. Best place in houston for authentic Japanese Sushi

    (5)

  • Thon L.

    Food is good but one of the older sushi man is very racist to asian customer. He would ask the waiter to refill water to the person sit next to us (obviously non-asian) and not to us even our glasses were empty. I like the restaurant and all but it's just everytime we go, we would feel that asian are not welcomed by this sushi man, especially when sitting near the sushi area. Often time, we would just wait for empty tables in the non-sushi area so that we could avoid this sushi-man. Not sure why we would have feel so odd to go eat there with the way he treats us. Well just hope it will somehow improve in the nearest future.

    (1)

  • Andy P.

    This place is the real deal. I always have a hard time finding an actual Japanese owned Japanese restaurant in Texas so I was pretty excited about Nippon. Parking is kind of rough, but that's just Montrose I guess. It's not a huge inside although they have a nice sized sushi bar. The fiancée and I tried the Ramen and Soba dishes and were very pleased. No, they weren't as good as the places I ate at when I lived in SF, but not bad for Texas. Could've used some more spice. The prices are reasonable and service was nice and prompt. I'll definitely have to come back and try the sushi and some other dishes to give them a thorough review.

    (3)

  • P P.

    Well...its still one of our go-to restaurants...so when I was celebrating getting licensed we thought we'd go to an old standard instead of rolling the dice on a random fancy restuarant. But to mix it up a little we decided to try their expensive meal (fixed plate meal, $45/person, min 2 people). Not a good deal. Its just their standards (nothing particularly interesting and nothing from their Japanese menu) and well we've pretty much tried all of them before. It was crab salad, chicken teriyaki (with little shrimp appetizer on the side), sushi/sashimi (your choice, about 6 pieces either way), scallop appetizer (very good but just get it from the menu), tempura, grilled salmon (not good, kinda dry get the grilled saba if you want something that's tasty), and mochi ice cream desert. Overall the food was ok, but if we knew it was just stuff on the normal menu, we would have just ordered our personal favorites. And pocketed the extra $60 we would have saved. And service that night was horrible. Extremely slow....I suspect that they may have been short one person or something. Oh well, the food was pleasant enough, especially since a couple of our friends happened to come right before we asked for the check and so we had an extended dinner party.

    (2)

  • Wendy O.

    Over priced and under fresh. The 'fresh' salmon was tan/brown, the ginger had more pink color. The tuna had a frozen and thawed taste and texture. Very disappointing.

    (1)

  • Amanda M.

    went for a date it was nice, but the hostess lady wasn't very friendly. had a bento box, it was yummy and plenty of food

    (4)

  • Suzanne G.

    Very tasty, authentic Japanese restaurant. Owned and run by mostly Japanese folks. My favorite dishes there are the Shaggy Dog Roll, Pork Ramen and Beef Udon. The tomago is delish, too. The only downfall to this place is that the service is always slow. But since the food is always a hit we sit there patiently and wait for each dish to come out one by one, with many, many minutes in between.

    (4)

  • Angel F.

    Definitely one of the best Japanese restaurants I've eaten at in Houston! The ramen was great; we went with miso flavor and were not disappointed. The sushi combo A had amazingly fresh fish that nearly melted in my mouth. Yep, it was that soft. My only complaint is that we were never given an actual sushi menu. Lucky for us, we were satisfied with the selections offered in the regular menu:)

    (4)

  • Victoria M.

    Finally - a place with the takoyaki (octopus balls)! I have been looking around Houston for these. This restaurant offers two menus: one in English, and the other in Japanese that features tapa-like dishes. The lunch specials are a decent deal, and their sushi is fairly good as well. It's definitely become a favorite lunch spot.

    (4)

  • Michael P.

    This was my first time to visit this place and, based on the other Yelp reviews, I had fairly lofty expectations that, sadly, weren't exactly warranted in my opinion. It was however, 3.5-4 star worthy so don't think I hated the place. The nigiri assortment plate was pretty tasty and gave us a chance to sample a bit of everything at a very reasonable price. The exception to the label of "tasty" on the plate was the white fish, which smelled and tasted awful (That's not an indictment of the freshness of the fare, mind you. I just thought I'd let the general public know that that particular fish is gross). We also had the Dragon Roll and, though it was prepared quite delicately and presented well, it was not as spicy as I would have hoped and had to be supplemented with wasabi. Service was very attentive and friendly and the restaurant itself is very cozy and inviting. I could, however, see the potential for parking issues should the place near capacity. All in all, don't hesitate to try this place for an above average sushi experience. Just don't expect the moon.

