Sushi Endo

5/5 This is your sign to make a reservation NOW!! Lovely Valentine's experience with the Endo team. Chef Endo himself was charismatic, engaging and funny. Great at storytelling too :)The seating was cozy & since we were the second seating of the night, everyone was relaxed and having a good time. The sushi was excellent - straightforward, delicious and just plain good fish. You won't get your over the top, creative fusion flavors. What you WILL enjoy is a memorable omakase experience.The space itself is warm and inviting - felt a bit underutilized, but better than being cramped IMO. Drinks were reasonable and the staff was fantastic.$99 Tues-Thurs special - good food, good team, good vibes. Oh, and parking too. What more can you ask for.

TLDR - Go try the weekday specials price if there is any special day or celebration, but dont expect the best Omakase Endo Sushi in Austin offers an interesting experience, with a minimalist layout that feels a bit like a factory and jazz bar. This spot specializes in Omakase, a Japanese term that means "I'll leave it up to you." Essentially, you trust the chef to select and prepare each course, guiding you through a curated sushi journey. The idea is exciting, but here, the overall experience doesn't quite live up to the concept. Especially for several times when they try to upsell something to you.Service is exceptional the gentleman who greeted and helped with the drinks was amazing. Price doesn't fully justify what you get. The fish quality is decent, but I had higher expectations given the hype around the place. Also i honestly did not like that i feel that they were trying to charge extra fo some modifications. I went there i think the month they opened, so price was really high! There was no $99 special :) Still, if you're curious and want to see a new Omakase spot without dropping top-tier prices, it's worth a shot--but don't expect the best Omakase of your life.Also there is a significant distance between chef and where you are sitting. I would honestly if possible to adjust the difference also the height

Chef Endo's the real deal and so is his omakase. His personality and charisma brings this place together. From the fresh seafood flown in a couple times a week (mostly direct from Japan), the tamagoyaki he makes right in front of you, to him happily sneaking off at the end of the meal to grab his electric guitar to play you the blues. Also as many have already mentioned, T-Th the omakase is just $99! It's half swanky lounge and half bar seating for the experience. Just what the heck with this place?!TLDR: I visited a couple weeks ago and I've already made reservations for my next seating.

Sushi Endo has been on my list but it wasn't until I read about the $99 Tues-Thurs omakase seatings that bumped it to the top of list of places to try. Reservations were tough to find when I looked but luckily we were able to snag one.The space is really beautiful, half omakase bench seating, half retro Japanese jazz bar - somewhat out of place located so close to UT sandwiched between a cafe and a book store. Parking is easy too with that building's own parking lot. With a great sake, whiskey, and cocktail menu, you can even come just for drinks without a dinner reservation.Our $99 omakase came with 15 savory bites and 1 dessert, with the option to add on luxurious extras like uni and wagyu. For comparison, the regular omakase is $150 and 20 courses. The $99 omakase did not feel scaled back at all, as we got amazing quality with thoughtful preparations. My highlights were the Akami, Aji and Chawanmushi. Also special was the freshly made hot Tamagoyaki that Chef Endo prepares right before serving. More commonly prepared in mornings to serve cold or room temperature, I had never had a freshly made one and I much preferred this. The layers were so delicate and the texture of some was similar to tofu skin. Not to be skipped is the uni, which you can and should add on. It was so good that we got another one. The Hokkaido uni was perfectly cold and had that perfect clean and fresh taste of the ocean that you want from a good uni.The entire staff is great - friendly and fun, easy to have a conversation with anyone. Chef Endo has a ton of charisma, which you can feel just from his energy alone but you viscerally feel it if he goes and puts on a cowboy hat and picks up his electric guitar to play for you. Even though our extras put us up over the $99, the weeknight omakase is a great value for the price and an easy monthly splurge for my wallet. I often think of omakase for celebratory annual events but at this price point and quality, I'm now happy to have it as a monthly self-care treat yourself moment - if I can snag a reservation.

Thank you Sushi Endo for a FUN and memorable experience on our wedding anniversary! My husband and I booked a reservation on a Wednesday to catch the $99 16-course omakase deal. It was very worth it! The lot is small with no sign - modern, wooden building on the outside. Inside, you're transported into an intimate speakeasy vibe with comfy couches, vinyls and the bar. They try to personalize your experience by remembering your names and seating you based on if you're right or left handed. Each dish was unique and fresh! Chef Endo also kept us entertained with stories and his charm. My favorites were the toro, tomago, akami, and shima. We skipped the extra bites, but other opted for the wagyu. It looked really good. After the meal and during dessert, Chef Endo played his guitar. It was awesome! Highly recommend for an intimate, but friendly omakase experience in Austin.

