Dining Guide

Kubo’s Sushi & Washoku

Kubo’s closed in the Rice Village a few years ago, but that loss is now a gain for the Heights, a neighborhood short on Japanese spots. Lofty ceilings in a modern, industrial-style space attract date-night couples to the sprawling sushi bar and dining room, with its roomy booths and tables. One of the original Kubo’s sushi chefs, Shimao Ishikawa, is on hand (best known from a previous tenure at Michelin-starred restaurant Jewel Bako, in New York). The sushi has been notably upgraded, the fish flown in from global suppliers. The washoku—literally “Japanese food”—part of the menu expands on the sushi options with such dishes as a mushroom mélange in addition to small hot plates such as moist roasted duck breast with a tempura-style dipping sauce. Wagyu beef appears in different grades. Our favorite was the four-ounce Texas wagyu ishiyaki, a hot-stone entrée, closely followed by grilled skewers of the tender meat.