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egg and uni custard in a clay pot with a wooden spoon
Kata Robata’s uni chawanmushi
Julie Soefer

Where to Indulge in Houston’s Most Decadent Uni Dishes

Elevate sushi, pasta, and so much more with rich and briny sea urchin roe

by Megha McSwain
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Kata Robata’s uni chawanmushi
| Julie Soefer
by Megha McSwain

With its smooth, velvety texture, blazing orange color and robust oceanic flavor, sea urchin roe is considered by many to be a great delicacy. While its origin from a spiny sea urchin, peculiar looking at best, may paint a less than appetizing picture, the meat from within is rich and buttery, and a favorite on sushi bar menus everywhere.

The adventurous nature of Houston diners combined with the city’s diverse culinary landscape allows chefs to incorporate uni on their menus in sensational ways. Whether you want to slowly savor the pure flavor of sea urchin with a carefully constructed piece of nigiri, or pair it with a shot of booze for a quick and tasty thrill, use this map as a guide to scoring the best uni dishes in the city.

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KA Sushi

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The sushi menu at Ka is vast. From cut rolls to nigiri and sashimi, there is a broad spectrum of excellent seafood to sample, including fresh sea urchin. Here, guests have the option to enjoy its honest flavor or make things even more decadent with a truffle oil drizzle.

1901 N Shepherd Dr #1, Houston, TX 77008
(832) 879-2118
(832) 879-2118
uni served in its shell on a bed of ice and topped with sliced radishes and greens
Uni is its shell at KA Sushi
KA Sushi/Facebook

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Bludorn Restaurant

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Made-from-scratch pastas change with the seasons at Bludorn, but the uni spaghetti is already a menu staple. Made rich and velvety with fresh sea urchin, lumps of blue crab meat and butter, the dish is finished off with garlic chips and is available in two sizes. 

807 Taft St, Houston, TX 77019
(713) 999-0146
(713) 999-0146

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Uchi

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This top notch sushi house boasts a menu of fresh fish, sake and dynamic plates featuring seafood flown in from around the world, including two choices of sea urchin. Guests may satisfy stubborn cravings for the best uni in the world thanks to Hokkaido uni that’s flown in regularly from Japan. 

904 Westheimer Rd Suite A, Houston, TX 77006
(713) 522-4808
(713) 522-4808

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Da Marco

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Da Marco is known for its sophisticated take on Italian classics — from incorporating lobster with sweet corn ravioli to adding freshly shaved truffles atop cheesy pappardelle — but the uni-laden spaghetti takes creaminess to a whole new level. Here, sea urchin melts into a mouthwatering mess of long noodles, spiced up with a smattering of red chilies.

1520 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
(713) 807-8857
(713) 807-8857

Also featured in:

Shun

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Behold (literally) an interesting combination of textures within the OMG handroll at Shun. Layered with uni, scallop and salmon roe, or ikura, the dish is an explosion of flavors in each hand-held bite. Or step things up and try the loaded OMG Bowl, which combines uni, scallop, toro and snow crab over sushi rice.

2802 S Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77098
(832) 409-5888
(832) 409-5888

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Hidden Omakase

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Like its name suggests, this hidden-in-plain-sight sushi bar presents an intimate space in which to enjoy a true chef-led omakase experience, including the freshest of uni. Fresh Hokkaido uni is fluffy atop a bed of rice, revealing a creamy bite, while the luxe uni vodka shot pairs Dripping Springs vodka with uni and Siberian caviar.

5353 W Alabama St #102, Houston, TX 77056
(713) 496-2633
(713) 496-2633

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Nobie's

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No stranger to putting a playful twist on dinner and dessert items — you won’t likely find a Cinnamon Toast Crunch pie elsewhere in the city — Nobie’s serves up boozy uni shooters with top-grade Santa Barbara uni as a spirited way to kick off dinner.

