Shodo Is a Fusion of Traditional and Innovative Japanese Cuisine

Just when we thought the wave of sushi in Dallas had begun to die down, Shodo Japanese Kitchen has graced the city with culinary artistry.

Shodo is from Route 62 Hospitality, known for restaurants such as El Bolero and Pakpao. The focus is on high-quality and authentic dishes reflecting the essence of Japan with a modern twist — all alongside creatively composed cocktails.

New restaurant... Sushi... Cocktails... You all know the drill. Of course, we stopped by.

After walking through the torii gates — the traditional symbolic entrance at Shinto shrines in Japan — the first thing we noticed was somehow not the massive snow monkey mural, but how pretty the restaurant is.
The decor is a nod to many ancient cultural references. Two samurai guard the patio. A Buddha-themed omakase room is tucked away in the back. Japanese maple trees line the booths. Light fixtures overhead appear to be topped with traditional Japanese hats. Even the artwork in the bathroom is curated. Every corner is undeniably zen and sleek.

There are seating arrangements for just about any occasion. The right side calls for casual dining with high-top tables and the bar, with its extensive sake collection, Japanese whiskey and wine. To the left is the main dining room, with deep, crescent-shaped booths. Serious sushi lovers will find their way to the very back to sit at the sushi counter, with only four seats, or inside their private omakase room.

The drink menu is divided into cocktails, sake, wine and beer. Each section has an option that's classic, interesting or unique in some way.

Junmai and specialty sake come at a variety of price points, climbing to the $250 bottle of Tentaka Silent Stream sourced from Nasu Mountains in Japan. Wine comes in sparkling, red varietals, rosé, pinot noir and whites. The beer section has global favorites like Sapporo, Stella Artois and Dos XX, plus locally brewed Community Mosaic. Cocktails like the Green Eyes ($17), made with Roku gin, St. Germain, matcha and lemon, beckon for a second round.
We started with a yuzu margarita ($16) and the Moon and Sun ($14). Yes, two drinks. Two cocktails simultaneously was a wild way to start our Tuesday night dinner, we'll admit, but we can explain.

The bartender recommended the yuzu margarita first, which is made with Herradura tequila, Yuzuri (citrus liqueur), ginger, agave and lime. He wanted our thoughts when he handed it to us, noting that they were still experimenting with recipes and that something was off about it. He was right. It wasn't awful by any stretch, but there was an odd wang to it. Near-expiration lime juice ended up being the culprit, so he let us choose something to replace it.

We went with the moon and the sun. He let us keep the marg, on the house. Thus, two drinks.

The second is made with Mathilde Pear Liqueur, Absolut Pear Vodka, cherry and soda. It complemented our dinner well and tasted like a cross between a traditional cocktail and a seltzer. Light and refreshing with a full fruity flavor and crispy finish.

Both pages of the menu offer pure and traditional Japanese sushi, with the chef's unique plates woven throughout.

From the top, there are classic starters like edamame and seaweed salad. Then it's on to classic rolls, onigiri, signature rolls and dishes, sashimi, nigiri, hand rolls, rice bowls and riceless rolls. Not to worry if your idea of sushi caters to the likes of a California roll. There's one roll on the menu just for you, the Philly roll, which has cream cheese.

The sashimi and nigiri options take up about a quarter of the menu, with exotic and impressive options like A5 wagyu, Ora King salmon, sea urchin and flying fish roe. Finally, there is a triple chocolate cake or coconut pineapple ice cream for dessert.

We are well acquainted with the classics, so we opted for two dishes from the list of signatures: the Mango Madai Crudo ($26) and the Dual Hama Jalapeno roll ($19).
Crudo is a raw seafood dish usually dressed with olive oil, citrus and, sometimes, vinegar. Ours was made with red snapper, mango, sprouts, scallions, siracha and a garlic kosho (a type of Japanese seasoning paste). The dual hama jalapeño is a clean and simple roll with a double-decker of raw yellowfin tuna, avocado, jalapeño and siracha, all marinating in a shallow pool of yuzu ponzu sauce.

What stuck out to us the most was how fresh the fish in each dish was. It's flown in from around the world — salmon from New Zealand, tuna from Hawaii and everything else from Japan. You can tell with each bite that every ingredient is meticulous, from where it's sourced to how it's plated.

The most popular dishes here, like the Shodo Roll ($53) and the bluefin tuna tower ($28), are sure to turn heads and earn bragging rights.

At this point, it's common law in Dallas for your dinner plans to be secured with a reservation, so we were surprised to find a quiet dining room during our visit. Had we, for once, beaten all of the trendy influencers? It may be slow now, but once Instagram gets a hold of Shodo's artistic plates and sleek dining room, reservations will be a hot commodity.

Shodo Japanese Kitchen, 1628 Oak Lawn Ave., No. 110. Tuesday – Thursday, 5–9 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 5–10 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday.