Sushi News

Sushi restaurant will open in old Christie's space in Uptown Dallas

They're known for their innovative sushi rolls.

Sushi Sakana

There's new sushi landing in Uptown Dallas: Called Sushi Sakana, it's a small mini-chain with two locations, opening at 2811 McKinney Ave., next door to Dream Cafe.

In fact, the very same building as Dream Cafe. It'll take the remaining space of what was once Christie's, which relocated to Greenville Avenue in January 2021.

James Park, who owns Sushi Sakana with partners So Park and Sung Yoon, confirms that the restaurant will open in late spring.

Sushi Sakana first debuted in Plano, at the Parkwood Square center at 3000 Custer Rd. in early 2007, where it built a following in the neighborhood for its sushi rolls, cozy atmosphere, and attentive service.

The menu has a big selection of sushi and sashimi, but also a wide variety of other options such as yakisoba noodles, teriyaki, ramen and udon noodle soups, and a quartet of fried rice dishes including regular fried rice, plus beef fried rice, chicken fried rice, and shrimp fried rice.

They're known for their rolls with classics such as tuna roll, rainbow roll, and California roll, as well as special signature rolls such as the wasabi roll, with soybean paper enclosing a filling of tuna, salmon, and crab. There's a separate selection of specials with a serious foodie vibe such as hamachi kama (grilled yellowtail collar); and a menu of bento boxes for lunch, served with soup or salad.

Appetizers are appealing and innovative, from calamari tempura to a deep-fried jalapeno stuffed with spicy tuna and cream cheese. The Avocado Bomb is an avocado topped with crab and spicy tuna, and deep fried; the similar "Monkey Brain" is a mushroom cap topped with crab and tuna and fried.

They've been plotting expansion for more than a year, and just opened a location in Southlake in December 2020.

"We've been interested in opening in Dallas, specifically Uptown," says James Park. "We know there's an audience there, some of our customers at Plano have come from Uptown. It was really just finding a good location."

While all of the menus are basically the same, they've added some entrees for the Southlake location including such as bulgogi, which they'll serve at Uptown as well.

He hopes they'll also expand their bar offerings, currently limited to sake and Japanese beer.

openings uptown

Grandscape goals

Soccer and dining venue from the UK gears up for U.S. debut in The Colony

Photo courtesy of TOCA Social

TOCA Social will make its U.S. debut in Grandscape in The Colony.

In time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup frenzy taking hold of Dallas, a soccer-themed entertainment and dining venue from the United Kingdom will make its U.S. debut in DFW this spring: Called Toca Social, it will open at The Grandscape complex in The Colony on March 6.

First announced for Grandscape in 2024, Toca Social combines soccer, entertainment, and dining, with a state-of-the-art venue and innovative soccer-based games. (A Toca Social was originally planned for Dallas, but that location was scrapped.)

The concept was founded by two-time U.S. World Cup veteran and MLS player Eddie Lewis and is backed by soccer legend Abby Wambach. It's billed as "the world’s first soccer social club" and only has three other locations - two in London and one in Birmingham, England.

“Toca was born from my obsession with the technical side of the game and the belief that a soccer ball should be at everyone’s feet,” says Lewis in the release. “After seeing the incredible reception in the UK, bringing our Social flagship home to the U.S. — and specifically to a soccer-rich market like Dallas — is a dream realized. We’ve created a place where the skill of the pros meets the energy of a world-class night out.”

Toca Social soccer Toca Social coming to Granscape in March 2026. Toca Social

The 20,000-square-foot high-tech venue features "social boxes" where players kick soccer balls against a screen that keeps score on best kicks. Cleats are not required. They tout their proprietary ball-delivery and tracking technology — an evolution of the "small ball" training method Lewis used during his 14-year professional career, the release says.

“Soccer is the ultimate unifier, but for too long, the 'entry fee' was being a pro-level athlete,” says Wambach in the release. “Toca Social is changing that narrative. This Dallas-area flagship is where the next generation of American soccer culture is being built.”

Sustenance comes by way of a chef-driven “Global Street Food” menu featuring Birria Tacos and Spicy Fried Chicken; along with a bar program that includes something called a "Pitch Invader" cocktail, which the release does not describe but calls a fan favorite.

There are massive 4K screens, ensuring Toca Social will be a premier location for FIFA World Cup watch parties this summer. Nine World Cup matches will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in June and July. Dallas' Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center will serve as the official will also serve as the International Broadcast Center.

Toca currently operates another concept, Toca Soccer and Sports Centers, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with locations in Allen, Carrollton, The Colony, Keller, and Mansfield. The company also has a strategic partnership with MLS club, FC Dallas.

“Our partnership with MLS is a cornerstone of our mission to engage fans in innovative new ways,” says Yoshi Maruyama, CEO of Toca. “By launching our U.S. Flagship at Grandscape now, we are providing a world-class destination where fans can play, dine, and celebrate the global game."

Reservations are now open at Toca Social in Grandscape for group outings, celebrations, corporate events, and matchday gatherings.

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Raven Jordan contributed to this report.

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