From fruity poke bowls to torch-blown wagyu beef, Atsumi Asian Kitchen and Sushi Bar in Cypress aims to take the next big step in modern Asian cuisine.


Atsumi, which opened in December, offers a variety of Asian dishes with a focus on innovation in recipe and atmosphere, owner Leo Xia said.


“You can say that we’re just being creative and fun here,” Xia said.


Atsumi has added more items to its menu within the past couple of months. Newer items include wagyu beef sushi, king salmon and mango poke bowl, and foie gras sushi with raspberry sauce.


Sushi chef Jay Estolonio said his recent original creations incorporate the best fish—including king salmon and whitefish—with the most diverse ingredients. Although Atsumi also serves standard sushi, such as rainbow and California rolls, he said they want to offer something different.


“We want to have different styles, different tastes that stand out,” Estolonio said. “I make everything in-house. I make all of the sauce.”


Each dish is topped with a variety of garnishes and enhancers, such as tobiko, or small fish eggs, and truffle aioli. The sushi bar allows customers to watch kitchen staffers prepare sushi with fresh ingredients in plain view.


“The [king salmon] poke bowl is my favorite thing to make,” he said. “It has a Hawaiian, Polynesian flavor to it. Poke bowls are actually really popular right now; they’re blowing up. We want to give customers new cuisine and food items that we have besides the traditional items.”


During the recent flooding from Hurricane Harvey, Atsumi had to close for four days before reopening and offering deals for first responders.


“We were more than welcome to offer that for them,” Xia said. “We had to throw all of our fresh food away when we closed, but we were fortunate enough that we were prepared.”


Estolonio said Atsumi wants to be the best sushi restaurant in the area.


“This is a great place to eat sushi,” he said. “It’s a great experience. It’s a sushi experience but a step up.”