    (4)

  • kevin c.

    It's been a while since my last visit to Nippon. My friend introduced me this place a while back and said it's one of the few japanese restaurants owned by real japanese. This place was not my top choice when I think of having japanese food because of the parking. Well, I went again and was really disappointed. First the rolls became smaller, and a lot more of the frying dough was used to make it look bigger. Tempura was horrible because the whole thing was mushy. Ramen noodle soup was WAY salty. I think it will be my last visit to Nippon, and there's just no reason for me coming back.

    (3)

  • Anita S.

    Oh Nippon, nothing outrageous or showy to impress, but the sushi was solid and spoke for itself, as did the cold tofu appetizer-- the service was great, it's a cute little place, and the bill was very reasonable. I'd definitely come back here-- they have good mochi, too!

    (4)

  • Alexandra H.

    Food was pretty good, didn't blow me away. Read bad reviews on staff being slow and owner being rude... neither of these were true for us. We arrived at about 7pm on a Saturday and were promptly seated. Staff was very attentive. I would've given more stars, but we were grossed out by the cigarette/ bad fish smell that seemed to be lingering by the sushi bar.

    (3)

  • Mark H.

    Good, solid, and authentic Japanese food. Honestly, the restaurant's biggest problem is the discrepancy between the Japanese and English menus. The English menu exhibits the typical American standards like salmon teriyaki and various specialty rolls, along with staples like tempura, donburi, etc. The extensive Japanese menu, on the other hand, is packed with great, very Japanese dishes (especially appetizers) that are inexplicably missing from the regular menu. I guess the point is that if you're Japanese or if you read Japanese, you're set. I've seen the Japanese consul's car crammed into the parking lot at least 4 times. But even if you don't speak the language, odds are they can make your favorite Japanese dish that you couldn't find on the English menu. Give it a shot. Highlights include negitoro, fried aji with shiso, and sawagani. Good sushi, especially for the price, and great tempura...but you have to ask for the grated daikon.

    (4)

  • Samantha P.

    The food here is good. If you want ramen it will definitely satisfy, but I cannot bear to step foot in there again. I went with a couple friends a few months back, and we sat down before the dinner rush started. At this point there were only a couple other people in the restaurant, but it took forever to get our order taken. By the time our food arrived the place was packed. We asked for our check several times, and were quite forgiving when they forgot to bring it the first couple of times, but that wore thin quickly. They refused to split our check, which would have been nice to know ahead of time. Finally one of us decided to pay for the whole thing, and we walk up to the counter to pay which was another half hour. My friend finally pays and the woman at the counter was talking trash about us in Japanese (one of my Japanese friends was with me). If you wanna be abused and feel like you're forcing someone to take your money then this is just the place, otherwise go to anywhere else.

    (1)

  • Andy T.

    4 stars for the tonkatsu ramen, mainly because you can't find ramen anywhere else in Texas, but it could use a little less salt and a deeper pork flavor, possibly by just cooking the broth with bone for a few more hours. If that happens, then Nippon might compete with Cali ramen.

    (4)

  • Sophia P.

    Food was delicious - great sushi! Service was bad. I called in a take-out order for 3 sushi rolls (one with extra cream cheese). My friend and I arrived 15 minutes after calling and they had forgotten to put the order in. We waited for another 20 minutes in the restaurant but no one apologized for the error or offered us water or anything. I wanted to make sure the order was right when it came out because we paid extra for the cream cheese. As we were checking the to-go boxes the owner - a Japanese woman - told me to move out of the way so she could seat other customers. So rude! The order was wrong, no cream cheese. First they tried to argue about it so a waiter opens a piece of sushi and realizes we were correct. We waited outside another 10 minutes and he brought it out wrong AGAIN. They never offered to let us have the rolls they messed up, give us a discount, or compensate somehow and unfortunately no one ever apologzied to us. It was my first time to try this place, the food was SO good but they handled this situation so badly and were so rude I dont want to go back.

