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Origami Japanese Cuisine
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch, Dinner
11 reviews for Origami Japanese Cuisine
Summary: Great sushi, especially for the price. We don't know why this place doesn't get more business or reviews, but we had a wonderful experience there and we've been to lots of sushi places around Austin!
Food (8/10)
(8/10) Spicy Tuna Roll
Chopped tuna with spices and cucumber, topped with black sesame seeds. This is a simple yet solid roll - and the tuna is indeed fresh and spicy! The seaweed in this inside out roll has a good texture and is not chewy. Overall, this is better than your average spicy tuna roll because the flavor really comes through and the portion is decent.
(8/10) Tiger Eye Roll
Fresh jalapeno, cream cheese and smoked salmon in soy paper with spicy mayo. This roll is as delicious as it sounds. This is one of the few rolls on the menu that is made with soy paper rather than seaweed, so there is no need to worry about chewiness. The cream cheese, combined with the spicy mayo make this roll very creamy and mouthwateringly addictive! Don't let the jalapenos and spicy mayo scare you away, it will not set your mouth on fire or anything like that. Give this roll a try and you will surely devour it like a tiger!
(6/10) Spider Roll
Soft shell crab tempura, avocado and cucumber with teriyaki sauce. This is a roll we have tried at other restaurants, so we wanted to give it a go here. Unfortunately, this was our least favorite roll, due to the chewy seaweed. This made it very difficult and messy to eat, and the inside of the roll kept falling out everywhere. There is good news though - the avocado is good, the crab is soft and tasty, and the touch of teriyaki on top is subtle. Perhaps we will try this roll again but substituted with the soy paper.
(9/10) Escolar (Nigiri)
Fresh, buttery and slightly sweet - just the way we love! Be sure to order plenty of this, either nigiri or sashimi style. Keep in mind that during happy hour - $1 off of selected nigiri (and $2 off selected rolls).
(9/10) Salmon (Nigiri)
The salmon tastes fresh, and is soft and smooth. Origami cut the piece generously, which pleased us immensely.
(7/10) Mackerel (Nigiri)
It was tender, but we definitely needed to dip this one in soy sauce. It was our first time ordering mackerel and we knew going in that it could taste a little more "fishy." It did just a tad, and we preferred the salmon and escolar more because they have a more pleasant flavor.
Service (7/10)
We dined at Origami for happy hour on a weeknight. When we entered, we were greeted by the hostess and taken to our table. She was not very friendly, but did get the job done. Our waitress then came to take our drink orders and answer any questions we had regarding the menu. She was a happy, friendly, elderly, Japanese woman who had difficulty speaking English. As cheesy as it may sound, having her as our waitress added to the authentic feeling of our sushi experience. We had several questions regarding the menu since it was our first time, and although we struggled a bit to understand her, she pleasantly answered all of them. If we asked something she did not know the answer to, she asked someone else and let us know. There were a few other patrons dining, so it was nice and quiet. Our food came out in a timely manner. Our only complaint is that we had to ask for low-sodium soy sauce since none of the tables have them.
Ambiance (8/10)
Origami is located in a Round Rock strip-mall on IH-35 and has plenty of parking available. It's location and plain exterior, give off a simple, unassuming vibe. However, opening the door and stepping inside is like walking into a completely different world. The floors and tables are spotless and the wall colors are warm, subdued tones of browns and reds. There is decorative "fish" artwork peppered around the restaurant. Seating is available at the sushi bar, American-style tables, as well as Japanese-style seating. Japanese seating is in an enclosed area where you sit on the floor and dine. One advantage for Japanese seating at Origami is that there is a place to let your legs hang so you don't have to sit uncomfortably with them crossed. The table areas are divided into small sections by a low wall, giving a semi-private feel as you dine. It's good for couples as well as small groups. Origami is the nicest strip-mall Japanese restaurant we have been to and rivals some of the higher-end ones!
