A heaping helping of news & reviews from DFW’s dining scene.
Wasabi Sushi Japanese Restaurant
The calls and e-mails have begun to pour in from the giddy dining public, delighted over the sudden near-glut of sushi restaurants in Cowtown.
It was only a matter of time before we had more than a handful of Japanese dining choices amidst our burgers and steaks. Nationwide trends do reach us here; while we’re more or less in the provinces, we’re not entirely in the boonies.
The newest place that has the locals excited bears the name Wasabi. Perhaps most remarkable about this new effort is its smart location near Hulen Mall, a bright spot in the land of chain dining.
Owner Heebong Yi prepared for opening his shop by working several years as a hibachi and sushi chef before managing Edohana, also in Fort Worth. At Wasabi, he’s filled about one-third of a large space with an L-shaped sushi bar and outfitted the remainder of the dining room with four-tops, keeping decor to clean, subdued lines.
A regular clientele has grown quickly, many returning time and again for the specialty rolls, as well as nigiri sushi — the unadulterated slices of fish atop a narrow mound of rice — featuring the usual fish, along with distinctive offerings that include Japanese snapper and the exclusive toro, or tuna belly.
There’s a balance of menu items for people not so crazy about sushi, too: Along with tempura and teriyaki goods, there are dinner plates of grilled scallops or sea bass, as well as breaded chicken or pork.
Yi says he’s distinguishing Wasabi by focusing on quality ingredients, and no MSG or trans-fats are used in cooking.
We found unexpectedly good texture and flavor in the Wasabi steak combo dinner ($20), which starred sliced choice-grade New York strip, cooked precisely to the medium-rare we requested. The large bento box included a mound of shrimp and vegetable tempura — the acorn squash and sweet potatoes were divine — with a spring roll and a crunchy (if a bit greasy) egg roll, and five nigiri sushi.
The garlic-infused Chilean sea bass ($20) was a beautiful, ambitious plate that may have had a tad too much going on. The fish bore some of the cooking oil’s flavor, which was only somewhat masked by the accompanying spears of asparagus and slices of portobello mushroom in a mustard sauce.
Nibbles were successful: The plump, steamed shrimp dumplings called shumai ($4.50) were our favorites, closely followed by the plate of beef tataki ($8), delicate sheers of rare beef steak served with sweetish ponzu sauce for dipping.
From the sushi list, we picked the volcano roll ($12.50). Served on a flat shell over flames, the hot concoction of scallops topped with a crunchy-topped creamy crab mixture provides contrast to the typically cool sushi experience.
We tried the recommended Hawaiian roll ($12.50), with mixed results. A California roll (crab, avocado and cucumber) topped with slices of tuna arrived with a garnish of finely shredded, crunchy daikon radish and beet. The plate was compromised, however, by the "tropical salad" that was little more than chopped fruit cocktail.
Regardless, southwest Fort Worth is fortunate to have a pleasing place for Japanese jewels.
Cuisine: Sushi, grilled Japanese dishes
Essentials: Major credit cards; beer, wine, sake; smoke-free; wheelchair-accessible
Entree cost: Lunch, $7-$11; dinner, $12-$29
Signature dishes: Specialty rolls, garlic-infused sea bass
Good to know: Plenty of choices for the sushi-adverse
This review originally appeared in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Friday, Sept. 14, 2007.
