HOUReview
Included In
Getting to watch someone meditatively execute a craft—especially when the resulting work ends up as delicious food intended for you to eat—rarely happens. But that’s something you can experience every night by making a reservation for MF Sushi’s omakase. The Museum District restaurant routinely turns out one of the most stunning meals in the city. And even though it’s expensive (roughly $300 per person), lasts most of the night (about three hours), and you will only hear electronic pan flute muzak the entire time, the omakase at MF Sushi is totally worth playing endless phone tag with the hosts for a reservation.
You can, however, experience a more modest version of MF Sushi by checking out the a la carte menu by walking in most nights (or by making a reservation), with similar excellent selections of fish along with makimono rolls and cooked dishes. The paired down modern dining room, with its warm wood tables and booths, can feel casual or fancy, depending on whatever mood you happen to be in. But the real action (and the best service) happens at the sushi bar.
photo credit: Chelsea Thomas
photo credit: Chelsea Thomas
photo credit: Chelsea Thomas
photo credit: Chelsea Thomas
During the omakase, watching the chef rock back and forth as he hypnotically knifes long, thin slices of fish and shaping each piece together with small balls of warm sushi with laser technical and artistic proficiency, feels like performance art we can actually understand. Cue eyes rolling back into heads as every other guest at the sushi bar eagerly pops nigiri into their mouths, like some kind of synchronized swimming (eating?) routine.
MF Sushi’s omakase goes down as one of Houston’s most stellar dining experiences, one because it’s usually over 20-courses long. And while you must physically call the restaurant to book a seat for a specific time—our condolences, phone anxiety sufferers—showing up to the restaurant at the same time as other omakase diners feels like some kind of restaurant power move. We encourage you to feel special, indulge for date night, and ring up the folks at MF.
Food Rundown
Omakase
Courses during the omakase range from the pleasantly gummy seaweed and raw quail egg salad opener to creamy and rich bites of bluefin tuna collar nigiri to freshly made bites of sweet and savory tamago. We can’t stop thinking about the mint-basil-citrus explosion of the shima aji nigiri dressed with shiso oil or the umami sweetness of akamutsu. While parts of the tasting menu stay static, nigiri ranges on what’s available, and perhaps on what day you go. On weekends expect to take down around 27 courses compared to 23 on a weekday, which is, frankly, still a sh-tload of food.
A La Carte Menu
Like many other sushi-focused Japanese restaurants, the full a la carte menu at MF Sushi focuses on a long list of nigiri—options from the “signature nigiri” section often appear on the omakase, so start here for sushi—as well as makimono rolls, small plates like baked lobster tempura or pan seared tuna tataki, to grilled fish heads and whole squid with sticky tare sauce. Dessert isn’t as inspired as the rest of the menu, so finish with a glass of sake or a piece of tamago (when available).
