A Trio of New Sushi Restaurants Brings Fresh Japanese Dining Options to Fort Worth

In short order, three sushi bars have debuted in Fort Worth, enriching the city’s dining landscape with new handroll and omakase options. Shinjuku Station’s former location is now home to Yoichi Omakase and Handroll, while Oishii has settled into University Park Village.

The rooftop bar at The Sinclair hotel recently transformed into an intimate sushi restaurant with unparalleled views of downtown. To help our readers keep up with these buzzy developments, we dropped in to see what each new spot brings to the table.

Yoichi Omakase and Handroll

Some spaces are simply destined for sushi. When Shinjuku Station closed its doors at 711 W. Magnolia Avenue two years ago, it was a loss for lovers of Japanese street-style comfort food and seafood rolls. Today, the same shotgun-style room has a new life as Yoichi Omakase and Handroll. On a recent evening, we visited the fully transformed space and were greeted by the kitchen crew, who enthusiastically shouted, “Irasshaimase!”

The new layout makes smart use of the long, narrow footprint. A seated bar runs the length of the room, dividing the space, while the kitchen occupies the east side. The menu is carefully curated, featuring four appetizers, crudo (raw-fish plates), a la carte handrolls, and specialty rolls. For $85, you can be treated to an omakase showcase of the chef’s choosing.

We recommend the unagi, finished with a sweet glaze, the Hokkaido scallop served in a crunchy seaweed shell with minty shiso, the snow crab roll, and the Hamachi crudo topped with mustard-garlic ponzu, crispy onion topping, and Thai chili. Every small plate we tried was masterfully plated with harmoniously balanced flavors.

Oishii

Oishii is a chain of sushi and pan-Asian restaurants with locations in Dallas, Plano, Grapevine, and, most recently, Fort Worth. The simple strip-mall façade belies a surprisingly lavish interior with a fully stocked bar — and bottles of wine are half price on Tuesdays.

The menu offers a true pan-Asian experience, with tiger prawns, crispy oysters, and crab rangoons for appetizers, several chicken dishes, and classic Chinese favorites like Mongolian beef. There’s also an extensive sashimi and sushi roll menu.

We recommend starting with the Tuna Tataki (seared tuna, onions, serranos, sriracha, yuzu, garlic soy sauce), then moving on to the savory Donut Roll (spicy shrimp, avocado, tuna, mayo, eel sauce), and the General’s Chicken, which arrives in a spicy brown sauce that avoids the usual syrupy heaviness.

Nikuya

When we recently visited Nikuya (Japanese for “butcher shop”) on The Sinclair hotel’s rooftop, we were dazzled by the meticulous plating and creative takes of traditional Japanese dishes. Chef Alvin Chik brings years of experience working in San Francisco’s omakase scene and Plano’s Uchiko.

The menu features original cocktails — the Japanese whiskey Old Fashioned is a must-try — and raw fish small plates like the salmon crudo, which we highly recommend and comes served over a citrus-forward and richly aromatic sauce.

The first visit was such a delight that we returned for an omakase experience with Chef Chik. As we savored aged and nigori sakes, Chik dazzled us with an edamame “guacamole” served with crispy rice crackers. The evening unfolded with lightly seared cuts of fatty salmon, wagyu beef, rich tuna, and several handrolls that were simply sublime.

Chik was a delightful host, chatting about everything from his childhood in Hong Kong to his cat, whom he spoils with chef-prepared fish every day. Reservations by calling 817-697-7777 are highly recommended for a seat at this buzzy rooftop restaurant.