Izakaya-Wa

"Would like to give an honest review and I do not understand why this place is always voted so highly. On the positive note Service is great. They got us a table inside quickly even though mentioning a 40min wait time I would say that 2 stars is quite generous if I was only basing it on the food. Despite the great service…I am an avid foodie for authentic Japanese food and this place has more of a gentrified fusion atmosphere catering toward a more Americanized crowd. Hence the good service with mediocre food. Salmon sashimi was flavorless with a slight fishy taste indicating the quality isn’t the best. The texture was fine, but the mouthfeel was not buttery soft and melty like some other great sushi restaurants around Houston. All the non-fried skewers we ordered were extremely salty. Most of the fried skewers were also extremely soggy. The amaebi sashimi was satisfactory, but the fried head was slightly cold upon eating. The beef tongue’s flavor left a lot to be desired. Would need slightly more searing. When beef tongue is made well, the seared smokiness flavor should permeate the meat while maintaining tenderness. There are definitely better authentic Japanese restaurants around Houston with a cheaper price tag. I will not be coming back."

"Great ambiance. Family environment. Our waitress Noriko was such a lovely person. The Ika Ring was so so. A bit flavorless. Overall - a great experience."

"I came here for lunch one day last month. Food was fantastic. There were a lot of customers. The restaurant is very small inside and it was very crowded. I felt a little claustrophobic."

"This is the first time that I have a roll called “spicy tuna / spicy salmon” that is actually spicy. I enjoyed them a lot. The food overall is great, the service is fast and courteous. Is a little bit packed during dinner time. It has parking lot for no extra fee."

"I've heard good things about this spot and finally got a chance to try it out for my birthday. We ordered the Memorial Roll which was good, a variety of sushi rolls were on point, but the WA Chirashi was not quite up to par. The rice seemed like it wasn't fresh and the sashimi was a bit chewy on some portions and didn't melt in my mouth like other sashimi I've had at other restaurants. It was a little disappointing as the WA Chirashi was supposed to be the star of the meal as recommended by my family. I love sushi, but for the prices they charge, I can get better quality and better taste elsewhere. I was hoping for better!"