The Cuisineist goes on the road to Dallas Texas and finds KENICHI a hidden local gem

When the Cuisineist goes on the road we go straight to the locals and find out where they go to dine. We took to the road and visited the Dallas/Fort Worth area to see what was "cookin" in the Metroplex.


After speaking to many locals, the first thing we found out was that Dallas is not Just about Tex-Mex and BBQ anymore.

Located in Downtown Dallas KENICHI came highly recommended by many young professionals we spoke with. When we walked through the front doors we were reminded of many of the great Asian restaurants in Las Vegas and Miami. The decor was sleek and hip with the expected Asian twist.






Master Sushi Chef Kiyomi Sano and Executive Chef Bodhi Durant have combined their talents to make KENICHI a local favorite of young hip professionals in Dallas with great Sushi , Sashimi , Tempura and rolls that are some of the best that we have had the pleasure to indulge in.




Looking over the menu we were intrigued by the Ishiyaki method of cooking. A Japanese tradition that dates back to practically the beginning of time . Exquisite delights like Kobe Beef , Escolar , Scallop and Shiitike Mushrooms are placed on Hot Stone that is 1000 degrees and cooks these to perfection and very quickly. At KENISHI you have the option of getting just one of these dishes or choose the Chefs selection like we did so you can enjoy them all .





Of course how could we start without some great Sake and Sake Sommelier Hung Nguyen was right by our side help choose a wonderful SAKE for our meal. As our Ishiyaki was cooking we started off our culinary journey with a Wild Salmon and Shrimp Sushi dish that was fresh and delicious




The Ishiyaki was ready and we went right down the line with excellent Kobe Beef on to fresh scallops and shiitake mushrooms ending with a lovely white fish of escolar that was a true delight.

“Ishi-Yaki”, or Japanese hot stone cooking is actually an ancient cooking method and is traditionally done with seafood,rather than meat. The tradition started when fishermen go to catch a fish or shellfish by diving into sea, it was a custom to provide a stove in the boat. At noon, they boiled fish and shellfish in a wooden bucket heated with hot stones from the stove. On shore, where wooden buckets or pans were not provided, they cooked in a hollow of a rock. This cooking is also called ‘ishi-yaki,’ baked with hot stones. This was our first hands on experience with Hot Rocks and after a little " On the Job" coaching we got the timing down just right.




Of course we could not leave without trying a Roll. The most interesting Roll we found on the menu was the " Miami Roll "



This lovely roll consisted of Wild Salmon , Shrimp , Crab and avocado wrapped in cucumber and sweet red onion sauce. Not only the the Miami Roll great to eat but was a work of art in its creation. KENESHI was a very pleasant surprise for us in the land of Tex-Mex and BBQ. If you would like to learn more about KENICHI please visit http://www.kenichidallas.com/