Nobu Mania!

No matter where you are in the world, Nobu remains the premiere culinary destination for upscale, Japanese cuisine. The brainchild of chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa (also the proprietor of Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant Matsuhisa), Nobu debuted in New York City in 1994 with the help of actor Robert De Niro, making it an instant celebrity sensation.

The restaurant has since expanded to other U.S cities, including Malibu, Miami, Las Vegas and Waikiki, as well as international metropolises such as Beijing, Cape Town, Dubai, London and Milan.

For months, rumors have swirled that the revered seafood and sushi destination would make Houston home, and now the news of a new Nobu restaurant in Houston has been confirmed.

Though an opening date has yet to be revealed (late 2017 is expected), Nobu Houston will open in The Galleria as part of the mall’s $250 million expansion plan, which includes future retail and restaurant tenants such as Celine, Christian Louboutin and New York-based burger chain Shake Shack, as well as the newly renovated 200,000-square-foot Saks Fifth Avenue (New York-based Mediterranean restaurant Fig and Olive is also rumored to soon join the Galleria’s new lineup).

At Nobu Houston, expect dishes such as Matushisa’s signature miso black cod, langoustines with red chili shiso salsa, spicy salmon skewers, sea urchin tempura and a bevy of sushi.

The future Galleria location marks the second Texas outpost for Nobu, the first of which opened in Dallas in 2005.