Toshokan — Restaurant in Austin

Rating: 4.8/5

Toshokan is a speakeasy-style omakase spot hidden behind a bookshelf inside the Holey Moley Golf Club. Chef and owner Saine Wong designed the experience to be highly personal and intimate, with only two seatings per night and a maximum of six guests per seating. It's quite difficult to get a reservation, as they're snatched up quickly once released. We were super lucky that someone canceled their spot for the 8:30 PM seating the day after my husband's birthday. They start promptly, so plan to arrive early to allow time for parking.

Each guest receives a custom coaster with their name on it to help find their seat--such a thoughtful touch. They also do an icebreaker so everyone, including the staff, can get to know one another a bit more. Before dining begins, you get to choose your own chopsticks and chopstick rest, which adds to the fun and personalized feel.

Chef Saine is joined by two team members: one handles the drinks, and the other assists with food prep. The service is impeccable--after each course, they even wipe your plate clean if you spill soy sauce. We opted to split the sake/cocktail pairing ($115), and the bar manager (I believe her name was Maddie) kindly split each drink for us. Every cocktail was thoughtfully crafted to complement the sushi. I'm usually not a fan of sake, but the one they served was surprisingly good! They also offer individual drinks, so there's something for everyone.

There's a lot of conversation and interaction throughout the meal, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Toward the end, Chef Saine offered additional add-ons before serenading us with a few songs on the guitar. He sang happy birthday to my husband and happy anniversary to the couple next to us, which was such a sweet gesture. We even had a mini karaoke session before wrapping up around 11 PM. The 14-course omakase costs $170 per person, and I truly believe it's worth it for the unique, immersive experience.

Food Breakdown:

The blue fin bird's nest-looking starter was delicious--one of my favorites. I loved the contrasting textures.

I don't normally eat oysters, but I gave it a try. Can't say I loved it, but it wasn't bad.

The salmon was from New Zealand. It was good, though I've had better. This was a deconstructed nigiri, and you could really taste the house-made rice and soy sauce.

The tuna belly was solid, but nothing particularly unique.

I don't usually eat sea bream, but this one was excellent!

The hamachi was seasoned to taste like a spicy margarita and ended up being my favorite of the night.

I'm not a fan of amberjack's texture, so this one was just okay for me.

The spot prawn was good, but not as sweet as I expected.

The scallop was plated on a green sauce that I absolutely loved--I could've licked the plate clean.

I don't recall the exact market special, but I think it involved crab.

The wagyu was, as expected, amazing. Chef even showed the certification of authenticity.

The unagi was one of the best I've had.

The bone marrow was served on toast. It was good but didn't stand out.

The dessert was a rice-based ice cream that had subtle flavors and level of sweetness. It was just okay for me. I enjoyed the wasabi on top and think they should infuse it in...

TLDR recap: Toshokan is a must try in Austin, get a reservation, following toshokanatx on IG and there is paid street parking.

The meal, the atmosphere and the company were all absolutely phenomenal. You start your journey at Toshokan by entering a bookcase at the south side of native bar. Once inside you are greeted by the staff (a team of three) and you find your reserved spot along a high top chef station that intentionally only seats six. The inside transported me to Omoide-Yokochō in Tokyo (I hope this is the intention) the food friendly alley featuring a multitude of small stalls and restaurants; I completely forgot I was in an old hostel in downtown Austin. Chef Saine Wong gave an introduction, talked about the nights menu and reminded everyone to eat drink and be merry (paraphrased from his actual welcome speech but you get the point) and then the excitement started. You are treated to a 14-course hand crafted omakase sushi experience which features ingredients from Chef Saines travels around the world ranging from Japan to Peru. I don’t want to ruin any of the meal or what was served as I personally thought the intrigue was part of the experience but you get your moneys worth and each bite is better than the last. In additional to a truly delish meal you can elect for a sake pairing (+$75) which was amazing and well worth the cost. Select Japanese beers, whiskeys are also available for purchase adding to the overall uniques experience. Reservations fill up fast and open up a month in advance if you can get a seat I highly recommend you take it. Additionally follow toshokanatx on Instagram to be altered to special “course work” dining series that can only be reserved through an IG contest. Metered street parking is available on Brushy st- $5 for 3 hours, I’m sure alternate and free parking exists but this was closest...

I had been unlucky snagging rezzys here since they first opened and I was tired of losing sleep on the midnight drop. They switched the times to the morning so I figured I would try again and I finally got lucky and snagged some! We went back in August at their new Perish location. The whole experience exceeded my expectations. I was a little worried about parking upon arrival after reading some negative reviews about Pershing if you are not a member, but thankfully the gate guard was very polite, and it's gated parking so your vehicle is safe. Once you are seated with the others in the lobby, the amazing bartender does a meet and greet game with everyone along with your first alcohol sampler that was very unique and tasty. Once you are seated at the bar for dinner, you get a custom coaster with your name on it that's a keepsake, a nice little touch. The chef has a map of where he sources his food which is really neat to see as well. Every bite was unique and delicious, there wasn't a single bite I did not enjoy. I did not do the alcohol pairings and I am so glad I opted out for that because the old fashions were mind-blowing. It was made with Japanese whiskey and A5 wagyu rendered fat that was just dreamy. Pairing that with the A5 Wagyu sushi bite was a match made in heaven. The bone marrow was also one of the best I have had in this city. I had more reservations a couple of weeks ago and gave them to a buddy of mine, who sat next to an F1 driver. You never know if someone famous might be in your group! In the end, the chef played 6 or so songs that we all drunkenly sang along with him too, the cherry on top of a perfect night. Can't wait...