I love, love, love sushi. Before we had kids, my husband and I used to frequent Chi Japanese Cuisine in Oak Ridge North quite a bit. They have huge rounded banquettes that make for fun, intimate seating for a date night. Now many years later with plenty of kids in tow, we rarely get out for sushi, let alone a date night! I've driven by the location a few times recently and noticed that they now advertise themselves as an all you can eat restaurant. On a recent date night we decided to give Chi a fresh try. Unlike a buffet, Chi has guests order anything they want from a specific All You Can Eat menu that includes soup, salad, appetizers, sashimi, nigiri, cooked and raw rolls, fried rice, udon, hibachi items and dessert. If you're out with sushi-phobic friends, there's plenty of choices to keep them happy.
We arrived around 6:00pm and placed our first round order. We were trying to avoid rolls with tempura and spicy mayo which limited our selection of specialty rolls a bit, but we found plenty to choose from. The server was very friendly and our appetizers came out surprisingly quickly. We ordered gyoza, shumai, yellowtail jalapeno and edamame. The yellowtail was delicate and delicious! Our first order of sushi quickly followed with a beautiful display of nigiri, spicy rolls and specialty rolls. The Orange Dragon roll was our favorite, so much so that we ordered another and added more nigiri and sashimi for our much smaller second order. Our second order did take a bit longer to come out, but by then (after 7:00pm) the restaurant was full and hopping, so the kitchen was clearly busier. We could have finished with a tempura banana or other dessert but we were too stuffed!
Considering how much we typically spend on a sushi night out, I felt the price of $25.95 per person was great for what we ordered and received. The restaurant has chic, clubby decor and is the perfect setting for a special night out. They also have semi-private larger tables with beaded curtains dividing them from the main dining area that would be fun for a night out with the girls.My other favorite sushi spot in The Woodlands is Fukuda Japanese Restaurant, particularly their reverse happy hour. If you find yourself near Willowbrook Mall (249/1960), Kirin II also has an amazing and reasonably priced sushi buffet.
