“KEMURI,” JAPANESE FOR SMOKE, IS WHERE TEXAS
BAR-B-Q & JAPANESE BAR CULTURE COLLIDE.
It’s part izakaya and part Texas smokehouse. In Japan, izakayas are the neighborhood bars where everyone goes after work.
OUR STORY
Chef owner, Tatsu Aikawa, describes it best himself:
“THE SPACE IS MEANT TO FEEL LIKE JOHN WAYNE ON ACID.”
Built inside a former barbecue joint, Kemuri Tatsu-Ya isn’t fusion for the sake of novelty. It’s what happens naturally when you live life between two cultures. Tatsu was born in Japan but raised in Texas. As he once put it, “I’m Japanese-American, but really, I’m Japanese-Texan.”
THE MENU REFLECTS THAT TO A T.
Here, binchotan meets post oak. Skewers come off the grill beside smoked brisket ramen, chilled sashimi, barbecue eel, whiskey highballs, and sake bombs. It’s all meant to be shared around the table and built for another round. This unique experience has earned Kemuri recognition from the Michelin Guide with a prestigious Bib Gourmand. Kemuri is the kind of place where you settle into the night and leave a little happier than when you came in.
