The newly opened Sushi Raku (3201 Louisiana Street) is a swanky, modern-looking place. It is huge - you could have a large corporate function here - and well built, with interesting depth in the windows and private booths galore. We can see why the build-out of this location took some time.
The food we had there recently was a somewhat different story. The lunch specials are really great and provide a lot of bang for your buck. But the miso soup wasn't hot, and the quality of the sushi was poor. The fish was luke-cold, and the salmon was cut poorly (chewy and tough).
But there was a light at the end of the tunnel. The tempura veggies were outstanding - the fried mushroom, potato, and pepper tempura was the highlight of our meal, and easily surpassed the ribeye skewers. We got the shrimp tempura after our veggie experience, and it did not disappoint. Excellent sauce, fresh shrimp and crispy batter made this choice a winner as well.
If you are looking for great sushi without all the hubbub, head over to Teppay on Westheimer and Voss.
