Dive Into a Neon Dream at Houston’s New Asian Diasporic Restaurant Haii Keii

Coming soon to Upper Kirby is a dining experience that will have you asking if it was all a dream

A hot new restaurant is coming to Upper Kirby called Haii Keii, poised to serve Asian-inflected dishes with a mix of East Coast oysters; American, Japanese, and Australian steaks; and an ube-infused espresso martini. The restaurant opens on Tuesday, February 18, at 3300 Kirby Drive in a 3000-square-foot space.

The menu aims to be a little bit of everything to everyone, managing partner Jarred Tosto says. “We want to be a place where, every time you come, you can have a different experience,” he says, suggesting that could mean eating only sushi, curating a steakhouse-like experience, or sticking to shared plates that touch on various Asian cuisines.

For steak diehards, there is a wagyu flight that allows a taste of steaks from multiple regions. Sushi seekers can order from more traditional options on the nigiri, sashimi, and maki menu — or try house specialties like the Murakami roll with king crab, Japanese A5 wagyu, and Kaluga caviar, as well as the banh mi roll with shrimp, pickled carrots and daikon, jalapeño, and nuoc mam. There are some unique additions like the eel and foie gras, which layers warm milk bread with foie mousse, and flounder ceviche served with aji amarillo, seasonal stone fruit, and crispy wonton.

Karter Kendrick

The menu also caters to vegetarians. “We made sure that we had a nice veggie selection,” Tosto says. “I never really ate vegetables as a kid, and now I love them… Even our nigiri, we have red bell pepper [substitute for tuna] that is probably one of my favorite things.”

Another tempting item may be the ube espresso martini, which Tosto says took six months of testing to get right. “We take the ube and mix it with cream and milk, then boil that down to get the color we desire. Then we add in a little espresso, mocha, and coffee liquor.” Ube makes multiple appearances on the menu, including an dish on the vegetable menu that features pureed and fried ube dipped in apple cider glaze. It comes out looking like a small potato but eats more like a creme puff that melts in the mouth.

Karter Kendrick

The interiors, created by Gin Design Group, tap into a futuristic Tokyo vibe with touches of classic Japanese iconography. The entryway sets the tone — it’s a dark hallway lined with illuminated Plexi screens that change colors as guests walk in. The reference points are Blade Runner (the 1982 version that was set in the futuristic Los Angeles of 2019) and Kill Bill. Furniture and decor look slightly off from realistic — cast in bright colors that lean more toward edgy neon than a basic primary palette. An inverted bonsai tree in bright red with blue leaves hangs over the bar, creating a dramatic centerpiece.

Haii Keii will have nightly dinner service to start, with a happy hour menu offered Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. that features half-off dishes in the bar and patio areas. Fridays and Saturdays offer late-night hours for the weekend. The team says lunch service will begin in March, so look forward to even more out-of-the-ordinary dishes during the daytime, too.