    (2)

  • Kelley K.

    +3 stars for well cooked noodles, great price & several non-sushi Japanese options. -2 stars for lacking a much needed update and a thorough cleaning & not the best of the best I've ever had. Certainly good food for the price! Ramen, tempura udon, and chi

    (3)

  • Crystal L.

    Nippon is where I first started eating sushi nearly 10 years ago. I used to frequent this place all the time. And then I stopped going and couldn't remember why. So Cy-fi and I went and checked it out for lunch today and then I remembered why. Don't get me wrong, the food is good. But I am just not that impressed for the prices. I also have a little bit of a pet peeve with sushi places that make the rolls so big that you can barely fit them in your mouth and you have to practically choke on it to consume the damn thing. In this particular instance I'm talking about the Spider roll, it was $7.50 and came with 4 pieces. They weren't massive but they were just big enough to annoy me. The house salad was nothing I'd order again, the edamame was forgettable, and the spicy ponzu sauce was weak. It was also so quiet in there that it was actually kind of awkward...lol Anyhoo, Nippon is a good restaurant... but I personally like some other places better.

    (3)

  • Dave L.

    Ok, I probably frequent this restaurant more often than any other in Houston. You kinda have to know your way around the menu, otherwise it might just seem like any other sushi bar, but this place really is the best japanese restaurant in Houston (by a long shot). It's owned by a wonderful Japanese family and almost their entire staff is also Japanese. If you're not Japanese they'll hand you their regular english menu, but you'll be surprised to know that they have a separate Japanese menu. If you can't read Japanese just sk for it anyways and have the waiter or waitress interpret it for you. If you really love Japanese food or are open to trying new things you will not be disappointed. Some of the items that you can order off the Japanese menu that I really love are; tuna poki, monk fish liver, and octopus tempura just to name a few. Again, go beyond the regular items and explore. The waitstaff is really nice and they'll be happy to recommend some things that you might like. The fish at this place is always fresh. One good example is their Uni, which is sea urchin roe. I wouldn't recommend it for the sushi novice but Uni is one of those items where the difference between ultra fresh and kinda fresh is staggering. This place has the best Uni by far. I don't know how they do it, but I think it's because they have so many regulars and so many Japanese customers that they must go through a lot of Uni so it's constantly fresh. Parking does kinda suck. I wish they'd get a valet parking service so that you'd never have to worry about parking. Minor problem though cause the food is so good I'd happily park 3 blocks away to eat here.

    (5)

  • Ashley B.

    Overall, not a bad experience. I sat outside, because the weather was so nice. The only reason I'm giving this place a 4 was because no lie, it took 10 minutes to be seated. That includes wait staff walking right by me. There isn't a sign to seat yourself and it was my first time here so I weren't sure. However, when seated, the service was great from there on out. Started with the crab puffs, which to be honest, I've had better, but the rest of the meal made up for it. I got some salmon and yellow tail nigiri, and it was some of the sweetest and freshest fish I've had. I also got a roll, and while I can't remember what it was called, it was delicious. Everything for under $30. Not a bad price, and I will likely be back.

    (4)

  • karen c.

    I had high hopes for Nippon, based on the reviews. Maybe that's why it disappointed... Nippon is nothing to write home about. To be fair, the sushi is good. It's actually pretty great. But it's not fantastic, I won't go anywhere else ever again, amazing. Fish is fresh, and it's tasty. But I rather miss the wide variety of concoctions the other sushi restaurants put together. You'll only be able to find the basics here. And the caterpillar is super short (5 pieces, as opposed to the usual 8). The pieces are also super fat - it's an effort to stuff the whole thing in your mouth at once and why go through all that effort when it's mostly rice?? Though, I might go back to try the noodle dishes - it smelled good when it walked by!

    (3)

  • Michael H.

    A night with Naoki on point rivals any sushi in state. 5* for sushi bar alone.

    (5)

  • Philip O.

    Went here tonight. I was just alone and had a table immediately on a Thursday night. Ordered a bowl of ramen 45-50 mins later I still don't have it. The lady in the front (who was taking my order) seemed like she didn't even care, so I left without having my bowl of ramen. I was really craving for some hot ramen too.

    (1)

  • Daniel L.

