Sushi Swap: Maji Sushi Takes Over Yutaka's Old Digs in Uptown Dallas

Maji Sushi just opened shop where beloved Yutaka Sushi Bistro stood before closing after 17 years.

This new sushi haven is serving generously portioned, high-quality sushi in a casual atmosphere. The people of Uptown are rejoicing to have a staple sushi spot back along McKinney Avenue.

A near-infinite amount of combinations make up the menu. You could come here weekly for a year and not have a repeat order. The menu is nine pages long, 10 if you include the separate nigiri/sashimi page you're given with the menu. It's the Cheesecake Factory of sushi menus. Here's a quick rundown: lunch specials, drink menu, soup and salad, appetizers, regular rolls, deep-fried rolls, baked rolls, riceless rolls, special rolls, Maji's special dishes and dessert. Also, they kept some of Yutaka's popular rolls while adding some of their own into the mix, in case you're still mourning the former.

If you're a menu previewer before you go to a restaurant ... just trust. They'll have something you'll like. They have it all. If you can imagine it, it's probably on this menu. Don't stress.

We got a good lay of the land with their seaweed salad, Snow Mountain roll, bluefin tuna nigiri and hamachi sushi.
Seaweed salad sounds pretty horrendous by name, especially if your only experience with seaweed is when it's wedged between your toes on a beach.

When it's put in a salad, though, some magic occurs. It's not going to make any hall of fame for dishes, but it is simple, reliable and refreshing, and sometimes that's all you need to get things started. It's served cold, slightly sweet and has a big sesame flavor.

Next, we tried two pieces of nigiri, which are labeled as "sushi" on the menu. One was bluefin tuna and the other was hamachi (yellowtail tuna). These were probably the largest pieces of nigiri we've ever been served. We can't imagine how much bigger they'd be if you're on the sushi chef's good side.

Fresh seafood has been a common theme for all the new sushi restaurants opening recently, and Maji continues the standard of melt-in-your-mouth cuts.
We finished things off with the Snow Mountain roll. It's yellowtail and cucumber wrapped with white tuna and crab meat and topped with a sweet sauce and mayo. The two sauces flavor the whole roll, but the fresh seafood still comes through.

The menu doesn't say that it's imitation crab, so that's something to keep in mind, but the roll was tasty regardless.

Maji's look and feel is low-key, especially for Uptown. It's squeezed between a Palm Beach Tan and Mattress Firm. No frills, just high-quality fish and plenty of rolls to come back for. Again. And again.

Maji Sushi, 2633 McKinney Ave. No. 140. Tuesday - Friday, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. & 5 - 9 p.m.; Saturday, 12 - 10 p.m.; Sunday, 12 - 9 p.m.; closed Monday.