An upscale global-fusion restaurant is about to debut in McKinney: Called The Quay, it specializes in American and Asian dishes, and will open in the former Waterfront Restaurant at 6601 Mediterranean Dr., in Adriatica Village, on February 27.

The Quay comes from restaurateur and chef Saicharan Shankar, who's no stranger to the Adriatica Village: In 2024, he opened Tantra Modern Indian Bistro, an upscale Indian restaurant with craft cocktails.

He's a big fan of the center. "This location was chosen because of the exquisite Mediterranean Village setting and its panoramic waterfront view," he says.

While Tantra specializes in Indian food, The Quay is an ambitious multi-cuisine concept featuring Mediterranean and pan-Asian dishes, inspired by his love of dining at premium restaurants around the world.

Signature dishes include the "Hotstone Wagyu," featuring A5 Wagyu beef cooked on a hot stone; and the Ruby Beet Chèvre, a a stunning pink goat cheese tinted by red beets, with microgreens and candied walnuts.

The restaurant offers two tasting menus with seven courses for a set price in two options: vegetarian for $89, and non-vegetarian for $109.

"It's a 7-course tasting menu that uses the finest ingredients and premium meats, including Wagyu imported from Japan," Sai says.

Other intriguing dishes include chicken schnitzel with mushroom sauce, risotto with prawns and truffle aioli, halibut with spinach sauce, Thai spring rolls, and vegetable curry. Young and savvy, Shankar is well acquainted with vegetarian tricks and techniques such as using mushrooms in place of meat in a veggie version of schnitzel using king oyster mushrooms.

Decor is upscale and they have a full bar mixing up a slate of colorful cocktails, such as the Lychee Martini; the Quay Old Fashioned with Redemption bourbon, maraschino liquor, and Angostura bitters; and the Oaxaca Duet with Tres Generacions Reposado Tequila, Cointreau, and aquafaba (chickpea water) — another trendy vegetarian ingredient.

Presentation is whimsical and over-the-top, such as the old fashioned, which is delivered in a glass cube filled with smoke which oozes out when the cocktail is removed; and a tropical drink mixed and poured into a partially rotating globe. If you're going to dream, why not dream big.

Cocktail at The QuayThe Quay