In the last five years alone, Houston has seen a surge in new sushi restaurants, and with that uptick comes a slew of places to enjoy temaki, or hand rolls. The cone- or log-shaped handhelds are wrapped in nori, or seaweed, and packed with traditional — and sometimes, non-traditional — fillings like rice, fish, cucumber, avocado, and eel sauce. Just like maki, presented as cut pieces of sushi, there are countless variations of temaki to discover.
From full-service Japanese restaurants to intimate counters with dedicated hand roll menus, here are the top spots to get your mitts on hand rolls in Houston.
Oishii
This Greenway Plaza-area sushi restaurant has a large menu, including an entire section dedicated to hand rolls. Find traditional rolls like spicy tuna ($3), yellowtail ($4), and eel ($4), alongside more adventurous varieties like baked crawfish ($4) and the Cajun handroll ($4) with fried oyster and avocado. 3764 Richmond Ave., Houston, oishiihouston.com
Hando
This dedicated hand roll bar with locations in Spring Branch and the Heights has a hefty menu, with options ranging from toro ($9), unagi ($7), and blue crab ($7) to vegetarian varieties like mushroom ($6) and braised daikon ($5). Order a la carte and choose your own adventure, or go for a 3- ($19), 4- ($25), and 5-piece ($29) “Handokase” sets that include a mix of different hand rolls. Multiple locations, handohtx.com
Izakaya Wa
This vibey Japanese restaurant, with locations in River Oaks and Memorial, has a robust menu of sushi, sashimi, rice and noodle plates, grilled skewers, and maki that can be had as cut pieces or a hand roll. Try the indulgent skydiver roll, which combines soft shell crab, eel, and eel sauce; or the cowboy roll with seared beef, cucumber, and avocado. Multiple locations, izakayawa.com
Azumi
This sceney sushi restaurant in River Oaks District takes a modern approach to Japanese cuisine, and boasts a number of hand rolls on its a la carte menu that can also be enjoyed as cut pieces. Try the spicy tuna ($12) with pickled cucumber; the dynamite roll with toasted king crab ($14); or the crunchy toro ($15) with yuzu kosho. Hand rolls have also been known to appear among the courses of Azumi’s popular tasting menu. 4444 Westheimer Rd. Ste. G130, Houston, azumirestaurant.com/houston
Norigami
From the team behind Michelin Recommended Hidden Omakase, Norigami grew from a bi-monthly hand roll pop-up to a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Located in a retail strip at the Shops at Upper Kirby, the intimate restaurant has a U-shaped counter and can seat no more than 24 guests at a time. Non-traditional hand rolls like the coconut shrimp with curry lime sauce, A5 wagyu with pickled onions and fried shallots, and foie gras with sour cherries and balsamic are worth trying. Round out a meal with one of many crudos and meat skewers. 2715 Bissonnet St. Ste. 160, Houston, norigamihtx.com
Koi
Koi has no shortage of ways to satisfy hand roll cravings, with options like fatty bluefin tuna ($9); shrimp tempura ($7); and uni ($18), featuring sea urchin from Santa Barbara. But, the best way to taste your way through the menu is splurge on the hand roll tasting menu ($66), which showcases some of the most indulgent meat and seafood rolls. 240 Westheimer Rd., Houston, koihouston.com
Handies Douzo
Veteran suchi chefs Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee have swiftly made a name for themselves with their budding restaurant group, Duckstache Hospitality. Within their fast-growing portfolio of restaurants is Handies Douzo, a concept that spotlights chef-driven hand rolls with locations in the Heights and Montrose. Hand rolls are offered a la carte, or in multiples like the 4 hand roll set ($23), which combines negitoro, avocado, spicy tuna, and Big Glory Bay salmon rolls. Multiple locations, handiesdouzo.com
Kokoro
As a follow up to their sushi counter inside Bravery Chef Hall in Downtown, and two outposts in Dubai, chefs Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee of Duckstache Hospitality recently debuted Kokoro Hand Roll Bar at Waterway Square in the Woodlands. Guests will find Kokoro’s usual menu of nigiri, crudo, and sashimi handrolls, but the Woodlands location is the only Duckstache concept with a full bar, serving up beer, wine, sake, and cocktails. 24 Waterway Ave., Unit 110, The Woodlands, kokorohandrollbar.xyz
Nori Nori
This Asiatown restaurant features all of the sushi house staples, from edamame and scallop crudo to sushi sets of all types. Go for the 5 Banger ($45) and enjoy a spread of hand rolls, including spicy bluefin tuna, spicy scallops, shrimp tempura, toro, and hamachi. 9938 Bellaire Blvd. Ste. G, Houston, norinorihtx.com
Kira
Tucked inside the Shops at Arrive development in River Oaks, this 15-seat hand roll restaurant pays homage to the spirit of Japan’s listening bars by combining its menu of hand rolls and sashimi with a curated vinyl experience. Guests can bask in the sounds of Japanese citypop, funk, and American hip-hop, while enjoying dishes like the ocean trout temaki, a hand roll with the flavor profiles of a classic New York city bagel with lox. 2800 Kirby Dr. B128, Houston, kirahtx.com
Nobu
At Nobu, guests can make the choice to enjoy their sushi as a hand roll, in lieu of cut pieces. Find plenty of options, including spicy scallop, shrimp tempura, salmon and avocado, toro and scallion, and baked snow crab. Double down on the handhelds and try one of Nobu’s mini tacos, featuring fillings like lobster, crispy fish, and caviar. 5115 Westheimer Rd. Ste. C-3515, Houston, noburestaurants.com/houston/home
