Oka Sushi to Rise Where Osteria Mazzantini Faltered

Finally, a name for the mysterious Asian fusion/sushi tenant slated to replace the shuttered Osteria Mazzantini: Oka Sushi. The Houston Business Journal says the latest concept from restaurateur Tony Sha (Cafe Ginger, Qin Dynasty) will debut "by July or August" in the ground-floor space at the BBVA Compass building. Leading the kitchen will be chef Eric Tang, who previously cooked at Uchi as CultureMap points out.

Osteria Mazzantini shuttered in January after less than a year and a half in business, with owner John Sheely at one point telling the Chron that the restaurant "couldn't maintain the volume to pay the Galleria-area rents." Does the price of renting in the BBVA building mean patrons can expect to drop big bucks at Oka Sushi? Maybe not: Per the Business Journal, the real estate agent that brokered the deal "said the owners insisted that the menu be reasonably priced."