A casual Japanestaurant on Cap Hill

They say it's not where you're from, it's where you're at -- and that's even more true if where you're from is Houston. From a chef who's convinced Seattle's where it's at, Octo Sushi.

Opened by a transplant who spent a decade slinging Japanese cuisine in the South Texas metro, this raw-fishery boasts two separate dining areas: a small linoleum-floored space up-front (in the old Crave space), and in-back a dizzingly-high-ceilinged/brick-walled main room that features a sushi bar and a mess of glowing LEDs, but not GEDs 'as it's wayyy too bright. Rolled grub includes house specials (the shrimp tempura/tuna/cream cheese/avocado/surf clam/special sauce Bazooka), seaweed-on-the-outside Futomaki (the All Cooked w/ shrimp, eel, smoked salmon & pickled radish), and smaller Maki 6-piecers like the shrimp/jalapeno Texas Roll -- an ingredient combination the chef prefers you didn't mess with. Not-sushi means entrees like the wasabi mash potato/grilled salmon/scallop/flying fish roe sauced Full Moon Party; the spicy kimchi'd Beef A La Flambe served on a sizzling hot plate; and the wasabi mayo/crispy shrimp Mermaid's Delight, which mostly includes breaking TVs, and not taking baths with Tom Hanks.

OS's also got mad apps (Soft Shell Crab with ponzu sauce, deep-fried Crispy Calamari), and Sake options like Hakutsuru Junmai Ginjo, Gekkeikan Nigori, and sparkling Junmai from Sake2Me, also what you say right before your boss explains your transfer options are Houston or Houston.