Mua Sushi
761 S MacArthur Blvd Ste 121
Coppell, TX 75019
(972) 745-3377
Mua Sushi is a cozy little sushi shop off Beltline and MacArthur in Coppell. I’ve only been in a couple times during lunch hours, but both visits gave me a favorable impression of the place.
On my first visit I sampled their grilled mackerel bento and side dish of seaweed salad. The opener, miso soup, pleased me as it wasn’t as grainy or coarse as some other versions. The seaweed salad was perhaps a little too wet, but tasted typical of the dish. The star of my lunch hour was the bento box however, and what a beauty it was. A perfectly prepared slab of fish came surrounded by compartments of vegetables and sides, ala korean-style banchan–which I devoured with gusto. The fried dumpling and the California rolls also were also quite appetizing. Accompanied by ponzu (?) the grilled mackerel tasted fresh and delicious, the soft and supple meat hadn’t seen the insides of a freezer for long, if any. And to drive that notion home, the hostess dropped a hint on how fresh their fish was.
On my second visit, I decided to tame a sore throat with some soup. Sadly the only other soup entry on their menu was a Korean soup, a beef-vegetable dumpling variety, which I ordered along with their double-roll lunch special: the Casa and Eel rolls. My hostess emerged from the kitchen about 10 minutes later with a small bowl, medium-sized dumplings floating in a mild egg-flower broth and my rolls. The beef dumplings were excellent, though I wish there had been more than just 3 of them. The eel roll tasted average and I remain undecided about the Casa, a fried roll that came topped with a spicy cream sauce reminiscent of tabasco sauce. I didn’t think the fish content in both rolls merited more than a passing grade however.
Both lunches left me 15 to 20 dollars poorer per visit. I also have to fault them for their $1.95 charge on canned soda as well. However, the food is above-average, especially notable for their Korean elements, and the staff are friendly and accommodating. I look forward to more lunches here in the future.
Rating by epicureasian: 3.5 stars
Nari Sushi
2625 Old Denton Rd Ste. 400
Carrollton, TX 75007
(972) 242-5200
Something about Nari Sushi makes me inherently suspicious.
Maybe it’s the freebies. On both visits, we were treated to two unexpected courses of appetizers, ranging from tempura to cold, spicy fish. But after a glance at their printed menu and at some of the prices, I’m not complaining at getting some of my food comped.
Maybe it’s the uncanny way they remembered us, by reciting our order from our previous visit. Butterfly kisses? Yes! Grilled mackerel? Yes!
Maybe it’s because they were too darned friendly? They checked up on us every time they passed by us from the kitchen. Was the freebie snack to our liking? How was our sushi tonight? Our hostess was always smiling and our sushi chef too accommodating. I suppose that wasn’t a bad thing…our glasses were always refilled promptly.
Maybe it’s the way Nari was tucked away behind a strip mall, far from the main road (by my reckoning) and that the entrance seemed oddly angled from the street. As if they were making sure they were hidden away from sight.
Don’t get me wrong; Nari has been a pleasant experience both times I’ve visited. But I have a feeling that they’re trying too hard…the food here speaks for itself. I’d come back for the sushi alone.
Rating by epicureasian: 4.0 stars
240 Legacy Dr # 218
Plano, TX 75023
(972) 517-9100
Fake Yelp reviews? I don’t know about that. Perhaps the high marks aren’t about the food.
I for one was completely taken in by the owner’s bubbly enthusiasm and outgoing friendliness. Every visit guarantees a lively conversation, while you watch him make your crepes on the spot.
I did enjoy chowing down on his freshly made ice cream and fruit crepes–that delicious contrast of warm and cold, crispy and soft–but it took a freezer outage to discover the true gems on his menu: the savory crepes — which the owner ought to promote more. The next time I’m in the area, I hope to see an expanded menu.
My rating: 3.5 stars
It’s been several years or more since I dined at Jinbeh (the Las Colinas branch) and thought it was time to sample its satellite spinoffs. For a Friday evening, I took the fiance out for some sushi at the Lewisville location. Tucked away in a strip mall, this location isn’t as upscale as the original, but it is still nicely decorated and spacious. Guests walk past two hibachi rooms before arriving at the sushi bar in the rear, an excellent setup, since we were nearly convinced to partake in the grilled foods.
But I had my heart set on sushi tonight. For a starter, we ordered the fried soft shell crabs, which were nicely crunchy but needed the flavor of the lemon and ponzu to perk it up. The seaweed salad didn’t fail to disappoint. For the main courses, we order nigiri-style mackerel (my old standby) then 3 of the house rolls. The first was a delightful roll that was sweetened by the mango inside…I couldn’t get enough of it! The 2nd was a spicy salmon and crab roll, decorated with two sauces, one of which was a zingy wasabi dressing. This one paired well with our mango roll, forcing me to jump from one plate to the next with each bite. The finale was a tempura fried stuffed jalapeno roll, piled high on a plate decorated in fire–ok it wasn’t really fire, but the sushi chef made it look like it was, using sriracha and mayo sauce. While the jalapeno wasn’t close to the heat in our other dishes, we nevertheless enjoyed the crunchy contrast it provided, and liberally sopped up the sauce from the plate.
We warned our waitress that we’d be using a coupon for tonight’s dinner, which she obliged without a fuss, so our $60 dinner only cost us $50 and tip. I felt this was a great price for a goodly and tasty amount of food. I can’t wait to come back to try their other Super-Mario-themed sushi.
My rating: 4.0 stars
The Fiance and I embarked on a series of dining adventures 3 weeks ago, a tour of menus compressed in a single day. We started with Pan Acean for their crowd-pleasing soup, visited Spice N Rice Indian Tiffin for samosa appetizers, ducked in next door at Zense Thai for satay chicken and a first course of Siam Beef, Cool Bamboo for Volcano Sushi, and finally Hard Eight for their BBQ chicken dipped in lemon garlic sauce. All dishes passed the test and I’m happy to report that we were mightily gratified by our movable feast.
2460 Lacy Ln Ste 102
Carrollton, TX 75006
(972) 620-9700
Excellent customer service. The b.b.bop guys were enthusiastic about their place and the food they served. I got a thorough rundown of the counter options, from the 3 types of rice, 3 meats (or 2 extra veggies), to the various veggie and sauce options. I ordered the spicy pulled pork with fresh spinach, steamed broc, and green onions (minus lettuce or cabbage offered), topped with their Chiang Mai Chili sauce. Their regular sized order was nearly too big of a lunch portion for me…I cleaned up every last bite. One thing to note: I did not get the signature plastic bowl that other reviewers have mentioned—they stuck my meal in a foam box. Clean and quiet place, more appealing to the fast-casual lunch crowd, not really a place I would linger in over dinner. Good food, casual digs, great price!
My rating: 3.5 stars
a gardening gamer gal in search of good grub!