A new spot for a top-flight omakase experience has opened in Fort Worth's Near Southside: Hiro’s Kitchen, located at 309 W. Daggett Ave. Ste. 101, comes from husband-and-wife team Hiroto and Nami Ochiai, both natives of Japan who built their restaurant careers in New York City before moving to Dallas in 2024.

Hiroto is “Hiro,” the restaurant’s namesake and omakase master who first trained at a French restaurant in Tokyo before honing his sushi skills at not one, but two Michelin-starred sushi destinations in NYC: Sushi Amane and 69 Leonard Street.

The duo, also both certified sake sommeliers, chose a 1,300 square-foot space next to The Holly wine shop for their first brick-and-mortar restaurant after hosting weekly pop-ups there since 2025.

“The team from The Holly came to one of our pop-ups in North Dallas,” says Nami. “They encouraged us to visit Fort Worth, which eventually led to us doing pop-ups with them.”

Those pop-ups built a loyal following, which in turn led to fully booked reservations for Hiro’s recent first week of business. With space for 15 at the anchoring sushi bar, plus a few additional seats at a handful small tables, Hiro’s is a hot ticket offering just dinner service to start. Plans to add weekend lunch are in the future.

“The counter is really the heart of the restaurant,” says Nami. “It’s not a large restaurant, but we were able to create a beautiful, spacious counter that brings us close to our guests. We love that it allows us to talk with everyone and provide a very personal experience.”

On trend with omakase
Omakase translates literally to “I’ll leave it up to you” in Japanese. In a sushi restaurant setting, it means the chef leads the meal, choosing and preparing small plates while guests watch.

The concept is having a moment in Fort Worth with several recent omakase openings. Nami says the trend is a sign that more people in Cowtown are becoming interested in Japanese culture and cuisine.

“As Japanese people ourselves, that makes us very happy,” she says.

As with many omakase destinations, the menu changes frequently based on season, ingredient availability, and the chef’s inspiration. Hiro’s omakase price (currently $90) may be viewed when making reservations and includes three to four appetizers (like blue crab, salmon roe, and edamame with yuzu puree), miso soup, seven pieces of seasonal sushi, a hand roll, and dessert.

Current specialties include Wagyu tagliata with seasonal accompaniments and fresh amberjack with jalapeño and house-made ponzu sauce. The a la carte menu is predominantly gluten-free, as is the standard omakase.

“Hiro has experience in both Japanese and French cuisine, so those influences naturally come through in his cooking while the foundation remains rooted in Japanese techniques and philosophy,” says Nami.

Sake is a specialty
Sake is also important to Hiro and Nami, given their extensive educational background on the spirit. While Hiro’s does offer a full bar program, there’s an intentional focus on curated sakes along with Japanese beer, Japanese whisky, wine, and champagne. Guests will also find sake-based and Japanese-inspired cocktails.

“We’ve carefully selected our sake not only to complement Hiro’s food, but to introduce our guests to different styles, regions, and breweries from Japan,” says Nami. “We also plan to host special events with sake breweries, drawing on the relationships Hiro has built throughout his career.”

Patrons can expect sake pairing dinners featuring French and Japanese courses by late September.

But Nami says she and her husband don’t want Hiro’s to become a place customers visit only for special occasions.

“We hope it becomes a place people feel comfortable returning to again and again,” she says.

Hiro’s Kitchen is open Tuesday through Saturday with seating times running from 4:30-8:30 pm. Reservations are available through Resy.

Hiro's Kitchen

An omakase dish by Hiro's Kitchen chef and owner Hiroto Ochiai.