Pearl, the new sushi restaurant led by Chef Shine Tamaoki, will open its doors to the public on Thursday, September 14, 2023. Located at 4640 McKinney Ave., Unit 130, Dallas, TX 75205, the restaurant offers both dine in and takeout through a dedicated sushi window.
At Pearl, Chef Shine follows Japanese traditions with a tastefully progressive approach to sushi. All dishes focus on seasonality and Chef Shine has developed the menu in a way in which there should never be a repetition of dominant flavors in any dish.
“My goal was to make the menu approachable enough so that guests feel comfortable trying something new every time they dine with us, while not compromising on quality or tradition,” says Tamaoki in a statement. “We want to continually peek our guests interests by constantly evolving the menu with dishes inspired by seasonality and the available ingredients.”
Guests can start their meal with starters such as Ohitashi; Oysters; Uni Shooter; Toro and Tuna Tartare; Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna; Sunomono (a Japanese take on ceviche prepared with fish and vegetables) tossed in a Japanese ceviche sauce; and Osetra Caviar served by the jar.
Cold options include dishes such as Smoked Yellowtail; Seared Albacore Crispy Onion; Hirame Usuzukuri; King Salmon Gravlax; Diver Scallop Crudo; Salmon Chili Garlic; Tuna Tataki; Seared Toro; and Seared Salmon Lemon Miso. A selection of soups and salads are also available including Chawanmushi – Japanese steamed egg custard.
Hot dishes include Filet of Beef (either A5 Kobe or American Wagyu)- served seared and sliced; Japanese Fish & Chips – beer and curry battered fried seasonal white fish with Burdock chips; Seasonal Mushroom Butter Soy; Shrimp Tempura; Shojin Tempura; and Fried Japanese Oysters.
A large selection of Nigiri and Sashimi is also available, featuring daily fish specials such as Otoro, King Salmon, Fluke, Tai, Aji, Tiger Shrimp, Snow Crab, Scallop, Octopus, Uni, Unagi, and Ikura.
Guests can also choose from a selection of sushi rolls including signature rolls such as the Spicy Yellowtail Roll – Hosomaki, yellowtail tartare on top, serrano, garlic, cilantro, shiso, sea salt, ponzu; Torched Salmon Roll – Uramaki, torched salmon on top, avocado, spicy mayo, torched, scallion; Baked Crab Roll – Futomaki, baked crab, spicy mayo, masago, avocado; Negi Toro – Hosomaki, tuna inside, toro tartare on top, wasabi, scallion, asparagus, chives, garlic soy, gold flake; Wagyu Miso Cream Cheese – Uramaki, torched wagyu on top, crab inside, miso cream cheese, asparagus, sweet soy, garlic chips, silver flake. This is the only cream cheese you’ll find on the menu; an ode to his business partner Todd Landis who is from Philadelphia.
Chef Shine also invites guests to choose from a Chef’s Selection with options including a selection of Seasonal Nigiri or Sashimi; Sake Donburi – salmon bowl featuring salmon loin and belly, ikura; Maguro Don – tuna bowl featuring otoro, chutoro, tuna; and Chirashi – toro, tuna, salmon, whitefish, octopus, tamago, silver skin fish, masago, seasonal pickles.
“My vision for guests is to enjoy family style dining, however, if someone wants to dine alone and enjoy a sushi roll, oysters and a cocktail, we will also have a menu and ambience to accommodate that as well,” adds Tamaoki.
While Shine plans to focus on omakase dinners once a month, guests who request omakase for the evening will be able to enjoy his creations for the evening any day of the week.
The beverage program focuses on craft cocktails featuring classic cocktails as well as unique cocktails highlighting Japanese flavors. Guests can choose from cocktails such as the White Pearl – made with Grey Goose vodka and house made lychee puree, lime juice, elderflower syrup, egg white and a touch of plum bitters; PurPearl – made with Roku gin and house made butterfly pea flower syrup and soda with a shot of yuzu juice on the side that can be added to taste; Red Pearl – made with rye and house made raspberry syrup along with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice; and UbeHome – made with Nikka Gin and house made ube syrup, lemon juice and egg white. Sake, wine, and beer is also available.
As guests step into the space, they’ll notice ornate details adorning the restaurant from velvet corner booths to gold accented walls and a one-of-a-kind centerpiece lighting feature resembling a fish swimming in water hanging from the ceiling. The sushi bar is also a focal point with seating for 9 people where guests can watch the Pearl team expertly craft fresh sushi, sashimi and more. Additionally, a patio is available for guests looking for a more al fresco option.
