Yippie. Downtown Dallas gets its own sushi joint. It’s an earnest entry called Sushi Ya that sits in what used to be a Williams Fried Chicken. Goodbye, greasy thighs; hello, raw fish. It’s not a bad little neighborhood spot, either, with good sushi, tempura, teriyaki, and noodles.
Owner Kang Lee is Korean, and sushi chef Naoshi Iida previously owned Masami in Richardson. On the sushi front, they do all your basic rolls, but showy stuff, too: one roll wrapped in cucumber in place of the traditional seaweed, another in chewy “paper” made of soy. Not everyone does these. They show finesse. And this is the late-night adventurer pick, chased with a wee 180-millileter bottle of sake on ice.
Tuna tower came as a layered edifice made of diced raw tuna and salmon, avocado, onion, seaweed, crispy noodles, and sesame seeds. The server reached in with a spoon and crushed it, stirring to form a flavorful harlequin mash. Seared tuna—soft red medallions ringed with cracked pepper—lined itself up real pretty on a pale green plate.
Sushi Ya’s bread and butter is the lunchtime worker, grateful for noodles, teriyaki chicken, and lightly fried tempura, especially the delectably crunchy shrimp.
Get contact information for Sushi Ya.
