Sushi has arrived at Sylvan Thirty, the retail complex in West Dallas: Called Sugoi Sushi, it’s a new restaurant now open in the former Cooper’s Meat Market space at 778 Fort Worth Ave. #G-150, where it’s serving sushi and an omakase offering.
Sugoi Sushi comes from a team with sushi credentials: Partners Khanh Nguyen, Jack Nguyen, and Steven Pham met when Khanh frequented Kinzo in Frisco, where Jack Nguyen and Pham both worked. They bonded over their shared homeland of Vietnam, and dreamt of opening their own restaurant.
Sylvan Thirty proved to be a fitting location; while it is home to Ten Ramen, it had no sushi. “West Dallas gets neglected and we wanted to serve this community,” Khanh says.
They’re observing the tradition of Edomae-style sushi, highlighting simplicity: the balance of fish and perfectly seasoned rice.
The menu includes nigiri with some high-end seafood selections imported from the famed Toyosu Market in Japan. They have about a dozen sushi rolls which are more thoughtfully conceived than the usual California roll, incorporating unusual ingredients like sliced lemon. Some, like the Sylvan roll, which combines salmon, shrimp tempura, avocado, seared scallop, sliced lemon, and eel sauce, are “riceless”.
Appetizers include gyoza, edamame, and shrimp tempura; there are also three entrees: black cod miso with “asparagus mash,” Wagyu steak, and garlic beef, priced from $20 to $35.
A special omakase offering for $150 features 14 to 16 dishes, including a small bowl of pho.
Drawing on their Vietnamese roots, they have also incorporated spices such as Phu Quoc pepper, known for its vibrant, complex flavor, and aromatic hat doi in some sauces and for seasoning in their bowl dishes.
Cooper’s left behind a dry-aging machine for beef, and the Sugoi team is experimenting with it to dry-age seafood, a process that can concentrate the flavor and improve the texture. They’ll be incorporating that onto the menu in coming weeks.
In addition to the dry-aging machine, they also inherited a space with a wall of large windows that looks out onto Sylvan Avenue. Their Decor is simple and modern with a large sushi bar, tables, and a small beverage bar with wine, beer, and premium sake, from bold vintages to delicate junmai daiginjo.
They’re only open for dinner but now’s the time to visit, as they are doing a 15 percent off promotion in these early weeks. They’ll add lunch hours later in September.
“We’ve already seen repeat customers — they’re happy that a good Asian restaurant has arrived,” Khanh says.