Ebisu Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Austin

Update 8/2022 - average food, bad dining environment, bad dining experience

It is with some apprehension that I downgrade this restaurant rating from 5 stars. Over the past year, every aspect of the restaurant degraded.

The sushi bar. What used to be an engaging culinary experience, is now full of disorganized clutter. Take out boxes and cases of cling wrap line the top of glass sashimi case. The shelves in the back are even bigger mess.

Sushi chefs disrespectfully chatting loudly amongst themselves rather than paying attention to their craft or to the clients in front of them.

The attention to service detail is lacking. Emptied water glass not refilled promptly. Wait staff missing for extended periods after I am seated. And all the dishes ordered come out at once, completely cluttering the small eating space and ruining the dining experience.

——————————— Review from 2020

A good start to a newly opened Japanese / Korean restaurant. This is my 5th visit since it opened and the quality of the food keeps getting better.

Decor is modern, spacious, and tastefully some. Service is good in but can use a bit more refinement, which am sure will come over time as the restaurant ramps up.

For the best experience, sit at the Sushi Bar and watch the chefs work their magic. Whether it is delicately preparing delicious cuts of sashimi, arranging sushi creations, or putting the final garnishes on cooked dishes, you really get a sense of culinary artistry at work.

Be sure to ask the sushi chef if there are any cool off-menu creations. I did just that on the last visit and was rewarded to some absolutely amazing assortment of sashimi.

Other dishes that I tried thus far: Tempura Udon - Ebisu’s rendition of this dish is pleasant but different from traditional Japanese Tempura Udon. The soup came with a generous assortment of vegetables. Tempura was tasty. Soup was slightly on the salty side for my preference.

Mixed Crudo is an assortment of sashimi sprinkled with tasty sauces. Presentation was very nice, fish was fresh.

Chirashi was very tasty and nicely presented. This is probably my favorite dish on menu.

Fried rice was so so. Lacking any notable flavor.

Beef Kalbi - although this is a Japanese restaurant, it does surprisingly serve arguably the best Korean BBQ ribs in town.

Sashimi Deluxe - this is a step up from the Sashimi sampler plate. Deluxe features better better cuts of sashimi that mets in your mouth.

Grilled Hamachi Kama -...

Before I talk about the food, let me first say I have watched this location for over a decade. It has a long and venerable history of excellent restaurants closing down, going years vacant before intensive remodeling and opening as something completely different. Every time I see the building empty, it makes me sad, and I have every wish that this new venture goes well.

Ebisu shows the results of a remodel, with an open sushi bar, a liquor bar, bright lights and flat screen TVs displaying American football. The interior feels very clean, with tall tables and chairs making for straight lines and edges above new dark tile, but lacking an intimate environment due to the hard edges and bright lights. The interior is a place to entertain and impress, but not a location for an intimate date.

Ebisu spares no expense in fresh ingredients, dishware, and presentation, and it shows. The menu pictures do not give credit to how the dishes look when they come out. I had a table by the kitchen and some of the dishes that came out can only be called art.

The appetizers I tried are modest in proportion, with superfluous garnish taking space from the actual dish. For example, the fried calamari looked like a pair of squid tripped and fell into a plate of fried rice sticks next to a bed of thinly shaved carrots and a spring of parsley, making sure to arrange themselves artfully on the way down. The kushi yaki(chicken skewers) came out as a pair of kabobs; glazed chicken cubes intermingled with peppers and onions... not exactly authentic, but well executed all the same. The cooked sushi roll was fine, but the sushi was hit or miss, with dishes requiring simplest preparation really excelling at allowing the fresh ingredients to shine. The tuna nigiri was amazing, but tamago(egg) and unagi(eel) were both overcooked. It would be difficult to recommend this place as it is due to inconsistent quality and higher prices with high competition within walking distance, but I see great potential in Ebisu as a high end destination to entertain...

It is difficult to convey just how wonderful the restaurant experience was. I walked inside and was immediately greeted kindly by the hostess. I personally prefer sitting at the sushi bar. Pretty much almost instantly my server introduced herself and asked what I'd like.

I asked for a recommendation of a above average Sake and she recommended "The Demon Slayer." I was already sold. As she was fetching my beverages, the Chef asks what I'd like, I chose a Combination C with Lobster Roll. Minutes later the Matrie'd asks if I have yet been served, but I respond my orders are in. I've personally never experienced that kind of instant service before.

I get my Sake, and it is in fact high quality. Then I get my Combo C lobster roll as pictured.

It is beautifully plated and elegant. As you can see, there is substantial fresh ingredients on every element. The lobster was beautifully fresh and cooked precisely right before being bathed in a delicious sauce.

The sushi itself utilized true fresh wasabi, not the faux wasabi many sushi restaurants try to get away with unless you ask. I'm sure if I asked I could have received more wasabi and ginger, but these were true sushi chefs. I felt like they plated it as it was meant to be experienced and a bit of soy sauce to taste is all that was needed.

I devoured and loved every element of my meal, and I say without a doubt this was the best sushi experience I had ever had. At the end of my meal, I even received a complimentary dessert, also pictured below. It capped off a perfect meal beautifully.

Perfect hosting by the staff, perfect culinary excellence in the sushi and quite a fine location to enjoy these things within.

I spoke with the manager about future events, and they are planning Sake tastings. I have no doubt I will become a regular here. If you have any interest in sushi, I cannot recommend this...