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My hubby and I decided to go out for dinner and have Sushi.  It’s a rare occasion and I was really surprised and excited when he said yes.  We hadn’t been out for sushi in a long time – like a year or so, at least not locally here in Dallas.  We have a large selection of sushi restaurants all around us.  I tend to go every so often with my kiddos, so I have been to quite a few.  However, my hubby is more of a creature of habit and wanted to go to a sushi restaurant we had been to in the past.

Sushi Surprise

We pulled up, parked and quickly realized that our old place had been replaced with a new Japanese restaurant; Shumi Japanese Cuisine.  We debated about going in, mainly because it was relatively empty and it was so pretty inside.  We were dressed pretty casually and I hadn’t even put any makeup on.

As we stood in front of the restaurant deciding, a woman came out and invited us in. She said they were open and that this was their “soft opening”.  A term that typically means the restaurant has a limited menu and a few customers. It is kind of like a trial run or dress rehearsal for the staff.  And, as an extra perk, they said they would serve us for free!  How could we possibly refuse!

A Little History

Once we were seated comfortably at the sushi bar, we were introduced to the owner, David Seo, who recently moved here from New Jersey.  Actually, this past January, he had come to visit a friend who had moved to Frisco, and fell in love with the area.  Soon after that visit, he started looking for a location for the restaurant.

Within a few months, he secured the restaurant location in The Shops of Legacy where Naan Sushi used to occupy.  He completely renovated the interior with beautifully designed lighting and modern but simply stunning finishes, and moved in.  This is not a new thing for him as he already has two locations in New Jersey that are both doing well.

It’s all in the Name

In Japanese, Shumi means hobby.  It was this hobby that Master Chef, Kunihiko Aikasa started in Somerville, New Jersey several years ago. Their Omakase, which translates in Japanese to “I will leave it up to you” is the style with which the chef chooses which items to serve based on the fresh fish from the day’s catch, which is flown in every night from Japan.

First Customers

The opportunity to bring his unique approach to his style of sushi to Dallas was a great adventure. And you could tell by how excited he was when we sat down.  He had to stop for a minute, catch his breath and said something like, “wow, this day is finally here – it’s official and you are our first customers”. We were so thrilled!

He explained that sushi was originally served face to face.  Back then, there was a simple counter and the chef sliced the fresh fish, added the rice, and served it directly to the diner.  Since there were no big displays to block their view, he could speak with them about the sushi he was serving.  It is this concept that was the inspiration for the design of his restaurants.

This was so much more personable, especially because with each new piece he served us, he explained why he combined the specific flavors as well as where the fish had come from.

Tasting New Flavors

Honestly, we probably wouldn’t have tried some of the sushi if he hadn’t explained it and set it in front of us.  We had never had eel or mackerel before.   We aren’t the super adventurous sushi eaters like some of our friends are.  But, it was a lot of fun to try the different fish and even more enjoyable to see how excited David was to introduce it to us.

When we weren’t able to eat all of the sushi he served, they sent it home with us in a beautiful to go box.  This was the design of their friend, who had been the one to invite David to visit them in Frisco, Texas. Unfortunately, I didn’t get his name, but he has done all of the marketing for Shumi.

With all this, the food was delicious, the staff friendly, and the service delightful.  If you get a chance to give it a try, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Enjoy,

Sherri

#shumijapanesecuisine

Shumi Japanese Cuisine Website:

Locations:

Plano location:
7161 Bishop Road
Plano, TX  75024

Ridgewood, NJ location:
70 E Ridgewood Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
201.345.0808
201.655.2899

Somerville, NJ Location:
30 S. Doughty Avenue #4
Somerville, NJ 08878
908.526.8596