    I tried their sushi assortment and sukiyaki. This restaurant is a little pricier on their sushi than San Antonio sushi houses which was a disappointment. However, their rolls and combination platters are more affordable. If you go with the assortment, it will run around $1.50 per piece, which is not bad, but a la carte will cost you an average of $2.25. The assortment had tuna, whitefish, yellowtail, 2 salmon, eel, shrimp, flying fish roe, octopus, and a tuna roll. This is usally what I get a la carte anyways so it's a bargain. They offer Toro and Uni as well as the rest of the fare. Too bad there is still no monk liver. The Sukiyaki was very good but just a tad too sweet. I give them props for a thicker soup. However, sukiyaki will still have to go with Ichiban for best tasting. The meat is also slightly tougher than I've had in other Japanese restaurants. It is still very good and I will certainly order it again. The sushi was of extremely high caliber. It was lukewarm rice with some of the freshest slices I have had. You may be willing to pay $2.25+ for this but I don't like to pay more than $2 for my sushi. I was also able to order a large Asahi! Service was OK. No complaints but nothing special. Dinner was served in a timely manner and our table was periodically cleaned up as plates were finished.

    (4)

  • Heaven C.

    Great noodle

    (4)

  • Emmanuel C.

    Went here for dinner after reading the reviews on here. The place is small, went we got here the place was full and there was a small table that opened up. The service was good, the food was good a definite stand out was the yellow-tail very fresh and good even ordered seconds :) The edamame pretty standard, also got the teriyaki chicken which was interesting the chicken came w/ teriyaki sauce but it wasn't completely covered.... The chicken had a weird after taste I couldn't figure out, but with the sauce it was good. Over all good experience.

    (4)

  • Remy O.

    I was in town with some very close friends and going off what I read on Yelp, we made a B-line to Nippon as soon as I got into town!!! I have to agree with Sausage Freak as to the quality/price ratio. It was a tad less than I am used to paying at Fatsumos in Golfport, but they add o few extra premium ingredients I didn't find here. There were several japanese locals, which is always a good sign and the host was courteous and still seated us, even though we were 40 minutes late on our reservation. After a few toasts celebrating the end of their class finals we cheered to "Good Time!!!" We decided to get a big assortment of sushi. It was late and this was our first visit, so we stayed with the specialty rolls. yes its not real sushi, but when done right it is tasteful, balanced and everyone can enjoy no matter what their palate. This was a great evening with some of my coolest friends. The food and drink were good but again it was my friends that made the night. Good Times!!!

    (4)

  • Katie F.

    Nippon's a small, comfy restaurant with a mom-and-pop sort of feel. When you walk in the door, you're greeted by what looks to be the "mom" of this establishment. It looks promising as you head to your table, as the place is half full of Japanese people (it must be authentic, right?). It's pretty good, but I've had better sushi in Houston. Perhaps we got the wrong thing? It seems that most of the menu echoes authentic Japanese cuisine pretty well. That's probably what you should get when you go to Nippon, and it's wise to forego the sushi. The sashimi was actually quite good, but it didn't stand out as better than some of the other places in town (Tomo, Kata Robata, Aka, Soma). The unagi was small and not put together well, and the shaggy dog roll, recommended by the server, was drenched in spicy mayo, which was not indicated on the menu. Oh yeah - and if you get the crab puff appetizer, be prepared to eat a whole brick of cream cheese. If that's your thing, cool, but it's just really intense. Next time I"ll try the udon and the fish collar, and hopefully the more authentic non-sushi options will help Nippon live up to its good reputation.

    (3)

  • Beth W.

    This is my favoritest sushi place in Houston! Service is usually fabulous. The sushi is fresh. It is reasonably priced. The sake is good. The atmosphere is laid back. It is just an all around fabulous restaurant. And if you like it, they even have some of those tiny little fried fish with the heads and tail still on.

    (5)

  • Xiaoting X.

    Family owned Japanese restaurant. Very authentic.

    (4)

  • Andrew J.