It's a 3.6. The waitresses are all Japanese which is more than I can say for most of the sushi restaurants around here. The chirashi sushi portion size is pretty small but we also got 6 rolls so I ended up just eating the sashimi off the top of the chirashi which was just fine. The service was REALLY slow. When we went, it was later in the night on a Sunday and the palce was only half full yet we waited 45 minutes for our food. Definitely get the special appetizer which for us was some grilled salmon - I think it was only a few dollars. Great flavor. nicely done. The sushi rolls were all nicely done, fish was fresh, what more can i say? The Japanese boss lady likes to boss the other waitresses around which was kind of grating to watch and listen to - but I don't think she realized that I was Japanese and I understood what she was saying.
There were two hispanic sushi chefs working alongside the half Japanese guy at the sushi bar and they were working as fast as they could I guess - but it was annoying to see the couple who walked in 30 minutes after us who sat at the sushi bar get their food first before we got ours. The tatami room looked nice - and the place had a nice ambiance. Granted, it's located in a strip mall but it seems many good places in Austin is located in a strip mall. :)
We have eaten here before a few years ago and decided to give it another try recently cause we were in the area. The decor of the place is very beautiful its a small place with polite servers. For me I have had better sushi. We had a few pieces The escolar was nice and buttery and sweet and the albacore was also excellent but the red snapper was a little too fishy and the rice is quite bland at this place. Out of the 4 rolls we had I liked some spicy one we had the others were ok but with the bland rice it was mediocre at best!
This place is amazing for those looking for a truly authentic taste of Japan. Granted, tempura soba and katsudon are simple dishes, but it is so nice to taste something that really reminds one of Japan. The owner is from Hong Kong, but she really tries to preserve the Japanese flavor in all her dishes. No Korean food here!
Also, amazingly enough, they actually have Japanese waitresses. There's a particularly cute old lady who will quite happily chatter Japanese at you whether you know it or not. My boyfriend and I were delighted with the opportunity to use the Japanese we learned studying abroad.
We both thought the sushi was great, but we aren't good judges of that. Personally, when I was living in Japan, I was just as happy with conveyor belt sushi as I was with the more expensive version.
The taste of this place brought tears to my eyes and made me long to go live in Japan once more!
Nature of the law vs letter of the law?
I'm more of a "nature of the law" kinda person. And with that in mind, I review Origami, even though I've never been there.
"But Don, how can you feel justified in doing that" you say?
A valid question.
My answer is that I spent yesterday volunteering at the Central Market Cooking School and had the pleasure of spending a little over 7 hours with the owner and sushi chef at Origami, Mr Tim Thomas.
Tim has been in the restaurant industry for almost 20ish now. He and his family started Kyoto, which in 1984 was the only sushi restaurant in town... last count, there are 51 in the Austin area. Tim's family still owns and operates Kyoto (his uncle, I believe)... and Tim has gone on to start 3 other restaurants... I believe he said Origami has been in business for 10 years.
Tim is a great guy and I really enjoyed working with him. Not only did he make it fun, but it was awesome to hear his story and see how much he knows. Was born in Japan, speaks Japanese, and spent 10 years in some sort of sushi training (internship?) before making sushi in front of customers.
Everything he made last night was really really good. One of the staff chefs at the cooking school announced to the class that there are only two sushi restaurants in the Austin area that he will visit... and Origami is one of them.
Some other useful info: the only places in town that Tim will buy fresh fish are Quality Seafood and Central Market. And that's because he's been in the back and inspected how they handle and treat the product.
Tim is a great guy, he's well-trained and committed to quality. And he taught us the history of sushi and helped the class make some really delicious food (Tiger eye roll, Negikampachi roll, Spicy yellowfin tuna hand roll, Asari miso soup, blackened tuna and crab roll with basil aioli).
I left stuffed and came home with enough sushi for two more meals.
I highly recommend not only Tim and Origami, but also the sushi class (taught by Tim) at Central Market. But act fast, it is one of the two classes that fill up the fastest.
NOTE: the map appears to be wrong on yelp... he is located at the SW corner of 620 and I-35 in a strip mall.
I, too, found Origami from Chef Tim Thomas' "Sushi 101" class at Central Market (Great class). I've been there twice and I would highly recommend Origami. The first time I went I sat at the sushi bar, while the second time I sat in the dining room. I'd say that the two experiences are quite different. I would HIGHLY recommend sitting at the sushi bar.
