If I could give this restaurant 10 stars I would! Everything was exceptional , my wife and I both left the restaurant looking at each other with the same looks on our face in agreement that what we just experienced was what might have been the best dining experience you never know was possible. We've eaten at the best restaurants around the globe, this one might have just been the best. From the obvious food which left me quite honestly speechless. Each dish was the better than the next. Chef Billy was the most entertaining person I have met in the culinary world. His engagement with us diners during each dish along with Sasha's custom made drinks made this dining experience one we will be back to enjoy with our friends and family.
Ryan Friesenhahn
One of the very best Omakasa experiences we have ever had. My wife and I went for our anniversary but as twist we brought our young daughters so they could experience what we love. The staff and chef were amazing and so accommodating! The quality of the food and ingredients alone was worth the experience, however the staff put this place over the top!This will be a frequent place we visit when we come to Houston!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Sashimi, Wagyu Beef, Otoro, Uni Pasta
Rachel Rucker
Amazing food.Amazing experience.Incredible omikase.If you enjoy learning about the food you are eating and also interacting with Chef, this is the place to go. My husband and I reserved the 6 pm slot for our anniversary—hands down one of the best food experiences we’ve had, internationally. We will be back.Thank you, Chef and Team, for such a welcoming, fun, and delectable experience.Dietary restrictions: Chef and Team ask for dietary restrictions prior to omikase experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yvonne W.
The food is so elegant and delicious, love the vibes. The chef and the team are very knowledgeable and shared funny stories and good conversation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Caviar, Otoro, Uni Pasta, Octopus Carpaccio
Adam S.
Just excellent. Absolutely brilliant food, and great service. Every course was delightful and the experience was entertaining, informative, and fun. The chef and his staff elevated the incredible tasting menu into my one if favorite dining memories. I'm no expert but I've been lucky to experience some incredible food in my life. This was a step above. Absolutely worth it.
Quang B.
I won't spoil the experience. Great staff and wonderful place for dinner or dates. We use to come here once a week before having our newborn. Great friends and I will always recommend this establishment for their fresh delicious food, impeccable presentation by Chef Billy, and wonderful ambiance with amazing service. My wife and friends have gone so much back in the day that our photos with them are around the restaurant. Love this place! Definitely check them out at least once.
Tru T.
4.5 stars: Great atmosphere and a fantastic bartender providing excellent drink service. Overall, the team performed well, explaining the food preparation process. The interaction with the chef was good. However, the 14-course meal felt abundant, but a slight deduction of 0.5-1 star was made due to a lack of variety in fish dishes. With only 3 fish courses, more variety was expected. I would've loved to see what the team could come up with one more variety of dishes are available. The courses mainly consisted of octopus/squid (2 dishes), scallops (2 dishes), 1 crab, and 2 shrimp dishes. The use of small piece of A5 wagyu, plus caviar and foie gras to elevate prices was evident. Better sauces for the plates were desired, it lacked the wow factor we were looking for.
JW W.
Amazing sashimi and a wide variety of dishes! Intimate setting with 14 max seats. The staff was so friendly and enthusiastic! The mocktail I had was outstanding. The chef Billy Kin is so passionate about his creations and bonus - he is so entertaining! It's such a unique experience; I highly recommend!
D'Andra Isabel
My friend brought me here to celebrate my birthday and it didn’t disappoint. What a great omakase experience. The chef and his support team were friendly, accommodating, and efficient. We enjoyed the humor and jokes as well as the participation of other guest in the experience. I believe I counted 14 dishes and none of them disappointed. I enjoyed each of them equally. I must say the otoro does stand out but all equally fresh and prepared perfectly. The birthday sparkler added to the dessert for those celebrating a birthday was a nice gesture at the end. I’m looking forward to my next visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sea Bream Sperm, Otoro, Uni Pasta, Octopus Carpaccio
Nicholas W.