    I am a huge fan of Japanese cuisine - with sushi the pinnacle of my dining experiences. I moved to Houston a couple years ago and spent a long time searching for a half-decent sushi bar. Friend after friend took me to a new place every month. Sometimes I tried two a week. Its impossible for me to list the names of every restaurant I dined in on my quest, but not one was as good as Nippon. I knew I was in good shape when the sushi chefs spoke Japanese and hardly any English. Not only that but they are very nice and are willing to take sole responsibility of choosing your meal should you feel adventurous. The fish is fresh and tasty. The staff are caring and responsive. And I'm glad that I finally found a sushi restaurant worth visiting twice in Houston. This is by far the best sushi in Space City.

    (5)

  • Gina M.

    The reason the parking is so limited is because this joint is always packed with happy regulars! The sushi is fresh and always amazing. Down with non-authentic sushi you can try at any other faux/fusion place in town! The ambience is cozy and welcoming in this family run establishment and the staff is very helpful in assisting you or answering any questions. The worst part about Nippon is that your eyes get too big for your stomach! Prices are definitely reasonable, we've actually tried to see if we can spend more than $75 (with drinks) on a meal for two and its never happened. You can't say that about most sushi joints in town. We've tried almost every type of roll and sampled items on both the regular and Japanese menu and have been satisfied every time. I also love the fact that the sushi chef personally yells out "Thank you" to every client as they exit. Favorite roll: Naoki This place gets our business anytime we get that need for authenic, decently priced sushi.

    (5)

  • Melissa L.

    My sister-in-law who is from Japan recommended this place. My husband and I are often the only non-Japanese people in the whole place when we go. If you are looking for a trendy place like RA... don't come here. The place is very low key and NOT a see-and-be-scene place. My husband and I tried Oishii after reading rave reviews and it was NASTY. Terrible. We tried Sushi King and it was decent. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING compares to Nippon. Get the Crazy, Naoki and Cajun rolls. SOOOOOOO good. Everyone we have taken there says it's the best sushi they've ever had hands down. My sister-in-law eats from the traditional Japanese dinner menu and loves it, but I've never had it. The only cons I can think of is parking (you've got to be good in tight places or park across the street) and lack of a wine list. As in, if you want a red wine- your only choice is Kendall Jackson Merlot.

    (5)

  • Sausage Freak F.

    Decent Sushi, and other pretty good japanese food, what else can you ask for. The sushi is good quality and I haven't found a better quality/price ratio in Houston so far (keep in mind my exposure is still somewhat limited). I am not a big roll fan, so I won't comment on their roll quality. Beside the Sushi, we found their other food to be very good also. Not the Teriyaki chicken/salmon/whatever, but the stuff you find on the last page of the menu, like their rice bowls, or noodle soups. If you want to splurge, order one of their special hot pots, that they advertise on the tables. They are really good as well.

    (4)

  • Brigitte Z.

    So...I've been on yelp for like over a year and haven't managed to muster up the energy to write a review. I go out all the time and there are tons of places I could write about..but, eh. Well, after last night's experience, I can be a silent yelper no longer. I love sushi. I wish I could afford to eat it more often, but I can't. So... when I do get to go out for the awesomeness, I really want it to not suck. I've had several people mention Nippon to me over the years. Mostly, I've heard that it's the perfect inexpensive lunch spot with their bento box. Since I work downtown, I don't get to venture into Montrose much to eat during the lunch hour. Anyway - a friend of mine(guess which one!) and I decided to try Nippon out. I tried really hard to have no expectations of the experience and I was rewarded thusly. The service was friendly, attentive, and efficient. And I noticed by the smiling faces and gushing compliments from surrounding patrons that they too were impressed with their service. On to the sushi...wow. I have had my share of sushi both in Houston and random cities throughout the US and I have to say this has to be some of my favorite. The Naoki roll has the right amount of crunchies to spiciness and the texture and flavor of the tuna was so clean and fresh. Every piece was a mish-mash of sweet and savory in my oh-so-happy mouth. The dragon and catepillar rolls were not only unbelievably tasty - but equally as adorable to look at. The salmon literally melts in your mouth. The ratio of fish to rice to spicy mayo was near perfection. Oh! And the veggie tempura was also equally as yum. It's pretty tough to tempura fry a piece of broccoli and have it not turn out like fried mush - but they managed to keep the integrity of the veggie and still get a nice crunch on the tempura. Needless to say - I'm a happy sushi consumer. Yea - the parking lot is small - but if you get there at 7-730 it's not really an issue. And if you ever spent some time over at the Prolo (RIP) you should already be prepared to park in the adjoining neighborhood and walk a block or two. I know we don't like to do that walking thing around these parts - but it's worth it for some mighty fine sushi.

