One of the Galleria-area's most popular sushi restaurants is making some big changes. Uptown Sushi will close on Saturday, September 8, for a comprehensive interior renovation, the restaurant announced on Facebook.
The restaurant's partners, Peggy and Daniel Chang and chef Donald Chang (Daniel's brother), made the decision to make major changes to match the renovations going on throughout the Uptown Park complex, according to Peggy Chang. When the renovations are complete in January 2019, everything about the interior will be different.
"When we decided to remodel, we knew we wanted to bring a breath a fresh air into the restaurant," Peggy Chang writes in an email. "We’re taking down all the curtains and bringing in more natural light to go for a more modern and classic look."
Uptown's renovations come at a time of increased competition for sushi options in Houston. When the restaurant opened 15 years ago, it was among the city's first upscale sushi options. Since then, a number of restaurants have opened in the area, including the recent arrival of global sushi juggernaut Nobu.
The renovations, along with a new menu, allow Uptown Sushi to serve another generation of diners. After all, diners want more than California rolls and spicy tuna in 2018.
"We’ve noticed that people are more open to trying new things and embracing unfamiliar flavor profiles," Chang writes. "Also, when we first opened, our diners were mainly adults. Now we see a lot of young families eating sushi together, and these kids really know their stuff!"
Uptown Sushi has been open for 15 years.
