Musashino

Although landlocked, there is a reputable and nationally recognized sushi scene that has developed in Austin. Nearly two decades ago, sushi restaurant Uchi opened up and quickly gained attention around the U.S. as a destination for some of the best fresh fish state side and helped usher in a wave of sushi restaurants in Austin. Uchi may have been the Trojan horse that opened everyones eyes to sashimi in Central Texas, but much of the cities sushi success can be accredited to Musashino. 

Musashino opened in 1993 serving Tokyo style sushi. After 20 years in its original location in West Lake it moved to its now home on San Gabriel St in the West Campus neighborhood. It has been the training ground and an incubator for some of Austins most successful sushi chefs in including Tyson Cole (Uchi), Kazu Fukumoto (Fukumoto), Také Asazu (Kome), and Tatsu Aikawa/Takyua Matsumoto (Ramen Tatsu-Ya). The fish is super fresh and gets flown in daily from around the world, including the Tokyo fish markets. The menu has an omakase option and expertly prepared sashimi and nigiri for the sushi purists but there are plenty of non traditional rolls with more Texas leaning twists like habanero caviar or triple smoked soft shell crab. The vibe inside is cozy and opts for a more lived in aesthetic with low lighting provided by George Nelson bubble lamps and the staff and sushi chefs are warm and accommodating. They don’t take reservations and things fill up very quickly here. There is a yelp waitlist to join that can help with wait times on busier nights, but my suggestion is to show up for an early dinner, sit at the sushi bar, order a glass of sake (they have an impressive sake menu), ask the chefs behind the counter what they’re feeling and order away.