We recently visited Izakaya Wa which is an authentic Japanese restaurant which has a location in the memorial area of Houston, TX. After we received a message on our contact page about Izakaya Wa we just had go check it out so we made the trip. The person that left the message said that this place can be missed so we kept our eyes open when we got close to the location. There isn’t a huge glowing sign. In fact it looks like an upscale home and the sign is a banner.
Luckily when we arrive there was one table available outside. The hostess shows us to our table and points out the QR code to look up the menu. After speaking with our waiter for some suggestions we ended up ordering some starters such as Ora king Salmon and the flounder, also known as Hirame Nigriri.
Both were fresh and lite in flavor. To mix up our pallet, we ordered some Gyu Kushiyaki 3oz beef tenderloin and Yakitori Nagima chicken thigh.
These skewers were very tender and well seasoned. In between the pieces of meat were these Negi. Negi is one of the kyo-yasai — traditional Japanese heirloom vegetables dating back to the Edo period in seventeenth century Kyoto. This onion is technically a scallion, but they can be large enough to resemble leeks.
Another recommendation was Nasu Torimisu which is flash fried eggplant with sweet miso with grounded chicken. This paired with the skewers was a great combination.
My son’s dish came in hot and steamy. He ordered the Gomoku udon – beef, shrimp, tempura.
He was in heaven and was somewhat reluctant to share. I did try the broth and noodles and wow! The broth was salty in the best possible way. The noodles were super soft and thick. I’m pretty sure it could cure the common cold.
Now the best part of the meal, THE SUSHI!! This is where the skilled sushi chef shined! We picked two different hand rolled sushi dishes. We picked memorial roll and the cowboy roll.
Honestly I couldn’t tell you which is a favorite. I literally enjoyed both equally. My son and husband loved the cowboy rolls a little bit more than the memorial roll. Mainly it was because the Cowboy roll had seared beef on top which made it super different. It was something I’ve never had and will never forget the experience.
The memorial roll was fresh and perfectly rolled in their top quality seaweed. You can choose tuna or salmon. We went with salmon and it was amazing! The Memorial roll is a very traditional kind of roll but the freshness and quality was grand. Notice below the second order of both the Memorial Roll and the Cowboy Roll. We just had to have another serving.
Overall the vibe of Izakaya Wa outside patio was super laid back and spacious. Inside the establishment was nice however patrons are somewhat packed inside in the AC.
My husband said and I quote “I have never been so happy about spending $180 for a Japanese meal but that was TOTALLY WORTH IT!!” I am already looking forward to going back for Mothers day, Fathers day, Monday, Friday or any day we can make a reason to revisit Izakaya Wa for another round of great food.