Omakase sushi is taking over Dallas. Our city is falling for many-course “trust the chef” tasting menus that blend the freshest possible sushi and nigiri pieces with cooked appetizers and light desserts. Climbing to $225 per guest without tax, tip, or drinks, an omakase dinner is a truly special occasion. But with so many options on the scene, which is right for you? We visited seven sushi tastings to match your preferences to your ideal restaurant. (Prices are current as of May 2024.)
Kinzo
At the border of Frisco and Little Elm, chef Leo Kekoa has created a premier omakase destination for suburban sushi lovers. The selection at Kinzo includes rarities such as monkfish liver and Japanese butterfish, which are made more interesting with exciting garnishes such as spicy mustard and crunchy chile garlic crisp. 14111 King Rd., Ste. 2200, Frisco. 214-784-5785.
Price per guest: $185
You should go if: You love wasabi’s nose-flaring kick.
Best feature: The menu changes weekly thanks to fish flown in fresh from Toyosu Market in Tokyo.
Weak point: Omakase is served at the sushi bar, alongside customers dining à la carte. A better ambience would make the $185 meal well worth the money.
Namo
This one-time casual handroll bar in Uptown is now a serious purveyor of top-notch sushi. Ordering directly from fish suppliers in Japan, Namo takes its ingredients seriously and exudes a restful calm while plating up its fish. 3699 McKinney Ave., Ste. 305. 214-484-5151.
Price per guest: $250 (monthly omakase dinner); $75 (lunch okonomi set)
You should go if: You want a more traditional experience and can have it at lunch, or you can’t get into Tatsu.
Best feature: An abbreviated lunch version of the tasting makes it possible to enjoy the omakase experience at an affordable price any day of the week.
Weak point: Dinnertime omakase tastings occur just once a month. Mark your calendar and book well in advance.
Shoyo
Shoyo lands squarely in an omakase sweet spot: creative but respectful of tradition, seriously good but playful, a great meal and a good time. The range of drink offerings is as strong as the food and service. A slightly shorter tasting may be available for Sunday brunch. 1916 Greenville Ave.
Price per guest: $195
You should go if: You’d like to try a mix of ultra fresh sushi items and cooked appetizers.
Best feature: The menu skillfully mixes super traditional fare with more creative flavor combinations.
Weak point: Unlike Sushi | Bar, Tatsu, and Sushi By Scratch, there’s no lounge for before- and after-dinner drinks. But hey, you’re on Greenville Avenue!
Sushi | Bar and Sushi By Scratch were both developed by chef Phillip Frankland Lee. Lee still runs Sushi By Scratch, while the company that operates Sushi | Bar does not currently employ an executive chef. Both groups are rapidly expanding across the country. Sushi | Bar is now in Austin, Chicago, Miami Beach, and Dallas.
Kathy Tran
Sushi | Bar
In a basement under Dallas’ East Quarter, Sushi | Bar puts on a lively party each night, with flamboyant chefs, good drinks, and over-the-top sushi pieces that may come topped with jams, preserves, caviar, or truffles. Like the very similar Sushi By Scratch, Sushi | Bar’s menu is all nigiri, with no kitchen dishes. 2115 Jackson St. 214-420-8532.
Price per guest: $201, including a fixed service charge
You should go if: You’re here to celebrate and you want your fish topped with blingy “enhancements.”
Best feature: The dinner-party atmosphere and chatty chefs are good for diners who might not know much about Japanese tradition or might be intimidated by it.
Weak point: The food itself. Sushi rice is treated as an afterthought, and toppings often mask the flavor of the fish.
Sushi By Scratch
A hidden speakeasy in The Adolphus Hotel, Sushi By Scratch is a lot like Sushi | Bar, offering 16 pieces of nigiri, a small side of pickled veggies, and a light dessert. Overall, we prefer Sushi By Scratch’s execution of its food, including rice and treatment of the fish, but Sushi | Bar has a livelier atmosphere. Both feature Americanized service geared to first-timers. 1321 Commerce St., inside The Adolphus Hotel. 214-272-2759.
Price per guest: $198, including a fixed service charge
You should go if: You’ve never done omakase before and want a good tutorial.
Best feature: Chefs are eager teachers, talking diners through different cuts and species of fish.
Weak point: The setting, in a hotel room, limits how much alcohol and atmosphere Sushi By Scratch can offer. (Since we visited over the winter, Sushi By Scratch moved to another corner of the Adolphus, currently behind the kitchen where hotel staff prepare room service.)
Tatsu Dallas
The best and deepest sushi experience in town, Tatsu Dallas showcases chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi’s decades of experience and careful attention to detail, from the flawlessly prepared rice to the house-made bonito flakes. Your seafood cuts may be aged or cured to deepen the flavor. 3309 Elm St., Ste. 120. 469-271-7710.
Price per guest: $185
You should go if: You know what a great omakase experience can be.
Best feature: Tatsu’s hospitality is entering Dallas legend. (When a deaf relative of ours visited, the staff learned enough sign language to explain the menu.)
Weak point: There is less explanation for first-timers than at some other spots.
Yujo
Located near Preston Hollow and North Dallas, Yujo offers a more approachable, casual tasting with easier-to-get reservations. You’ll choose from a variety of omakase menus. Some favor more traditional sushi, while others bring luxury add-ons. Meals are paced quickly; you can squeeze 15 courses into an hour. 12835 Preston Rd., Ste. 216. 214-238-6716.
Price per guest: $75 for the basic tasting, market price for premium, and $130 for an uni-focused menu
You should go if: You have places to be after dinner.
Best feature: We enjoyed the freedom to choose our tasting level. We opted for basic, but there’s also a longer version and an “Uni Craze” celebration of sea urchin.
Weak point: At times, we were served the next course before finishing the last.
This story originally appeared in the May issue of D Magazine. Write to brian.reinhart@dmagazine.com.
Authors
Nataly Keomoungkhoun
View Profile
