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(From June 2011) The setting is sleek and the offerings creative, extensive, and, as you might ex-pect, expensive. Here’s a hint. Go for lunch, where you can find bargains like sushi com-bos, noodle bowls, and bento boxes; we like the beautifully presented crab tempura box, its moist crab and vegetables pairing nicely with a fresh spring roll, a delightful Cali-fornia roll, and steamed rice with just the right amount of “sticky.” Bar.

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(From May 2011) Sheriff’s deputies, cops, attorneys, and jurors are flocking to this attractive, family-run spot near the county justice center for classic Chinese dishes. Order from the menu or take a spin around the six sleek buffet tables; there are sushi and stir-fry bars as well. Everything is fresh and artfully seasoned. Liquor license pending.

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(From October 2011)

The sushi bar dominates this space, and it should, because the sushi is excellent, made from fresh ingredients by nimble-fingered chefs who dice, slice, roll, and plate at lightning speed. Start with sashimi of yellowtail tuna and salmon, both flavorful and firm, then try the Crunch Roll, an interesting combo of California roll and shrimp tempura.

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(From July 2011)

With sushi chefs imported from New York, this place is sure to entice the Valley’s lovers of Japanese food. Broken into three areas, the space has a lively hibachi area, a sushi bar with a cool urban vibe, and a separate bar with pumping house music. Start with the Wasabi Tuna Dumpling: Minced king crab and avocado get wrapped with a thin slice of tuna and placed atop a cucumber slice with an artful drizzle of wasabi mayo. Or the Ocean Mix Tartare, with king crab, salmon, ikura, and tomato pressed neatly into a tower. We also loved the Scorpion Roll, with soft-shell crab, shrimp tempura, and eel. The hibachi meals are fun too and best enjoyed with families or large group. Bar. 

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(From February 2012)

A near Delphic oracle of fish tacos, this unassuming destination attracts devoted pilgrims. Here, marlin is mesquite-smoked and fused with mozzarella, then dotted with tomato and slathered with avocado before being folded into billowy, lightly grilled tortillas. The faithful also cleave to the Veracruz: battered cod dressed with a salsa-spiked mayo, verdant slices of avocado, and crunchy purple cabbage. The menu is rounded out with sushi rolls thick with cream cheese and various chile infusions, but they pale in comparison with the celestial tacos. Beer & wine.

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(From January 2011) Of Port A’s many seafood restaurants, none is better than this waterfront landmark presided over by Guy Carnathan, who also created the late, lamented Beulah’s. The menu’s shorter now, but still in-cludes an impressive variety of seafood. We started with a succulent crab beurre noir, the meat sautéed in brown butter and served on toast points. A notable cornmeal-crusted grouper filet in a mild three-pepper cream sauce was slightly preferred over an also excellent red snapper filet with avocado salsa. Sides rivaled the main dishes in quality; the white-cheddar grits are so good they should be offered as an entrée. The upstairs dining room offers views of the Lydia Ann Channel. Bar.

Monday, September 22nd, 2008, 1:59 pm
libby says:
Pelican and Venetian Hot Plate are good. But my favorite place in Port A. is La Playa Mexican Grille. Be prepared for a wait. Relax and enjoy chatting with the other waitees in La Playa's front patio area and salivating as people exit and the open door wafts savory garlic. The food is a homestyle mix of grilled seafood and trad Mex dishes. All of it, from-scratch delicious.

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(From January 2012)

Chic new digs form a perfect backdrop for one of the city’s most inventive menus. In addition to traditional sushi (maki, nigiri, temaki) there’s an abundance of border-style rolls bound with cream cheese, dotted with chipotle, and riveted with avocado. But this ain’t just a border sushi stand. The wide-ranging menu also boasts empanadas, an aromatic tomato-basil soup, beef steaks varnished in a toothsome cabernet sauce, and Thai chicken bathed in a tangy red curry sauce laced with coconut milk. Beer & wine.

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(From February 2012)

The clever name has street cred that’s making this “Guadalajara-style” restaurant a growing local favorite. Get your rolls in green or red options (that’s avocado- or crab-coated, not anything remotely New Mexican). Breaded versions include La Loca (which marries jack cheese, avocado, and zucchini with chicken) and the Chicken and Shrimp Roll (with grilled asparagus and avocado). Hamachi is presented sashimi-style, fixed with fiery jalapeños, while crisp-edged quesadillas are fat with shrimp basking in a sweet chipotle cream salsa. And, yes indeed, we’ll take our michelada exotically thickened with mango. Beer & wine.

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(From January 2011) Restaurateur Andy Kin has introduced a tasteful Japanese steakhouse to the Southside. Sit at the popular sushi bar, get up close and personal with the flashing knives and soaring flames at a hibachi table, or settle into the more conventional (and quieter) dining room. Spicy miso soup was followed by a crisp house salad with a delicate sesame dressing. The hit among our entrées was the featured bento box, each compartment holding its own little treasure, the tempura shrimp and grilled shrimp shumai (dumplings) being especially noteworthy. From the hibachi we enjoyed cooked-as-ordered tenderloin steak, vegetables (zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms), and excellent fried rice (a meal in itself). Bar.

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(From June 2011)

We decided, across the board, to try new dishes, and what an adventure it was! Shishito peppers, quite pleasant except for the fiery orange ones, and popcorn crab, to-tally edible soft-shell babies, made for two mind-expanding appetizers. Japanese snapper carpaccio sprinkled with tomatoes and Asian greens was piquant, while marinated tuna with avocado and cashews pleased with its crunch and layers of flavor. The only item that disappointed was the washu beef and potato croquette; the small bits of beef were mixed into a mushy mix of potato, and the panko crust had an oddly sweet taste. Walking through the Japanese garden to the front door is a lovely touch for this wildly popular East Dallas eatery. Bar.

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