"Fifteen years ago people were making jokes about sushi being bait, and now...it seems there is a sushi bar in almost every mini mall."-Russ Parsons
Recently,
while dining with some of my girlfriends at a popular sushi restaurant, I
noticed several young children eating sushi with their parents. As a child that
grew up on McDonald’s happy meals, I was amazed to witness these bizarre
mini-adults wield their chopsticks with uncanny precision. These tiny creatures
had mastered wasabi and volcano rolls well before subtraction and chapter
books. I couldn’t help but wonder - when did sushi become so mainstream?
Restless
for a new adult sushi experience, fellow PR gal SD and I were excited to
discover Sushi Envy, a new sushi conveyor belt restaurant that
recently opened in the greater Dallas area. Sushi conveyor belt restaurants, common
in Japan and large cities in the U.S, rotate their sushi along conveyor belts throughout
the restaurant where patrons can happily grab their rotating selection. While
restaurants in the Dallas area such as Genki Sushi and Tokyo No Hana provide conveyor belt
experiences, they are in a buffet form rather than the traditional Japanese
style where each rotating selection has a set price.
Sushi
Envy is located north of Dallas, well into the realms of suburbia which may be
a trek for most urbanites. However, the restaurant is located near the chic and
uber modern NYLO hotel making dinner and nearby
drinks a fun option. SD and I visited Sushi Envy for lunch and were delighted
by the sushi and dining experience. The quantities of each rotating dish were
small – almost like sushi tapas, allowing the diner to select a wide variety of
delicious options. Sushi purists may be discouraged by the large number of
rolls in rotation, but our friendly (and easy on the eyes) server Jean Luc
politely informed us that the sushi chefs would be happy to accommodate our every
sushi wish. Those who suffer from a lack of sushi restraint should beware –
with so many yummy options passing by, it is easy to overeat (and overspend) in
this restaurant setting. Sushi Envy wisely takes advantage of the weak-minded
by adding luscious looking desserts such as chocolate mousse tortes into the
rotation. Riding high on the spirit of our sushi adventure, SD requested green
tea ice cream over sticky rice – a concoction she had dreamed up only moments
before (and something that was not on the menu). With a broad smile Jean Luc
brought us the largest bowl of ice cream topped rice we had ever seen – apparently
the restaurant was more than happy to accommodate even the most peculiar sushi
wishes.
PR Rating: A manicured thumbs up. Sushi Envy offers delicious sushi in a setting that
works for a quick lunch or a fun dinner option. The staff is friendly and
attentive and the atmosphere is modern and clean. The conveyor belt does
require some advanced motor skills to select the option as it passes by, so
leave your uncoordinated ex-boyfriend or chopstick wielding 8 year old at home.
image source: eisenhowerya.wordpress.com
-RW
great last line. hilarious!
Posted by: amee | September 15, 2009 at 11:19 AM