Houston's Hidden Gem Izakaya: Zen Japanese Izakaya

📍 2015 S Shepherd Dr 700, Houston, TX 77019 💰$$ (Moderate Price Range) 🌟 Izakaya | Ambiance | Date Spot This is such a hidden gem of an izakaya in Houston! It’s even more delicious than I expected—great quality food and amazing value for money. Highly recommended!🌸🌸 Takoyaki (Octopus Balls) 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Crispy on the outside, super soft inside, with generous chunks of octopus. The seasoning is perfect—overall absolutely delicious!🌈 Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) 🌟🌟 Crispy outside and tender inside, but slightly over-salted.👣👣 Katsu Don (Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl) 🌟🌟🌟 Rice bowl topped with pork katsu, onion, dashi, egg, and green onion. The rice soaks up all the savory broth, while the pork cutlet stays crispy and the meat remains tender. Definitely worth a try!💕💕 Unagi Hitsumabushi (Nagoya-Style Eel Rice, 3 Ways) 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Unagi Hitsumabushi is a specialty eel dish from Nagoya, Japan. The eel is served in generous portions—tender, flavorful, and coated in a rich sauce that’s not greasy. It comes with chopped green onions, wasabi, shredded nori, and hot dashi broth. All three ways of eating it offer unique flavors, and it’s a relatively rare dish to find in Houston. A must-try!🍜🍜 Yuzu Cheese Cake 🌟🌟🌟🌟 & Matcha Chestnut Cake 🌟🌟🌟 The yuzu cheese cake is refreshing, with a strong, distinct yuzu aroma. The matcha chestnut cake is slightly sweeter— the chestnut puree is fragrant, and there’s hidden red bean inside. However, the matcha flavor isn’t very strong.🌿🌿 Sake Sampler 🌟🌟🌟 (Dewazakura Izumi Judan, Dewazakura Oka Ginjo, Tedorigawa Yamahai Daiginjo) These three sakes have distinct styles and layers of flavor, perfect for sake lovers to try them all! This spot is truly a hidden gem—not only is the food delicious and the ambiance great, but the price is really reasonable for the quality of the food. It’s perfect for a friends’ get-together or a casual date with a drink. Highly recommended!🐏🐏 #IzakayaFood #JapaneseCuisine #JapaneseFood #HiddenGemFood #Houston #HoustonEats #HoustonRestaurantHopping #HoustonFood