The fish is FRESH and if you get the omakase (literally "it's up to you" in Japanese), chef Thomas will get you the best and freshest things he has to offer. If not, I would highly recommend the baby eel, the escolar, bob marley roll, and the traditional Japanese ramen if you feel like noodles (best ramen in Austin I've found so far).
For Texas sushi this place is one of the best I have tried.
However, being from California, this place leaves a lot to be desired.
Pro: Best sushi I have had in area (this is sad). Nice ambiance, fun sushi chefs, lots to choose from on menu, fresh fish!
Cons: warning, this list of cons may seem long, but I am just being honest for those CA peeps who know good sushi. Again, I already said this place was one of the best I have found in TX ... but judging from CA sushi, if it wants to live up to that ... it has a long way to go.
1. WAY overpriced. $23 for chirashi? REALLY? Especially when you loaded it up with tamago? You market it as though you load it up with the good stuff ... more like 4 nice pieces of sashimi and the rest were the scraps. $23 would have been fair for the 'good stuff' ... but is obnoxious for mostly omlette. a la carte sushi is also way overpriced for what you get.
2. the miso soup tastes like cardboard broth.
3. the sushi rice has a great flavor, they are using the right amount of vinegar to make it tastey. However, as other folks have mentioned, it needs to be only slightly more sticky. I am not a ding dong and I know you are not to dip the actual rice into the soy sauce, and I dont do that. But I should be able to keep it together under the fish ... this is not the case, it falls apart.
So here it is. I am not a huge fan of sushi, actually scratch that before this I have never had a sushi roll that i would willingly swallow. But a group of my friends really wanted sushi, so me being a good sport i tagged along.
The interior of this place was really pleasant, it had a traditional room; if you wanted the true Japanese feeling of siting on the floor, and also a dining area with tables and what not. Overall it was a nice place.
The service was really good, the ladies were sweet, and i could see the sushi bar from where I was sitting, and the sushi chefs were a group of fun guys. So they all get my thumbs up!
And last, the food. I ordered terriyakie chicken, which was really good, can't go wrong there if you ask me. But the big thing was the sushi. I ate some, and i must say the hamachi was DELICIOUS. No lie, if i had known such a tasty sushi with no sea weed existed i would have gone earlier. The rainbow roll was also pretty good too. And judging by my friends; the people that actually like sushi, it seemed to pass their test as well. So other then it being expensive *no surprise* this place is good eats!!
So this marks time number two I've gone to Origami for sushi. I gotta say, they're pretty much the best in Round Rock so why this place isn't more packed I'll never know. So we had an Austin roll, Unagi, Tuna and Avocado, their special of the week baka maka (sp?), and plain yellowfin tuna slices. I really have to hand it to these guys they were all excellent. The yellow fin delivered on tuna tastyness with no fish smell, the tuna and avocado was sweet and tender, the Austin roll that had been lightly battered and fried was a very interesting departure, and the baka maka with the crunchy garlic asparagus and toro root was a very nice change of pace. Price for 4 rolls and the tuna, and miso and tea $67. For Austin/RR that pretty much puts them dead average but the atmosphere ( it really is a nice interior space ) the great service, and obviously the sushi score this a solid 4 stars. I really wish I had gone here a LOT sooner but I will be going back when I need my sushi fix.
Alright, time number three, just to update this, I had some more standard rolls and plain fish, again, dang, this place seriously needs to be on the sushi roll call even if it is way up north for all you Austinites. Wait, better yet, stay away and lets us have this little gem all to ourselves. Oh, and to top it all off, this time around, they had real, honest to goodness wasabi. I watched them grate the root up and plate it and mmmm mmm was it ever worth the 2 buck price for the serving, what a difference it made over "American wasabi".
Bunch of us went to Origami for sushi in Round Rock today.. It is a nice place, I recommend it. We ordered a bunch of sushi rolls.. Eel, spicy tuna, Tiger, Texas, etc. Lots of spicy choices.. We sat at the traditional low tables where you can either sit cross-legged or let you legs out because they have space under the table. It isn't cheap, ended up costing $20 per head, but it was worth it. Decorations inside are pleasant also..
Good Sushi
