Sushi in Uptown
Sushi restaurant with Vegas vibe rolls into Uptown Dallas
A third branch of Blue Sushi Sake Grill, the glossy sushi restaurant from Omaha-based Flagship Restaurant Group, will open at 3230 McKinney Ave. in Uptown Dallas in fall 2017. Flagship CEO Nick Hogan says in a release that the restaurant group was eyeing Uptown for a while, stating that the restaurant's "lively bar scene and variety of sushi" would make it an ideal happy hour and late-night spot for Uptown residents.
That part of Uptown has one or two sushi options, including the small chef-driven Yutaka, and Sushi Zushi, a small Texas chain. But neither of those resemble Blue Sushi, which is noted for its energetic dining experience, with unique food and drink and a kind of a club ambience. Lighting is sophisticated and does, in fact, incorporate the color blue. There are fish tanks and a kind of Vegas vibe, though in a classy not trashy way.
This is not to be confused with Blue Fish, the small Dallas chain whose closest branch is on Greenville Avenue.
The Blue Sushi menu combines authenticity with polish, with sushi and cooked dishes. The restaurant emphasizes the social aspects of sushi, serving dishes at the center of the table in traditional Japanese style to encourage sharing.
A grill menu features dishes such as beef tenderloin served over a plate of sizzling hot rocks, and chicken lettuce wraps with bean sprouts, toasted cashews, and cucumber sunonomo. Signature dishes include yellowtail serrano specialty sashimi, and sea bass nigiri.
Blue Sushi was one of the first places to offer edamame hummus, and its version, sprinkled with regular and black sesame seeds, is very good. It also has noteworthy desserts such as the chocolate roll, with a puff pastry enclosing a liquid chocolate center.
Cocktails and martinis use creative and refreshing options such as the samurai saketini with cucumber–infused vodka, cold sake, and lime juice, and a cucumber-jalapeño margarita with Corzo silver, Cointreau, lime juice, simple syrup, and muddled jalapeño and cucumber.
A simple yet authentic list of premium cold sake provides a basic overview of sake varietals that complement Blue's menu.
Blue Sushi first debuted in North Texas when it opened in Fort Worth in 2010. A second branch opened in Dallas' Preston Hollow Village in Dallas in 2015. The chain has nine locations total, in Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, and Kansas, with plans to open four more in 2017.