Pretty tasty, very fun. All the wooden furniture and decorations in the restaurant were made by Chef Billy and there is a lil theme that was fun to find out about! The food was really well presented and the pace out everything really nice. We just happened to get placed directly infront of Chef Billy which was really nice and I got to watch all the sushi getting made directly infront of me! The bartender Sasha was also really nice and made me some custom sour mocktails that I wish I had the recipes for, him and the other staff kept my drinks topped up throughout the night which I requested. Food itself was tasty, lots of fatty tuna which isn't normally my favorite but the one in the mustard leaf is now my favorite way to eat it! I'm happy that the dishes inbetween the sushi has some crazy twist and things I haven't seen before. I love soba and the tuna soba was great and I've never seen a WHOLE shrimp fried! Also the sushi sizes chef gave were very well endowed. Would come again
Excellent meal and a very fair price for Omakase. No upcharges for high end stuff like toro, A5, or caviar. Not traditional by any means, but still a wonderful experience. Will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Piotr Pietrzak
The best foodie experience of my
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jarrod Stafford
The whole experience was amazing! Chef is a true performer and his team does a great job supporting him with their performance. Food was excellent and the cocktails were fantastic. Real value compared to other omakase
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Tam
I’ve been to many omakase spots in Houston, and I think this one has a unique charm that others lack.Chef Billy Kin really pulls out all the stops for this omakase experience. Every course featured a different treasure of the sea, welcoming adventurous eaters with monkfish liver, two types of sea urchin, and sweet shrimp.The service was delightful, I thought sasha and lawrence did a really good job with making us feel welcome. be prepared for jokes in the style of parks and rec / the office.The only improvements I might suggest are non food and service related: the woodworking equipment seems a little odd.I’ll definitely be back. Overall, this omakase is a bargain(in the realm of omakase, anyways)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cole Curry
After reading some positive chatter online, my fiancé and I booked dinner at 5Kinokawa for our anniversary. When we arrived we quickly realized we were the only two seated in the restaurant (odd since this place is always booked). We were shortly informed that there was an error with the booking system and technically this reservation had been cancelled because the chef was supposed to be out for a family event. Due to the error being on their end they opened the restaurant just for us. We were extremely lucky to receive a private dinner with Chef Billy and his staff. I firmly believe any other restaurant would have called us ahead and cancelled our reservation. Instead we received the best dinner experience we have ever had in Houston.Chef Billy has created an incredible 15-course tasting menu with complex flavors and immaculate presentation. The bartender Sacha whipped up delicious custom cocktails that paired perfectly with the meal. The server Lawrence never missed a beat as he helped chef keep the courses moving throughout the night. And throughout all of this service, they bantered with us and taught us all about the food we were eating. We were treated like family.If you get a chance, please do not miss one of the best dining experiences in Houston right now. We are eager to return with friends and see what more 5Kinokawa has to offer.
If I could give this restaurant 10 stars I would! Everything was exceptional , my wife and I both left the restaurant looking at each other with the same looks on our face in agreement that what we just experienced was what might have been the best dining experience you never know was possible. We've eaten at the best restaurants around the globe, this one might have just been the best. From the obvious food which left me quite honestly speechless. Each dish was the better than the next. Chef Billy was the most entertaining person I have met in the culinary world. His engagement with us diners during each dish along with Sasha's custom made drinks made this dining experience one we will be back to enjoy with our friends and family.
One of the very best Omakasa experiences we have ever had. My wife and I went for our anniversary but as twist we brought our young daughters so they could experience what we love. The staff and chef were amazing and so accommodating! The quality of the food and ingredients alone was worth the experience, however the staff put this place over the top!This will be a frequent place we visit when we come to Houston!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Sashimi, Wagyu Beef, Otoro, Uni Pasta
Amazing food.Amazing experience.Incredible omikase.If you enjoy learning about the food you are eating and also interacting with Chef, this is the place to go. My husband and I reserved the 6 pm slot for our anniversary—hands down one of the best food experiences we’ve had, internationally. We will be back.Thank you, Chef and Team, for such a welcoming, fun, and delectable experience.Dietary restrictions: Chef and Team ask for dietary restrictions prior to omikase experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food is so elegant and delicious, love the vibes. The chef and the team are very knowledgeable and shared funny stories and good conversation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Caviar, Otoro, Uni Pasta, Octopus Carpaccio
Just excellent. Absolutely brilliant food, and great service. Every course was delightful and the experience was entertaining, informative, and fun. The chef and his staff elevated the incredible tasting menu into my one if favorite dining memories. I'm no expert but I've been lucky to experience some incredible food in my life. This was a step above. Absolutely worth it.
I won't spoil the experience. Great staff and wonderful place for dinner or dates. We use to come here once a week before having our newborn. Great friends and I will always recommend this establishment for their fresh delicious food, impeccable presentation by Chef Billy, and wonderful ambiance with amazing service. My wife and friends have gone so much back in the day that our photos with them are around the restaurant. Love this place! Definitely check them out at least once.
