A chic new sushi restaurant and cocktail bar with California roots is coming to Dallas. Called Ten Sushi + Cocktail Bar, it'll open summer 2024 in the Union Dallas building at 2301 N. Akard St., in the space that previously held Mexican restaurant Atípico, which closed in 2023.

The venture is from restaurant vets John Reed and Leslie Nguyen, who began their food & beverage career in California, before expanding to Houston, where they opened a Ten Sushi as well as its whiskey bar-restaurant sibling Bosscat Kitchen & Libations.

Nguyen calls the project "a huge accomplishment."

"We are thrilled to bring an approachable and lively Asian fusion concept like Ten to a beautiful multi-use campus like The Union, in a new market like Dallas," she says.

The concept features a menu that seems tailor-made for steakhouse-loving Dallas: sushi side-by-side with steak.

"We're a sushi place that also serves steaks," Nguyen says. "We've always had steak on the menu, including a tomahawk and a New York steak, plus cooked dishes and vegetarian items, and felt like we had that connection to what Dallas diners like."

Nguyen and Reed started out in southern California more than a decade ago as partners on a bar that Nguyen founded, and their journey has been one of adapting to customer needs. For example, when they saw a greater demand for food, they took over a sushi place next door to the bar and developed it into what Ten Sushi + Cocktail Bar is today.

The menu is creative with signature sushi rolls that utilize unique and inventive ingredients like black rice, yamagobo, and eggplant. Starters range from classics like edamame and shishito peppers, to novelties such as Japanese nachos with spicy tuna, guacamole, and garlic aioli on wonton crisps.

“Our food is unique but also extremely approachable,” Reed says.

Sushi rolls run between $17 and $22. Entrees range from $16 for pad Thai to $57 for a prime New York strip steak. Other entrees include orange chicken, chow mein, Mongolian beef, and fried rice.

Reed says they reviewed a variety of neighborhoods from Oak Cliff to Plano, and liked the central location of The Union the best.

"We love everything it has to offer - the high density of walkable commercial businesses, high-rise living, the beautiful design elements, and ease of access," he says. "The opportunity to partner with other amazing concepts like North Italia and The Henry made it an easy choice to put our high-performing sushi concept in the mix, adding another layer of diversity to the property."

Construction is underway on the Dallas location, which they plan to open this summer. The space will incorporate their signature cherry blossom trees lining a courtyard patio, pink accent furniture, and a nearly 20-foot-high ceiling above the circular mainstay bar.

“It looks like something out of Miami or L.A. but without pretentiousness,” Reed says.

Decor will include Asian street art, with delicate, hand-painted lotuses and cherry blossoms from California artist Jason Roose. The space, designed by Nguyen, will be dark and modern with bamboo flooring, black matte walls, and pink lighting to round out the sensual ambience.

"I've always combined my love of art and hospitality when designing our restaurants," Nguyen says. "Since we've broken ground in Dallas, I've felt the energy this city has and I'm thrilled to bring my vision to this new Ten space."