Critics' choice: Outstanding new Japanese restaurants

Mori Nozomi

Los Angeles

A female sushi chef with an all-woman team is still a rarity, even in Los Angeles, America's sushi capital, said Tejal Rao in The New York Times. "But the thrill of Mori Nozomi is in Nozomi Mori's distinct style as a chef—the way she annotates the singular focus of the omakase with some of the more complex, seasonal digressions of kaiseki and rituals of the Japanese tea ceremony."

Behind an eight-seat counter in an airy, sparsely decorated room, she proceeds serenely as soft music plays. She "carves sheer petals out of swordtip squid" and "etches her blade into the milky top of a scallop so it yields its sweetness more immediately." In this $250, two-dozen-course meal, there are no caviar bumps or torched Wagyu. "The closest thing to a show" is Mori pulling out a butchered tuna and scooping tender meat from its bones with a spoon. It's a move that defies the wastefulness of most sushi counters. It also yields delicious toro taku hand rolls for each guest. 11500 W. Pico Blvd.

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Kira

Houston

"Japanese restaurants continue to open at a clip that dwarfs our city's newest options for steakhouses or Tex-Mex," said Bao Ong in the Houston Chronicle. Kira, a 15-seat listening bar, is a standout, and has become "the restaurant I seek out when I want a sophisticated yet casual meal." Credit lead chefs Luis Mercado and Paolo Justo, who "do more than quietly slice through delicate cuts of glistening fish from Japan."

The pair and the team they manage have created an atmosphere that balances tradition and easygoing creativity. As a mix of hip-hop, funk, rock, and Japanese city pop plays on the sound system, you might order the hand roll in which crisp seaweed swaddles ocean trout that sits atop a bed of rice, tofu cream, sour cream, and onion powder. It's like an everything bagel with more fish. More-traditional crudo and sashimi feature "buttery" cuts that are "not too thin or too thick." Yes, "a parade of fancy add-ons" and the "smart lineup of cocktails, wine, and sake" can run up your tab. But with careful ordering, Kira can also be a bargain. 2800 Kirby Drive.

Soraya

Detroit

"Every bustling downtown metropolis needs at least one solid, reliable sushi restaurant," said Melody Baetens in The Detroit News. Detroit has found its standard-bearer in Soraya. The "sleek" double-height space in the Bedrock Federal Reserve Building offers cozy booths, a welcoming modern bar, and big windows facing Fort Street. John Kim's sushi menu provides "a good balance of familiar and fun."

Inventive dishes include a spicy ahi tuna roll that's brought to table aflame and the shenron roll: shrimp tempura rolled with cucumber and avocado and topped with tender eel. Executive chef Jorge Morales adds fusion options such as udon cacio e pepe and a ramen bowl whose roasted pork shank is a nod to Morales' Puerto Rican roots. The delicious chicken katsu is available at both lunch and dinner, while a once-a-month pop-up menu features Korean fried chicken that's the stuff of dreams. Factor in moderate price points, a friendly staff, and "banging happy-hour specials," and Soraya is pure satisfaction. 160 W. Fort St.