Sumo Shack

Fun Japanese restaurant fuses up hot dogs and buns for SMU Dallas crowd

Japanese-style hot dogs are about to land in Dallas.

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Shed your last tear for Banh Shop, the bright Vietnamese spot on SMU Boulevard which closed in January, because its replacement is coming at you. Called Sumo Shack, it's the fun, kitschy new Japanese fast-food restaurant from the team behind Wabi House on Greenville Avenue and Sapa House downtown.

Aiming to open in May, Sumo Shack will serve bao, Japanese hot dogs, and ramen — an ultra-trendy combination cobbled from bao restaurants in New York and Houston, crossed with new-wave hot dog spots such as Umai in California.

"The main dish is bao," says manager Long Nguyen. "It's the soft white steamed bun, but we're going to stuff ours with a lot of different fillings, similar to Baohaus in New York or Fat Bao in Houston."

Sumo Shack's menu items include the "Angry Bird" bao filled with fried chicken, American cheese, and a pickle. There'll be a pork belly bao, a crispy fish bao, and a burger bao, with the bao substituting for the hamburger bun. There'll be a Philly cheesesteak bao and a smoked brisket. There'll be two options for vegetarians: shiitake mushrooms, and one with tofu that they've marinated, then deep fried, served with pickles and peanut sauce.

They'll also do a dessert spin on bao, where they deep fry it and stuff it with ice cream.

And then there is the hot dog element.

"It's Japanese hot dogs, so it look like a hot dog, but we use a different roll, it's a potato bun so it's soft," he says. "We use different ingredients, too. It looks like a hot dog, but it tastes like Japanese food."

There'll be all sorts of toppings from queso to pickled nori to jalapeños, which can also be ordered over French fries in a dish called Sumo fries. There'll also be a Japanese corn dog.

Last but not least: ramen, although it won't be a main thing, just a couple of quick varieties. And unlike Wabi House, which has a strict rule against ramen to go, Sumo Shack will allow it.

There'll be a full bar with a focus on Japanese drinks including now-trendy Japanese whisky, a Japanese-style margarita, and and a "sake-rita" make with sake. "We're also going to use sake to make a frozen drink, which is rare," he says.

Everything will be cheap, priced at $4 or 5, sort of like an Asian taco place, so you can order, say three different bao options and get out for $11.

"We're combining everything that's hot," Nguyen says.

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Food and Drink News

Artsy eatery Allegory Kitchen makes for a night out in Grand Prairie

Allegory Kitchen

Shrimp at Allegory Kitchen

An artsy restaurant and bar has debuted in Grand Prairie: Called Allegory Kitchen and Bar, it’s in a former event venue space at 2601 W. Jefferson St., where it opened in February.

Founders Ronnie Harris and Anthony Griffin have pooled their extensive hospitality experience on this new venture. Harris spent the past 30 years in airport concessions at airports such as DFW Airport, while Griffin comes from hospitality in Alabama.

"We kind of stumbled on doing the restaurant by default because we wanted to open a hookah lounge and serve liquor," Harris says. "We couldn't serve liquor and no food, so it transitioned to us becoming a restaurant."

To that end, they retained Atlanta-based chef and restaurateur Carlos Brown who helped create the menu. Harris and Griffin are now leading the concept which continues to evolve.

It started as a fine dining concept with brunch, but they’re adding more casual Southern and comfort food dishes. Menu items include Southern fried catfish, a half-pound burger, grilled pork chop, and roasted half chicken. There are also vegan options such as roasted butternut squash tabouli with caramelized onion vinaigrette, chili flakes, mint leaves, almonds, and arugula, served with wild mushrooms and herb quinoa.

Small plates include three cheese lobster mac & cheese, Carolina pan-seared crab cakes, and collard green spring rolls filled with collard greens, onions and peppers, then deep-fried.

Sides are on upscale: pork belly Brussels sprouts, garlic parmesan truffle fries, sauteed haricot vert (French green beans), and sweet potato apple hash.

They have a full bar with domestic and imported beer, wine, and signature cocktails.

“My number one specialty is the Sexy Allegory — it has a cognac base and mix of blueberries and blackberries,” Harris says. “We can satisfy any palate with our beers, and we have a wine wall with the best of the best, such as pinot grigio and cabernet."

The atmosphere is lively and colorful with plush seating and floral wall murals. There’s booth and table seating with white marble tables and jewel-toned chairs and booths. The chandeliers over the bar are a visual treat, have white feathers arranged like a blooming flower.

As if food and drink are not enough, they offer more reasons for a night out with events almost nightly, including poetry night, live jazz from a saxophonist, and more.

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