After over four years of service, Shun Japanese Kitchen at 2802 South Shepherd is on the way out. A post on the restaurant’s Instagram feed revealed that its last day will be June 10. Chef Naoki Yoshida, a Houston native and second-generation, Japanese-American who’d worked at his family’s sushi restaurant, Nippon, since he was 15, started Shun in October 2018. Yoshida also co-founded the Tokyo Night Festival, which happened last November.

 

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Our opening article noted the restaurant’s meticulously composed dishes and “superb” nigiri, including bluefin tina and mackerel — but also the “nondescript” gray building, which could have been a liability. Still, the interior, accented with vibrant, tattoo-inspired murals, more than made up for the exterior. Shun’s social media post also noted that the restaurant survived the closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Shun easily crossed cultural boundaries, too. Its “JFC” — Japanese Fried Chicken — found quite a fanbase.

With two months of business still left to go, Shun isn’t planning for stagnation, with the team saying new dishes are under development even now.

The post leaves some hope that this isn’t the end for the team. It reads, “Stay tuned as we explore into the next venture after Shun.” We’ve inquired about the reason for the closing and what this new venture is, and will update this article if we receive a response.

Editor’s Note: According to Google Maps, technically, Shun is in Upper Kirby. If it were on the other side of the street, it would be in Montrose. We’ve updated the article headline accordingly. 

Phaedra Cook

Phaedra Cook has written about Houston’s restaurant and bar scene since 2010. She was a regular contributor to My Table magazine (now closed) and was the lead restaurant critic for the Houston Press for two years, eventually being promoted to food editor. Cook founded Houston Food Finder in November 2016 and has been its editor and publisher ever since.