    (5)

  • Cali H.

    I want to like this place, but I can't. The toro was not the best I had. They didn't have the option of otoro or chuoro. The wait for our appetizer took awhile... How do I know? It came out with our entree. This place is authentic. I give it that, but it doesn't mean it's good. The ramen wasn't great. It was average, but the noodles was under-cooked. Fish was fresh... Hotate gai butter yaki was good, but not as good as what I had in Dallas. The ratings of this restaurant is deceiving.

    (2)

  • Aimee Z.

    Yes, I am a little slow with my posts. I, along with 3 high school classmates (Rebecca, Al and Brandon) and their spouses, ate here for dinner back the end of July. We had a great time... there is a reason why this little group still keeps in touch even though we graduated from high school 16 years ago. It's because we always have a blast when we get together. I'm sure the rest of the restaurant customers were glad when we left, cause I have to admit... we were a tad bit roudy. Some of the old stories about High School were just too crazy not to laugh out loud. DANG! Look at those Pepperonis :-) Oops, sorry. Flashback. I ordered an order of the Gyoza for an appetizer and two side salads were ordered. Then an assortment of sushi rolls and sashimi were ordered around the table except for one person who ordered the Teriyaki Salmon. Let me just tell you the reason I am only giving Nippon 3 stars, was because of the Salmon and the Salads. Now, don't get me wrong... it looked wonderful once it finally arrived. The rest of the table was just about done with our sushi by the time they finally brought her food. Two other people also ordered side salads that were also never delivered. Luckily, as we found out later.. the salads were their "backup plan" in case they didn't like sushi... and as it turned out... were not needed anyway. I loved the sushi here. As did the rest of the people at my table. We talked about it all the way home and the two "sushi quasi-virgins" (had only had it once before years ago) were already talking about when they could go eat sushi again. I hope they find sushi as good as this on their next trip. I don't get home to Houston very often, but when I do... I wanna go back here.

    (3)

  • Daniel T.

    We went here for sushi on a Saturday night with 5 friends. The sushi was good and we enjoyed all the specialty rolls. The mushroom miso soup is delicious. It's a very calm and quiet atmosphere that I would recommend more for a date than for a group of friends. Parking is pretty limited behind the restaurant.

    (4)

  • Kavan Y.

    I went with a friend to this spot. It is got the feel of some of the other Montrose restaurants. Small, not a lot of parking. I recommend going there in a super compact car if you want to park there.

    (5)

  • Meredith L.

    Freshest, best sushi in town. I would never go anywhere else. Outside dining is the best, but the inside is nice, too. All of the rolls are ngiri are outstanding, and the Sake is pretty good. Go for the shaggy dog roll-you can thank me later. If you sit at the bar, ask the chef to make you something-his choice-and get ready to have your world rocked.

    (5)

  • Cynthia B.

    Decent food and a quaint, cozy environment. I've only been for lunch and their bento box is a good amount of food for a decent price ($7-$9). Their tonkatsu is average but my dad loves their beef teriyaki. It comes with a california roll, smoked salmon nigiri, and shrimp nigiri which is all so-so. I haven't had their raw sushi so I won't speak to that. The parking situation is sucky but you can always park on the street across Montrose and brave the crossing traffic. The service is sometimes slow but friendly (sometimes the only waiter is the owner!). I'll go back but just for old times sake (it's been in Houston for over 20 years!)

    (3)

  • Joseph P.

