Kanau Sushi shines with fresh high-quality catches and chic modern design

By Shiyu Miao     2/2/21 9:44pm

Craving Japanese cuisine and want to try something new? Kanau Sushi, an addition to Houston’s long list of sushi spots, held its grand opening on Jan.14. The restaurant is located at 2850 Fannin St #400, in Drewery Place in Midtown, and offers top-notch sushi with excellent service and a relaxing environment.

The minimalist and modern interior design of Kanau Sushi caught my eye the moment I stepped in. The dining area features wooden furniture, a beautifully paved black tile floor and woven ceiling lights, creating a warm atmosphere. Soft background music and flameless candles make the room cozy for enjoying a nice meal. It also features an open kitchen-style sushi bar, where customers can observe fish cutting and sushi preparation directly, and a bar.

Kanau Sushi offers both traditional and creative sushi rolls. Choices include maki (fish, sushi rice and vegetable roll in seaweed) and nigiri (thin slice of raw fish layered on sushi rice). If you only crave raw fish but not rice, sashimi (thin cuts of raw fish) is also served here, with choices including salmon, tuna, red snapper and even sea urchin. I chose a sake nigiri (salmon) and amaebi nigiri (sweet shrimp), two fresh choices with delicate seasoning. Kanau's sushi rice is neither too loose nor overly sticky, and is seasoned with vinegar and sugar in good proportions, resulting in a balance of sweetness and sourness. The raw seafood was also a standout, with melt-in-your-mouth salmon and some of the best sweet shrimps I've ever tasted. As a bonus, the chef fried the shrimp head and served it as a crunchy, delicious side.

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Besides sushi, the restaurant offers a variety of cool and warm appetizers, also a blend of traditional and modern. Popular choices include Scarlet Moon, which is sliced amberjack with yuzu chili vinaigrette. Poke Tacos is another popular choice, made from diced fresh tuna in poke sauce. I ordered a fried ika, or fried squid rings, which were crunchy on the outside but tender on the inside. The bartenders also offer a wide selection of alcohol, from red to bubbles to, of course, sake.

Lastly, Kanau Sushi offers some special opportunities to taste their finest gifts from the sea. With the “Bluefin Tuna Tasting,” customers can try three cuts from different parts of a tuna. Another chef’s selection worth trying is “Uni flight,” which offers sea urchins from three different regions. Kanau restaurant also launched “Omakase,” a special meal meaning “Leave it to Chef.” For those who make a reservation a week in advance, the chef will prepare a multiple course meal with the finest and freshest ingredients available.

Kanau Sushi is open for dine-in during dinner hours via reservations, and curbside pickup is available. Lunch services open in summer 2021.

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