Q-Shi BBQ & Sushi restaurant opened last summer at 1491 Spring Cypress Rd, Spring, but it already had the attention of the producers of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" in October when owner Ray Aker received a call from the Food Network series.

The production crew and host Guy Fieri visited the restaurant earlier this year to film a segment showcasing the location's unique blend of barbecue and sushi.

"When you watch a show like that, you see the final product, but you don’t realize you spend 18 hours for a six-minute segment," Aker said. "The most rewarding part of it for me was being able to see the crew who travel to all of these amazing restaurants to see their reaction [to our food]."

Q-Shi opened in late July 2016 with Aker's idea to combine his specialty—barbecue—with sushi and other international flavors he came to love after his time in the U.S. Navy in the early 1990s.

The restaurant's specialties include several styles of ribs, brisket and sushi as well as fusion items like fries mixed with the Korean cabbage side dish, kimchi. In addition to traditional sushi, the restaurant offers sushi made with brisket and other smoked meats.

The episode will air at 8 p.m. on Food Network. The restaurant is holding a viewing party that night for customers who purchased tickets to the event, according to its Facebook page.



Aker said he has tentative plans to open a second restaurant in the area of I-45 and FM 1488 inspired by the Q-Shi menu.

Read more about Q-Shi in the Spring/Klein edition of Community Impact Newspaper in mid-April.