Kubo's Sushi Bar & Grill in Houston Named One of Eight Great Sushi Restaurants in America.

HOUSTON -- Kubo's Sushi Bar & Grill recently was named "One of eight great sushi restaurants in the United States" by John Mariani, renowned food and wine authority and author. As reported in Delta Sky, Mariani recommended one Japanese restaurant from each of the nation's eight largest cities. Kubo's was his choice for Houston out of over 60 Japanese restaurants in the city.

"We are delighted with this honor and attribute the success of Kubo's to our commitment to traditional Japanese techniques and an insistence on food freshness and quality," said Kubo's owner and former Japanese oil company executive Yoichi "Yogi" Ueno. "We pick up our fish when it arrives in Houston, even if that means going to the airport at midnight," he said.

Kubo's is Japanese-owned and operated. The near religious devotion to freshness and quality is part of the Japanese culture that Kubo's embraces and even advances. The restaurant has received consistently exceptional reviews and honors including "Best Sushi Bar" Houston Press 2002, since opening in June 2001.

The Sushi Masters behind the scene are Executive Chef Manabu Horiuchi and Sous Chef Yu Suzuki. Chefs "Hori" and Suzuki were both formally trained in Japan's finest restaurants, with Chef Hori receiving his licensing from the prestigious Tsuju Culinary Institute in Osaka, Japan. Chef Hori came to Houston from Japan in 1999 as chef to the Consulate General of Japan before joining Kubo's in 2001 as sous chef to then Executive Chef Hajime Kubokowa, the restaurant's namesake. Chefs Hori and Suzuki are under the age of 30 yet their combined artistry, experience and Japanese culinary skill is unmatched in Houston.

Undaunted by the popular East meets West "fusion" food trend, Ueno is one of only a few Houston Japanese restaurateurs offering traditional nigiri-sushi (hand-formed sushi rice with a precision-sliced raw fish filet atop) and hot Japanese cuisine reminiscent of his native Japan.

Kubo's serves over 30 types of sushi and rolls made with uncommon varieties of maguro (tuna), sake (salmon), uni (sea urchin), unagi (eel), and other seafood and vegetables. Additionally, Chef Hori has created fifteen signature dishes to adorn the Kubo's hot and cold menu offerings including:

--Yakitori, an appetizer made of grilled and skewered natural chicken with a homemade teriyaki sauce for $5;

--Kubo's Yakiniku Beef, Certified Angus beef rib eye with Kubo's sweet garlic sauce, $11;

--Kubo's Miso-Bouillabaisse, crab claws, shrimp, scallops and clams in a miso-bouillabaisse style broth at $11;

--Salmon Hooba-yaki, sashimi-grade salmon, shitake mushrooms and asparagus served with sweet miso and hooba leaf prepared tableside for $16; and

--Chirashi, ten types of sashimi in three layered bowls over sushi rice, priced at $23.

The monthly special, an ingredient such as salmon, tuna, soft shell crab, or tofu, has been unique to Kubo's since the restaurant opened. Chef Hori's talent is showcased by his creation of four to five distinctive entrees monthly using the featured protein. Patron favorites are added to the menu.

Sake is gaining popularity in the United States and at Kubo's there are over 20 varieties of premium sake. Periodic sake tastings with food pairings are part of Ueno's passion to educate Houstonians about the nuances of authentic Japanese cuisine. "I opened the restaurant to introduce Japanese food to the people of Houston," said Ueno. "Asian food is traditionally a healthy and less fatty cuisine and I wanted to offer it at Kubo's for a reasonable price." Diners also may learn about Japanese cuisine and culture with the traditional Kaiseki, a multi-course Japanese dinner available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Upscale yet non-pretentious, Kubo's is located in the Rice Village Arcade, 2414 University Blvd., Suite 200 at Morningside St. The telephone number is 713-528-7878. For additional details, visit the Web site at www.kubos-sushi.com.