It involves rice whiskey infused with hoicha, a fire-roasted green tea, plus pandan syrup, black truffle and cocoa bitters, all made in-house. Another of his projects is an Onimasa cocktail, named for a 1982 yakuza film set in the Taisho period of the early 20th century. He’s procured a special nitrogen siphon to make a Nitro Midori Sour for his cocktail list. Morris will be stocking food-friendly Japanese whiskeys as well. “Think of it as the sake version of Beaujolais Nouveau,” he jokes. On the beverage side, Morris says that right around Aya’s opening date, he expects to receive a shipment of namazake, the unpasteurized sake released right after the brewing season, when it’s at its freshest. Katsuyama’s team will make their tamago (egg omelet) in house and have some fun with playful caviar presentations, along with the chef’s takea on miso seabass and grilled Wagyu shortrib wih miso sesame sauce.
Seasonal fish will be flown in daily, and the omakase selection will include such niche items as kama toro (tuna cheek) monkfish liver and engawa, the supple and surprising flounder fin. Aya will be open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. “We want to make the experience fun and accessible for all,” notes Morris. Regular omakase will be priced at $125, with a premium version going for $225.īeyond the omakase options, there will be a wide variety of nigiri, sashimi and sushi rolls. Morris is promising an extensive wine, Champagne and sake list chosen to suit the restaurant’s a la carte sushi items, and to pair with the multi-course, chef’s-choice omakase dinners for which chef Katsuyama is known. Tsui has tapped Chris Morris, who has done a transformative job as Kau Ba’s beverage director to fill the same role for Aya. One of the inspirations for the interior color palette was the bottle for the Champagne house Salon.Ĭhef Katsuyama will be a partner in the new venture. The art syncs up wih the “Aya” name, which means “design” or “colorful” in Japanese. Look for the kind of dramatic metalwork that his contractors installed at Ka Sushi, and an interior mural by Annaly Phelan, whose work makes the Kau Ba patio so charming. Pak Tsui, a Kau Ba Saigon investor and a restaurateur who counts Fat Bao, Ka Sushi in the Heights and Spice Lane in Sugar Land among his projects, is taking the lead on Aya’s design and build-out. BBQ - the last just a few doors down the strip center from Aka. The project will expand the Bellaire Triangle’s nucleus of serious dining destinations that already includes Costa Brava Bistro, Saltillo and Blood Bros.
The indoor capacity includes 10 seats at the sushi bar and an additional 10 bar seats. The restaurant will seat 80 inside and - unusually for a sushi spot - 50 on the patio. Aya Sushi will put Katsuyama’s omakase skills on display in a space revamped from the former Bernie’s Burger Bus, at 5407 Bellaire Boulevard.
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