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(From June 2009) Take a seat in the dining room, at the sushi bar, or at one of the teppanyaki grills, and try to make a choice from the tempting menus. Over at the grill they’re serving up the likes of chicken teriyaki and steak and scallops. At the sushi bar there’s a healthy list of options; we like the Dragon Eye, a roll wrapped with salmon, green onions, and spicy mayo and topped with avocado.

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(From October 2009) Still the city’s standard-bearer for Asian cuisine, Emperor Garden has a recently expanded menu that augments the Chinese and Japanese offerings with an impressive tour of Southeast Asian cuisine. The crispy fish in Hunan sauce is darkly sweet and best complemented with the slightly bitter and hot Szechuan eggplant, while the Malaysian curry shrimp masterfully melds coconut milk, red curry, tomato, and onion. The aromatic Thai beef basil and the beef with velvety satay sauce are also stellar. Bar.

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(From November 2009) The grill is a steak’s best friend here at the city’s latest Asian newcomer. Swank surroundings are rivaled by an impressive menu that includes sushi, tempura, raw and grilled offerings, and a welcome assortment of small plates (the negimaki—thin slices of beef rolled with scallions—is stellar). It’s easy to be distracted by the chef’s shenanigans, so study the menu first. For sushi, try the lobster tempura roll with avocado and cucumber. From the hibachi, the dinner entrée plates are a great value. Bar.

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(From July 2009) It may be a drive for some, but this Japanese restaurant is worth it for the food and the show, what with the fancy knife work and the spectacular flames (there are locations in Frisco and Las Colinas as well). Choose from the varied sushi menu or the list of hibachi-grilled dinners (sesame chicken, filet mignon), all of which are served with a basic salad, miso soup, rice, and assorted vegetables. We particularly liked the scallops, the calamari, and the Angus steak. Just for curiosity’s sake, try the ogura ice cream, flavored with a sweet paste of azuki beans. Bar.

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(From October 2009) The team behind Azuma and Soma (and the now-defunct Hue) have opened a Japanese grill in Hue’s sleek wood-and-stone spot. We happily tried a succulent lamb chop beautifully plated on a slender leaf, then went on to make a satisfying “small plates” meal of agedashi tofu, vegetable tempura, unagi (freshwater eel) sushi, peppercorn tuna sashimi, and a Caribbean roll of fried lobster, tuna, mango, avocado, and eel sauce. Manabu Horiuchi, formerly of Kubo, reigns over the sushi bar. Bar.

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(From November 2009) This ultramod spot in the city’s Warehouse District still attracts the young and the beautiful—and the rest of us. We rushed over after work to snag a spot at the bar and settle in with a crisp white wine and some fabulous little bites. We were especially wowed by the Austin-style sashimi: yellowtail with cilantro (!), thinly sliced serranos, and basil vinaigrette. The Dynamite Shrimp also blew us away: delicious tempura-battered crustaceans with vibrant orange salmon eggs. Bar.

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(From December 2009) Ultramodern lights, black leather booths, and intricate tile work add style to this contemporary steakhouse. Kobe beef is king here, cooked to medium-rare perfection (as well it should be, at $65 for twelve ounces). Regular steaks are available and equally well-prepared, as are the seafood offerings; we like the grilled jumbo shrimp accented with fresh lime and cilantro, which goes beautifully with the gingery basmati rice. Bar.

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(From October 2009) With its Zen balance of black and white, this long-established restaurant serves up serenity along with its impeccable sushi and sashimi (trust the sushi chef for recommendations). We relished the spicy eel-wrapped dragon roll and tucked into the silken-textured grilled tofu “steak” with almost as much vigor as we did the slivers of Japanese-style spiced-and-sweet barbecue beef (almost). The dining room perches over the San Antonio River, just on the edge of Brackenridge Park. Beer & wine.

August 26th, 2009 at 12:55am
CKY says:
I been there one, but I’ll never return exept someone pay the check for me. I ordered a Tofu steak meal and a sipder roll at my last visit, the Tofu was not bad; but, as an Asian, I think I can figuar out which brand of tofu and sauce in my dish. The soft shell crab in the spider roll was cold, actually, shellfish like that should not prepared before dinner time. For my dinner, I paid 16 for the tofu and more than 8 (I can not exactly remember)for the roll. I do not think that was a good value by comparing the quality and $$. After few months I visited Koi Kawa, I heared a suprising story from my friends. They ordered a dish of sashimi as appetizer, when the waitress put the sashimi on the table, she suddenly took the sashimi back to the tray and told my friends "too many pieces", then brought the sashimi back to the kitchen.

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(From February 2009) When the fajita diet means the pants don’t fit, savvy dieters here turn to sushi. This darkly intimate spot churns out platters of jewel-like rolls named for local celebs, like the Chuy Garza (crab, cream cheese, chile, and avocado). If the pants still don’t fit, go lighter with the crisp red snapper teppanyaki, nicely glazed with soy and lemon. Of course, you can always damn the diet and tuck into the chile-dusted enchiladas rojas topped with grilled onions and potatoes. Beer & wine.

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(From December 2009) The local fascination with hybrid sushi creations is indulged here, where platters are ringed by little jeweled rolls named for assorted celebs and wannabes. We’ve got a fine bromance going with the Chuy Garza, filled with panko-breaded crab, cream cheese, chile, and avocado. There’s also a toothsome teppan-yaki red snapper, shellacked with soy and spritzed with lime. Not ready to roll? Park it for street-style enchiladas rojas, tightly wound with queso asadero and embraced by grilled onions and potatoes. Beer & wine.

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