Kira

Kira in River Oaks could be mistaken for a play about sushi in a black box theater. The Japanese restaurant from the team behind Neo has a wooden counter at center stage, 15 seats for its audience, and a sound system playing ‘70s jazz albums for the duration of the show. Kira focuses on handrolls, with chefs routinely placing the temaki in your hand as if they were crisp $100 bills. When people aren’t eating nori stuffed with bouncy salmon roe and silky tuna, they’re having spoonfuls of donburi with clouds of fresh wasabi. Each staff member has lightning-fast service reflexes, appearing with on-tap highballs like a sixth sense. After spending 90 minutes watching chefs slice amberjack and receiving compliments on your sashimi selection, eating at Kira makes you feel like you’re a part of the team.