Sushi News

New sushi restaurant in Dallas Design District has creative food & drink

Shodo, new Japanese restaurant open in the Design District.

Shodo

Sushi is so popular right now and there's a place that just opened in Dallas' Design District from a veteran operator: Called Shodo, it's a Japanese concept serving sushi, with a companion omakase room, that also incorporates Japanese flavors and ingredients in other components of the menu, as well.

Shodo is at 1628 Oak Lawn Ave. #110, in what was once Oak Dallas, and according to a release is by Route 62 Hospitality (PakPao, El Bolero), the company from Richard Ellman, who also owned Oak and who subsequently opened a steakhouse in the space called Wits in 2021. He's nothing if not nimble, and omakase is all the rage in Dallas these days.

Menu items include:

Wagyu Beef Tataki Sashimi - seared A5 Tataki
Mango Madai Crudo with Yellowtail
Tuna Tower
Shodo Roll with Lobster, A5 Wagyu and truffle scallion
Inari - a traditional sushi with sushi rice stuffed inside deep-fried tofu pockets, yummy

The beverage program features Japanese flavor profiles and ingredients with cocktails such as

Geisha Martini - Haku vodka, yuzu, and Lilet Blanc
Myoga Old Fashioned - Toki Whiskey, bitters, ginger, orange
Cherry Blossom - Grey Goose Cherry Noir vodka, dry vermouth, cherry
Yuzu Margarita - Tequila Herradura, Yuzuri, agave, lime
Sesame Mojito - Bacardi Rum, sesame, mint, lime, soda

Many a cocktail list has been featured on CultureMap, but few have been that enticing. There is also an extensive selection of sake and Japanese whiskey, as well as a regular wine list.

Decor in the 4,000-square-foot space features nods to ancient culture including artwork in the bathrooms, a private omakase room with a zen and buddha theme, and a large snow monkey mural with a nod to Jigokudani, the town in Tokyo where they live.

The main dining room offers seating for 60, bar seating for 20, 10 seats at the sushi bar, an omakase room with 12 seats and a private dining room for up to 40 people. The omakase room allows guests to enjoy special coursed dinners within the privacy of their own room.

The release says that "shodo" refers to the art of ancient Japanese calligraphy — not to be confused with the similar-sounding Shoyo, the acclaimed sushi restaurant from chef Jimmy Park on Greenville Avenue.

Omakase News

Downtown Dallas restaurant Sauvage expands with new dining twist

Sauvage

A downtown Dallas restaurant famous for its multi-course tasting experience is letting its hair down: Sauvage, the high-end mom-and-pop restaurant near the Statler Dallas hotel, has a new dining option that gives a smaller, more casual taste.

The restaurant opened in September with a set menu featuring 16 to 18 courses — wild game, seafood, vegetables, and dessert — all cooked via grill and smoker.

While 16 courses might sound like a lot, the courses are mostly small bites. However, owners Casey and Amy LaRue received feedback from diners wanting a smaller option.

"We were getting a ton of messages from guests who want to stop by just to try one dish, a bite, or a specific pairing without committing to the full tasting — so we built something for exactly that," Casey says.

They've introduced a new three-course "Cocktails & Bites hour" featuring three dishes, each paired with its own cocktail, served from 5–6 pm on weekdays.

Last week’s menu consisted of:

dry-aged red snapper crudo with La Chinola Way, a cocktail featuring passionfruit, mezcal, lime, and ginger
foie gras & truffle on house-baked croissant with Pendennis Club, a gin sour with apricot liqueur bitters
jerk-spiced shrimp with Clarified Paper Plane, a bourbon cocktail with Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice

The new offering continues their pattern of pairing courses with cocktails rather than wine — an approach they've embraced since opening. "Limiting pairings to wine can get boring — it so often ends up being one expensive red after another," Casey says.

You can make a reservation on Tock, or just walk in and grab a seat.

Caviar
They've also added a new version of their classic menu: no caviar.

"Some love having caviar integrated into the menu, but others prefer to skip it, whether for taste or dietary reasons, but still want the full value of the experience," Casey says. "With such a small counter, this put us in a strange position: do we give everyone caviar whether they want it or not, or do we remove it entirely and lose a core part of our menu?"

Thus, a new menu without caviar, priced at $195, with an optional caviar course available for those who want it for $245.

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