2048 Colquitt St, Houston, TX 77098
(346) 319-5919
(346) 319-5919
Uni in a bowl with garnishes
Uni shooters from Nobie’s
Nobie’s/Facebook

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Kata Robata

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Kata Robata offers spoonful after decadent spoonful of fresh uni tucked inside its uni chawanmushi, a velvety Japanese-style egg custard. Fresh uni joins chicken, shrimp, shiitake mushroom and gingko nut and serves as a worthy starter.

3600 Kirby Dr suite h, Houston, TX 77098
(713) 526-8858
(713) 526-8858

Also featured in:

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KA Sushi

1901 N Shepherd Dr #1, Houston, TX 77008

The sushi menu at Ka is vast. From cut rolls to nigiri and sashimi, there is a broad spectrum of excellent seafood to sample, including fresh sea urchin. Here, guests have the option to enjoy its honest flavor or make things even more decadent with a truffle oil drizzle.

1901 N Shepherd Dr #1, Houston, TX 77008
(832) 879-2118
(832) 879-2118
uni served in its shell on a bed of ice and topped with sliced radishes and greens
Uni is its shell at KA Sushi
KA Sushi/Facebook

Bludorn Restaurant

807 Taft St, Houston, TX 77019

Made-from-scratch pastas change with the seasons at Bludorn, but the uni spaghetti is already a menu staple. Made rich and velvety with fresh sea urchin, lumps of blue crab meat and butter, the dish is finished off with garlic chips and is available in two sizes. 

807 Taft St, Houston, TX 77019
(713) 999-0146
(713) 999-0146

Uchi

904 Westheimer Rd Suite A, Houston, TX 77006

This top notch sushi house boasts a menu of fresh fish, sake and dynamic plates featuring seafood flown in from around the world, including two choices of sea urchin. Guests may satisfy stubborn cravings for the best uni in the world thanks to Hokkaido uni that’s flown in regularly from Japan. 

904 Westheimer Rd Suite A, Houston, TX 77006
(713) 522-4808
(713) 522-4808

Da Marco

1520 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006

Da Marco is known for its sophisticated take on Italian classics — from incorporating lobster with sweet corn ravioli to adding freshly shaved truffles atop cheesy pappardelle — but the uni-laden spaghetti takes creaminess to a whole new level. Here, sea urchin melts into a mouthwatering mess of long noodles, spiced up with a smattering of red chilies.

1520 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
(713) 807-8857
(713) 807-8857

Shun

2802 S Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77098

Behold (literally) an interesting combination of textures within the OMG handroll at Shun. Layered with uni, scallop and salmon roe, or ikura, the dish is an explosion of flavors in each hand-held bite. Or step things up and try the loaded OMG Bowl, which combines uni, scallop, toro and snow crab over sushi rice.

2802 S Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77098
(832) 409-5888
(832) 409-5888

Hidden Omakase

5353 W Alabama St #102, Houston, TX 77056

Like its name suggests, this hidden-in-plain-sight sushi bar presents an intimate space in which to enjoy a true chef-led omakase experience, including the freshest of uni. Fresh Hokkaido uni is fluffy atop a bed of rice, revealing a creamy bite, while the luxe uni vodka shot pairs Dripping Springs vodka with uni and Siberian caviar.

5353 W Alabama St #102, Houston, TX 77056
(713) 496-2633
(713) 496-2633

Nobie's

2048 Colquitt St, Houston, TX 77098

No stranger to putting a playful twist on dinner and dessert items — you won’t likely find a Cinnamon Toast Crunch pie elsewhere in the city — Nobie’s serves up boozy uni shooters with top-grade Santa Barbara uni as a spirited way to kick off dinner.

2048 Colquitt St, Houston, TX 77098
(346) 319-5919
(346) 319-5919
Uni in a bowl with garnishes
Uni shooters from Nobie’s
Nobie’s/Facebook

Kata Robata

3600 Kirby Dr suite h, Houston, TX 77098

Kata Robata offers spoonful after decadent spoonful of fresh uni tucked inside its uni chawanmushi, a velvety Japanese-style egg custard. Fresh uni joins chicken, shrimp, shiitake mushroom and gingko nut and serves as a worthy starter.

3600 Kirby Dr suite h, Houston, TX 77098
(713) 526-8858
(713) 526-8858

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