    Okey dokey. Here we go! My fiancee is the real sushi snob in this relationship (gold standard for her = Sasabune, Los Angeles, California), but as an adoring fan of hers, I have acquired, and indeed, now love sushi too, and not all that roll crap, either. Just the real deal. And I'm still learning, and having fun all the way. Based on one Saturday evening diner experience for two: Quick pros about Nippon: ambience, good sushi, reasonably priced, location Cons: slow and inaccurate service, good sushi not great sushi, noisy outdoor seating Got there at 8:45 pm Saturday night. Pretty busy. Took a table out front, outside. Kinda noisy, and the security lamp over my fiancee's head was bright, but overall the ambience was good. Server was sweet and tried hard, BUT messed up the order a bit (no uni, or toro, as originally ordered, though I was charged for this), and was pretty slow. Had some ankimo, my gal's favourite. Was the best I've tasted in Houston, though Sasabune really was better. The nigiri sushi arrived finally, but there was no soy sauce on the table, and I finally ran inside to find some. Had the aji tataki and aji with shiso leaf tempura initially. Overall, it was OK, perhaps even good, but -- and, no, I am NOT writing to flame Nippon and advertise my own personal favourite -- I have had better here in the Houston area. The nigiri sushi was good but not great. I would give this place a second shot. Maybe they were understaffed. Perhaps it was a bad evening. I want to like it, in any case. My personal favourite as of now is Masa's in the Panther Creek area of the Woodlands. Just as authentic and better. Masa does a better job with his aji -- more fish, less green onion, better presentation, and better fry afterwards -- and his nigiri tastes much better. Weird, being tucked back like that in the Woodlands, but I'm telling you, Masa's sushi really is the best I have tried around here (so far have been to Azuma, Oishii - a close second, Uni, Teppay - another close second, I think), and he is very personable and pleasant.

    (3)

  • joyce h.

    it's true! everything was fresh. I got the sushi combo - excellent platter. I could tell that even the wasabi was fresh.

    (4)

  • Derrick C.

    Surprisingly, it was the caterpillar roll and the tempura roll that stood out. Both of these were significantly more memorable than ones I've had elsewhere in the past. The Naoki roll is good too but a little overrated here.

    (4)

  • T D.

    Nippon is known as one of the more authentic Japanese restaurants in Houston, so those who prefer huge rolls that are stuffed w/ cheese and fried probably won't like this place too much. I really enjoyed their cold soba noodles and chopped scallop nigiri. The udon and chirashi were pretty good (but not great) as well. I'll definitely be back, but my favorite Japanese restaurant in town is still Sasaki.

    (4)

  • Ann H.

    nippon has the best katsudon (breaded pork cutlet with egg over rice) i've ever had in a restaurant and it's super cheap! if it's your first time there, definitely give it a try. other than that, they have a lot of options for more authentic japanese food (so you won't find any sushi rolls chock full of cream cheese or topped with mango or strawberries here). personally, i don't think their sushi rolls are very impressive, mainly because they are relatively small and just taste pretty plain. i'd also recommend the various ramen dishes they have. those are another cheap and filling option! the only thing i've had at nippon that i'd recommend against is their chicken terriyaki. it was very plain and dry, and almost twice the cost of a katsudon, which is much better and very filling. the nippon menu can be hard to navigate and the pricing seems to be all over the place. but if you stick with the page with the katsudon/oyakodon/ramen dishes, you should be fine.

    (4)

  • Cory O.

    Okay, so after getting myself a copy of the Fearless Critic, I took great offense to many of his reviews. I found myself getting angry that he'd kill some of my favorite places with his acidic tongue and then raise some very mediocre spots into the heavens in the next page. Very frustrating. In response, my hubby and I have decided to start checking out his top restaurants to see how much we differ in opinions. Since we were in the mood for sushi, we hit up the highest ranked sushi joint on his list: Nippon. The parking was awful. Atrocious. We almost got hit by the guy trying to get out of the tiny lot. And when we finally did get a spot, we had to park so close to the wall that my hubby got scraped up from all the branches that attacked him. Nevertheless, we walked into a cozy little place with an awkwardly placed table right in the front. I suppose it is there to force patrons to get seated by a hostess, but it just wasn't well placed. Luckily, that's where the complaints end. The food was prompt and fresh. The rolls were enormous and we didn't come near to finishing our plates. My tempura udon soup was phenomenal, though I scalded my tongue on my first sip. They skimped a little on the seafood, but the flavors were there. Though I enjoyed my experience there, I'm not sure I loved it enough to become a regular. There is plenty of other great sushi places in town where you don't have to fight for a parking spot and I left a little underwhelmed by the entire experience after hearing so much about how the Fearless Critic is always spot on.

    (4)

  • Christa L.

