When it comes to choosing a delicious sushi spot to dine at anywhere in the metroplex, the options are almost endless. Every restaurant has its own spin on the popular and delicious cultural cuisine, but there are some destinations that stand out among others.
Take Frisco’s Sushi Damu, for example. Located at 3685 Preston Road #101, this seemingly small space offers a large menu with a variety of sushi rolls and sushi-infused dishes. While rolls (both eclectic and traditional) are prominent on the menu, there are also uncommon options like sushi burritos and poke bowls, just to name a couple items. After a recent visit to this new(ish) place, Sushi Damu more than stands out in my mind! I forever have a local, conveniently located recommendation for anyone who loves sushi.
To spice up a low-key Monday evening, a couple of my friends and I decided to try Sushi Damu. These particular friends are always the ones I call when I want to go for sushi somewhere. They are self-proclaimed sushi aficionados and know immediately when they have discovered a great new place. I knew they would make the perfect companions for this dinner outing. I was right, and they took their job of trying a little bit of everything on the menu very seriously.
Upon arrival, we were greeted and quickly shown to a comfortable booth. Everyone working there was so welcoming and went out of their way to say “hello” to us. There were booths and tables, as well as seating at the well-stocked bar. The neon lighting along the booths and walls created a unique but relaxing environment and a great mix of music was playing in the background. Immediately, as I took in the variety of delicious aromas, my stomach started growling. I had done a little research on the online menu ahead of time, so my taste buds were ready to get the party started.
The service was truly great! The staff is so friendly and you can tell they really want you to be happy with your experience, which is very refreshing! We talked with our waiter for a few minutes, got the information we needed and started trying to make choices about our meal.
For tradition’s sake, we ordered some warm sake to start with and perused the happy hour menu, which featured drinks and even a few sushi rolls. My friends tried the Asahi beer, which is a super dry Japanese rice lager. They loved it! While we were looking over the menu, our waiter brought out a free plate of ceviche with tortilla chips, which is offered to every table, for us to try. The sweet and tangy blend of flavors in this were awesome. It had chunks of tuna, vegetables and a distinct heat offered by the jalapenos that were mixed in. We did not leave one bite on the plate.
For an appetizer, we were enticed by the Baked Mussels, which were not a hard sell with this group. The dish, with six mussels to share, was absolutely exquisite. The texture was slightly chewy and the flavor was perfectly exaggerated with a little lemon. We also had an order of the Dragon Balls, which are deep fried crab balls stuffed with shrimp and jalapenos. These were served piping hot and every bite was full of fried flavor.
I encouraged my friends to try something they might not normally pick off the menu so we could get a good sense of the variety of dishes at Sushi Damu. Brittany happily went with the Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl, which is basically deconstructed sushi in a bowl. This is actually a traditional Hawaiian dish that is served as a raw fish salad. She loved Sushi Damu’s take on the bowl. Another plus, the poke bowl really is a healthy option for anyone trying to maintain a specific diet. This poke bowl featured spicy tuna, spicy mayo, avocado, cucumber, edamame and green onion. Brittany ordered her bowl with white rice, but there was also the option to include brown rice or mixed salad. Diners can also build their own bowl, if they choose, by selecting a base, protein, sauce and topping. You cannot go wrong here, regardless of how picky you may be!
Hayden tried the Salmon Sushi Burrito. I have to admit, we were completely unsure of what this burrito would be like, as we had never seen this on a menu before, but by the time the plate was placed on the table, it was obvious he had made a stellar choice. The burrito was stuffed with salmon, tamago, green leaf lettuce, masago, cilantro, lotus chips and ginger guacamole. What a delicious concept! He said it was different than anything else he had ever tried before, especially at a sushi restaurant.
I wanted to try a sushi roll that would be new to me. Conveniently, the menu is organized by low carb rolls, fresh rolls, baked rolls and tempura rolls, and there is a photo with the description for every item (very helpful)! I decided to go with the Las Vegas Roll, which features tuna, salmon, izumi dai (sushi-grade tilapia), cream cheese, spicy tuna and avocado. Did I mention the entire roll is also deep fried? The roll was huge and far exceeded my expectations! Because it is fried, the roll is warm. It was perfectly spicy, and the mixture of tuna and salmon was to die for. The cream cheese really brought everything together.
The three of us also shared a Monster Roll, which was voted the best item on the table. It had a very nice texture and featured spicy tuna, soft shell crab and deep fried freshwater eel in a roll covered with jalapenos. (Note: I loved this place’s use of jalapenos in so many dishes!)
One thing that is important to mention is how huge the portions and servings are at Sushi Damu. We ended up with so much food and we in no way broke the bank! The restaurant’s prices were very reasonable, especially when you consider the amount of food they serve.
Even though our eyes had already proven to be larger than our stomachs, we decided to try the Green Tea Tempura Ice Cream because it simply seemed so unordinary. It was colorful, sweet and large enough to share. How can you go wrong with fried ice cream and whipped cream? A little chocolate drizzle across the plate made the presentation of the dessert memorable. I recommend saving room for this when you pay your visit!
Happy Hour at Sushi Damu takes place every day from 2-5:30 p.m. There is also Reverse Happy Hour Monday through Saturday from 8:30 p.m. to close and on Sunday from 8 p.m. to close. If you want to learn more about everything featured on the extensive Sushi Damu menu before you visit the restaurant, check out sushidamutexas.com.