This is the first Omakase I've done and it was indeed an experience! It's like a private concert but with sushi. The staff are all super nice and the nearest person can take care of any questions you may have. The atmosphere is very authentic Austin. Very loungy and relaxed from the get go. When you get started you are seated at the counter and the counter is the only way here. On the weekdays it's a 15 or 16 course whereas on the weekends it's a full 20 course Omakase. The drinks were perfect and their version of an old fashioned was stellar. It's up there for one of the best ones I've had and both funny enough are Austin establishments. When you are seated and begin your journey with your guide Chef Endo, you are being served one of best tasting combinations of simple flavors. You really don't need additional soy sauce. The seasoning is already presented in the grand presentation of the chef's dishes. The menu can change week to week based on the season and availability of whatever they can get, but nothing was bad. The uni which I didn't expect to enjoy was actually super tasty! The entire experience was great and I am glad to experience my first Omakase with Sushi Endo.

Came here for my husband's bday and was blown away by the quality, skill, entertainment value, and of course deliciousness of everything! Chef Endo was a master in his craft. Loved his no-frills approach to every dish. Unlike many omakase places here in the US where the dishes are more "creative" or sometimes fusion, Chef Endo's traditional simplicity allows me to taste the ingredients truly. Besides the food, I thought the entire experience was so special. When we walked in, we were greeted personally and was asked about our preferences. My husband was given a complimentary birthday sake while we waited for the remainder of guests to arrive and our seats arranged. At the end of the night, Chef Endo also surprised us with a performance on the guitar!Value wise, for 16 courses at $99, I thought that was quite a steal! It was a marvelous experience overall and we can't wait to be back.

THE BIG: Located in the Drag area of Austin. This spot took the former daiboku ramen shop and now is a omakase restaurant. Southwestern meets bohemian vibes inside. Parking available in the lot outside.THE BLACK AND WHITE: When we saw the promotion for a $99 omakase, we had to jump on it. It's a pretty good value and the head chef (Chef Endo) was the apprentice of the one Michelin star DC sushi restaurant Sushi Nakazawa. While waiting, the space is big and has a speak easy vibe. We all sat at the chef's table and Chef Endo is very extroverted and can stir up a conversation with anyone. It was 16 courses, however only 12 pieces were nigiri. My favorite was the chutoro.While we were wrapping up, Chef Endo played some nice riffs on his guitar which was very unique and a great way to end the dinner.THE FINAL BAMBOO: Overall the damage done for 2 omakases and a chablis was around $280. Pretty good value and I'm curious to know when we'll get down to NYC value omakases. Only time will tell.

This is probably the last omakase spot in Austin that I have to check off my list before I can pretty much say I've tried them all that still exist in 2024. Although this means there's so much to compare to, this still stands very tall above most of the others. TLDR? A great menu that finds different ways to still be unique without the pretentiousness of some other omakase places.The course on the weekends sit around a healthy 20 course selection with a thoughtful order of bites. Starting off with tofu, sashimi, and lightly fried seasonal veggies dusted with matcha salt, it leads you in nicely to the rest of the menu. A standout was the chawanmushi, an extremely common find in most omakase offerings, but heavier on the dashi to give it a more brown appearance and topped with Japanese okra to combat the texture. I found it very delicious!!! The fish is, as expected, delicious! It seems a lot of it is brushed with soy sauce or a soy sauce mix. I typically don't love too much of a soy sauce flavor, but it was much better balanced than some other places and didn't detract from the fish's flavor. I especially loved the Japanese barracuda and the sea robin.I also enjoyed that they didn't overload with the dessert. It was light and refreshing, and the yokan was a great addition. I also enjoyed the cocktails and sake, but I would say to skip on most if not all of the non alcoholic drinks since the tea was pretty lackluster. Stick with water if anything.As for the service, it was AMAZING! Totally conversational but informative. As some of my favorite omakase spots might have mind blowing bites, they sometimes have a haughty air and the vibe is much more serious. You don't really get that if Chef Endo is busting out the electric guitar and offering his vinyls to listen to after your meal.Would I come back? Absolutely! It's great to have this place as a top spot for omakase.P.S. Chef Vincent was awesome as well.

$99 for a weekday omakase? Sign me up! What a fantastic deal. The fish is fresh and varied. The ambiance is great. Literally, no notes. I'd be surprised if Sushi Endo doesn't end up getting recognized in some form or fashion in the next round of Michelin reviews.