    Very quaint looking place with cute ambiance but they don't have much in the way of roll selection. I asked the server what rolls to get and their best rolls are two that both have spicy tuna. I do love spicy tuna but I was thinking a little variety would be nice. But they really are so different! One was the dragon roll with spicy tuna, cucumbers, avo and salmon and the other the name escapes me--has spicy tuna and avo covered in crispy tempura flakes. You cant miss these two rolls, theyre starred on the sushi menu. Those are the only two rolls worth ordering unless you like unagi which I dont. Perhaps I am uncultured but I was a little surprised by their rainbow roll. I was expecting a california roll under the fishes... there ended up being a fat block of rice. I realize they probably do not have california rolls in japan but a fat unnecessary carbacious block of rice? I can understand the standard nigiri lump of rice under the sashimi, but the block of rice was the size of a roll which, I decided, was just for aesthetics. This is why I am convinced that soups must be their specialty. Even though I should have asked the server what soup to get, were really happy with the beef udon we ordered. The broth was really flavorful. While that is really impo, thats all it was--broth, beef and noodles. Shouldnt there be something else? fish cake? veggies, if at least for garnish? Even with that, I would def be willing to get another soup dish there cause I heard people slurping all over the restaurant. That tells me two things. A. Asian people eat here, meaning it must be authentic. B. Asian people slurp when the noodles are really good. Allowing me to deduce that the noodles are notoriously good here! Great service and cozy but I am not sure I would get anything that the server doesn't suggest.

    (3)

  • Katie S.

    Went here on Japanese New Year and it was packed but the staff was really attentive! Our sushi was amazing and the sake was hot and good. We had plum wine too. The gyoza is obviously made fresh on the spot and is awesome. We had the tiger eye roll, the Nayoki roll (house signature roll), a spicy tuna roll and pieces of shrimp, tuna and salmon. The fish was really fresh. The tuna was amazing. Next time I want to try their tuna tekka don so I can have a big pile of raw tuna, yum! Bad points were parking, and crowded restaurant but everything else was perfect. This is my favorite sushi in Houston and it is very affordable, not over-priced like the other more hip places.

    (4)

  • Keith D.

    Oh Nippon, how I love thee. It was a good friend who coaxed me to Nippon, oh so many years ago. She assured me that I would LOVE sushi. Knowing that she knew me well, I relented. I let her order for me. In one moment, the texture, the salty, the sweet, kicked open a part of my brain that had been dormant for a lifetime! The eel, the salmon, the seaweed salad. Flavors unknown to me before this first.....enlightenment. Nippon showed me the way. An added bonus is that Zimm's is across the street. Winding down from a sushi high may require really good martinis and comfy furniture. Nippon oh Nippon, can I get my fish on. Nippon oh Nippon, sake to me baby. Nippon oh Nippon, the patio I drink on. Nippon oh Nippon, I love you to this day.

    (4)

  • Kymberlie M.

    I was really excited to check Nippon out, but for the most part, this place fell short of my expectations. We ordered the gyoza to start, and while it was pretty good, it was no where near as good as the ones I've had at either Zake or Kaneyama. It just didn't do a ton for me. The nigiri I ordered was alright, with the salmon being particularly yummy, but the shrimp and the tuna again didn't do a lot for me. Also, I found the prices to be on the high side, so I ended up paying more than I would have expected for sushi that didn't seem like anything special. The plum wine, though, that we had with dinner was quite tasty and didn't seem overly expensive to me at $4.00 a glass. The night we went was also pretty crowded, which may have contributed to the service that I thought was kind of mediocre: They never did remember to bring me the Coke I originally ordered and we had to get someone's attention to bring us soy dishes. When you throw in the mostly average sushi and gyoza with high prices and a restaurant with a really horrible parking lot (very tiny and hard to maneuver in), I have to say that I would pick a different restaurant over this one whenever I'm in the mood for some sushi.

    (3)

  • Vicky P.

    One of the most authentic Japanese restaurants in Houston mainly bc it is one of the few actually owned and run by Japanese people. The sushi is always fresh and delicious. They also have really good ramen which we lack in Houston. I haven't been to another place in Houston that when you order ramen they ask you which broth you want. They have miso, shoyu, and pork broth. The only issue I have is that they only seem to have 1-2 waiters for the whole restaurant so service can be slow and the food takes awhile.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Tue

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch, Dinner
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Nippon Japanese Restaurant

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