Stellar Austin Omakase Toshokan Moved Into a New Further East Austin Space for Now

Fantastic omakase restaurant Toshokan is indeed moving into a new location for the time being because its original address in East Austin at the Native is being turned into a putt-putt golf course this year. This relocated Toshokan is found within private club space/event venue the Pershing at 2415 East Fifth Street in the Holly neighborhood as of this late July.

Co-partners C.K. Chin and chef Saine Wong have already rescheduled reservations booked for late July into the new Pershing space. Their intent is to be able to reopen Toshokan within Holey Moley when the space opens, which is projected to be in November 2023. Chin shares with Eater he’d be open to keeping both locations open if everything works out, allowing Wong to helm one of the locations and a different chef for the other.

Chin and Wong opened Toshokan in March 2022 as a hidden omakase within a former hostel bedroom space at the Native. And it’s through the 14-course menu that Wong explored new-school nigiri through his culinary experiences and worldwide travels, leading to bites such as bone marrow atop brioche, crunchy and raw spot prawns, pure fish bites, and more. The team won Eater Austin’s Eater Award for the best omakase of 2022.

The Native opened as a hostel in Austin in May 2017 with an on-site restaurant and bar. It pivoted to a small business incubator during the early parts of the pandemic, leading to restaurants like Toshokan as well as others to operate within the space. However, the entire space closed officially in June 2023 to prepare for an Australian company to convert it into a putt-putt golf course, Holey Moley, aiming to open in November.

The Pershing, which opened in 2014, operates as a private members social club as well as an event space.

Currently, Toshokan is operating with reservations on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, though everything is booked up through August.