AIKO
Houston, TX · Japanese
Tier 3 · Menu claim only What the tiers mean
Wagyu from $36 on the menu we read
On the official Kobe Beef registry as No. 1406. See the U.S. Kobe list
This listing's current published materials advertise Wagyu, but the offering does not meet our full verification standard for provenance. It carries no authenticity badge; undisclosed details remain explicitly unverified.
Why it's listed
AIKO is an open omakase-focused sushi restaurant at 1902 Washington Ave, Houston, helmed by chefs Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee. Its live first-party menu lists several Japanese A5 Wagyu items: an "A5 Wagyu: JPN A5 Ribeye" nigiri, A5 Tartare, an A5 Wagyu Maki, and a $36 A5 Wagyu Toast. None names a brand, prefecture, or producer, so provenance is not disclosed. No Kobe item appears on any menu page despite the given Kobe registration. All A5 items are labeled Japanese, so the grade is used correctly.
Wagyu on the menu
- Japanese
- Brand / Prefecture
- Not listed
- Grade
- A5
- Producer
- Not listed
| Origin | Brand / Prefecture | Grade | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Not listed | A5 | Not listed |
Menu rotates This kitchen changes its menu, so the cuts above may vary by night. Confirm with the venue before booking around a particular one.
The experience
New to these? Ways to eat Wagyu
Cuts named on the Wagyu menu
Read from this venue’s quoted evidence, so a listed cut may not be on tonight. What these cuts are
Evidence on file
“*A5 Wagyu : JPN A5 Ribeye ... *A5 Tartare : A5 Tartare, Caviar, Quail Egg ... *A5 Wagyu Maki : A5 Tartare, Chili Garlic, Yuzu Kosho”
aikohtx.com “A5 Wagyu Toast (Kitchen, $36): A5, Uni, Caviar, Duxelles, Milk Bread”
aikohtx.com “Four of the 12 purveyors registered to import Kobe beef in Texas are by Houston-based Berg Hospitality Group (B&B Butchers x2, Soy Cowboy, Turner's Cut) - AIKO is not listed.”
papercitymag.com
+1 more quote on fileShow fewer
“Open Sun-Wed 11a-3p & 5-10p, Thu-Sat 11a-3p & 5-11p; omakase-focused sushi restaurant helmed by chefs Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee.”
aikohtx.com
Quoted from the venue's own menu or site. A Wagyu claim on a menu is not the same as documented provenance.
Something wrong with this restaurant? Tell us
Common questions
- Does AIKO serve real Wagyu?
- Its own current menu advertises Wagyu, and that claim was read directly on July 18, 2026. What the menu does not do is say which Wagyu: no prefecture, grade, breed status or producer is published, so the sourcing cannot be checked from outside. That is a gap in what is written down rather than a suggestion that anything is wrong with the beef, and plenty of kitchens buy carefully without printing the details.
- What kind of Wagyu does AIKO serve?
- Its menu discloses A5 Japanese. Each of those is taken from the venue's own current materials rather than from a review or a listing site, and the evidence behind it is quoted further down this page.
- Is the Wagyu at AIKO Kobe beef?
- It is licensed to serve Kobe and was not listing it when we last looked, on July 18, 2026. This venue does appear on the official Kobe registry, but Kobe was not on the menu at that check, so no Kobe badge is shown. Licensed rooms drop it between allocations and bring it back, so this can change without notice and is worth asking about directly.
- Why is AIKO listed without a Wagyu badge?
- Because a badge here means the sourcing was checked, not that the food is good. This listing is published because the venue genuinely advertises Wagyu on its own current material, and it carries no badge because that material does not say which Wagyu. If the venue publishes the prefecture, grade, breed status or producer, the listing can move.
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