The story
At Aya Sushi in Bellaire, Texas, Chef Yoshi Katsuyama has built a restaurant around a direct connection to the source. Working with Yamaharu Seafood at Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, he brings fish straight from Japan to his tables. The result is a Japanese restaurant that feels both precise and welcoming, with a menu that changes with what’s best that day.
The dining room is contemporary, and there’s a luxurious patio for outdoor seating. But the real draw is the food. For the full experience, book the Omakase—“I leave it up to you”—a seasonal 18-bite dinner available daily by reservation. It features items from both the kitchen and the chef’s fresh selection of fish. There is also a 12-bite Aya Tasting Menu, offering a curated tour of the restaurant’s best dishes for $95 per person. The commitment to quality has earned Aya Sushi a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, a recognition that reflects its thoughtful beverage program.
Aya Sushi boasts one of America’s largest sake lists, alongside an extensive wine selection and inventive cocktails. The bar menu includes creations like the Hanami, a milk-clarified cocktail with tequila, mezcal, strawberry, and hibiscus, or the Gin-Maicha Collins, which infuses genmai-cha into a gin highball. For those who want to explore, a sake flight is available, and Whisky Wednesday features Japanese whiskies from Mars, Nikka, and Suntory.
The a la carte menu covers a wide range of Japanese cuisine. Lunch specials, available Friday and Saturday, include a Chirashi bowl with assorted sashimi over sushi rice, and a Premium Chef’s Choice Nigiri. Classic maki rolls range from the Spider (softshell crab) to the Spicy Maguro. Heartier options include udon with chicken and mushroom, donburi bowls, and katsu. The kitchen sources its fish directly, so the daily selections—whether for sashimi or nigiri—are a direct reflection of what arrived from Toyosu Market that morning.
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