4.5 stars: Great atmosphere and a fantastic bartender providing excellent drink service. Overall, the team performed well, explaining the food preparation process. The interaction with the chef was good. However, the 14-course meal felt abundant, but a slight deduction of 0.5-1 star was made due to a lack of variety in fish dishes. With only 3 fish courses, more variety was expected. I would've loved to see what the team could come up with one more variety of dishes are available. The courses mainly consisted of octopus/squid (2 dishes), scallops (2 dishes), 1 crab, and 2 shrimp dishes. The use of small piece of A5 wagyu, plus caviar and foie gras to elevate prices was evident. Better sauces for the plates were desired, it lacked the wow factor we were looking for.
Amazing sashimi and a wide variety of dishes! Intimate setting with 14 max seats. The staff was so friendly and enthusiastic! The mocktail I had was outstanding. The chef Billy Kin is so passionate about his creations and bonus - he is so entertaining! It's such a unique experience; I highly recommend!
My friend brought me here to celebrate my birthday and it didn’t disappoint. What a great omakase experience. The chef and his support team were friendly, accommodating, and efficient. We enjoyed the humor and jokes as well as the participation of other guest in the experience. I believe I counted 14 dishes and none of them disappointed. I enjoyed each of them equally. I must say the otoro does stand out but all equally fresh and prepared perfectly. The birthday sparkler added to the dessert for those celebrating a birthday was a nice gesture at the end. I’m looking forward to my next visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sea Bream Sperm, Otoro, Uni Pasta, Octopus Carpaccio
Pretty tasty, very fun. All the wooden furniture and decorations in the restaurant were made by Chef Billy and there is a lil theme that was fun to find out about! The food was really well presented and the pace out everything really nice. We just happened to get placed directly infront of Chef Billy which was really nice and I got to watch all the sushi getting made directly infront of me! The bartender Sasha was also really nice and made me some custom sour mocktails that I wish I had the recipes for, him and the other staff kept my drinks topped up throughout the night which I requested. Food itself was tasty, lots of fatty tuna which isn't normally my favorite but the one in the mustard leaf is now my favorite way to eat it! I'm happy that the dishes inbetween the sushi has some crazy twist and things I haven't seen before. I love soba and the tuna soba was great and I've never seen a WHOLE shrimp fried! Also the sushi sizes chef gave were very well endowed. Would come again
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent meal and a very fair price for Omakase. No upcharges for high end stuff like toro, A5, or caviar. Not traditional by any means, but still a wonderful experience. Will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best foodie experience of my
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The whole experience was amazing! Chef is a true performer and his team does a great job supporting him with their performance. Food was excellent and the cocktails were fantastic. Real value compared to other omakase
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve been to many omakase spots in Houston, and I think this one has a unique charm that others lack.Chef Billy Kin really pulls out all the stops for this omakase experience. Every course featured a different treasure of the sea, welcoming adventurous eaters with monkfish liver, two types of sea urchin, and sweet shrimp.The service was delightful, I thought sasha and lawrence did a really good job with making us feel welcome. be prepared for jokes in the style of parks and rec / the office.The only improvements I might suggest are non food and service related: the woodworking equipment seems a little odd.I’ll definitely be back. Overall, this omakase is a bargain(in the realm of omakase, anyways)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
After reading some positive chatter online, my fiancé and I booked dinner at 5Kinokawa for our anniversary. When we arrived we quickly realized we were the only two seated in the restaurant (odd since this place is always booked). We were shortly informed that there was an error with the booking system and technically this reservation had been cancelled because the chef was supposed to be out for a family event. Due to the error being on their end they opened the restaurant just for us. We were extremely lucky to receive a private dinner with Chef Billy and his staff. I firmly believe any other restaurant would have called us ahead and cancelled our reservation. Instead we received the best dinner experience we have ever had in Houston.Chef Billy has created an incredible 15-course tasting menu with complex flavors and immaculate presentation. The bartender Sacha whipped up delicious custom cocktails that paired perfectly with the meal. The server Lawrence never missed a beat as he helped chef keep the courses moving throughout the night. And throughout all of this service, they bantered with us and taught us all about the food we were eating. We were treated like family.If you get a chance, please do not miss one of the best dining experiences in Houston right now. We are eager to return with friends and see what more 5Kinokawa has to offer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5