Experience the Art of Edomae Sushi
Tucked away from the bustle of Dallas’s historic Deep Ellum neighborhood is an intimate space where Japanese hospitality and the art of Edomae Sushi seek to transport you to another world. Guests indulge in a variety of seasonal dishes, expertly curated by Executive Chef and Owner Tatsuya Sekiguchi. Each meal is served omakase style, and consists of one or two appetizers, thirteen to fifteen pieces of nigiri style-sushi, a hand roll, miso soup and dessert.
Tatsu Dallas hosts two seatings, five nights a week, with each meal lasting approximately one hour and forty-five minutes. Guests are encouraged to interact with Chef Tatsu and witness the art of edomae sushi up close and in person.
Crystal Dirdon-Cooper
Crystal started her career in service at the age of 20 and worked her way up to managing a 130-tap bar in only 15 months. Though she would not have expected to still be in the bar business today, her big personality and creativity have made her an asset to the restaurants that have employed her. Crystal has become a specialist in opening and supervising restaurant bars all over the metroplex, assisting in crafting menus for new concepts like Catbird in the Thompson Hotel and making seasonal tweaks to old favorites like the menu at the French Room Bar in The Adolphus. At Tatsu Dallas, her menu offerings are a true reflection of how embracing Japanese culture has expanded her palate. Whether you join her for a cocktail before, during, or after your meal, Crystal’s infectious personality will be sure to enhance your evening.
Lead Mixologist
Yoji Ishii
Despite hailing from Osaka, Japan, which many would consider the culinary epicenter of the country, sushi was never in the plan for Sous Chef Yoji Ishi. However, a chance encounter with Chef Tatsu left young Yoji struck. He saw so much of the art that he loved in Chef Tatsu’s approach to edomae sushi. So, with no experience, Yoji traded in his pencils for knives. Now, when the former art student reaches for his brush, it is dipped in nikiri and not paint. He has been a quick study under Chef Tatsu and his passion and skill are evident in his every move.
Sous Chef
Janice Brown
For many, the worlds of sake and wine can be intimidating and exclusive. Janice Brown, WSET III, has made it the focus of her career to unite people with sake and wine through a creative and intuitive approach. Engaging with guests and learning their likes and dislikes is like putting together a puzzle for Janice. Uncovering a wine or sake that they will find surprising and delicious is one of her greatest joys. She educates her guests on flavors and styles, and most importantly, shares the stories of the people and places behind the bottle, to demonstrate that wine and sake are meant for all to enjoy. In her role as Beverage Director and Sommelier, she sees herself as your guide in joining food and drink in enticing, thoughtful ways to create a memorable dining experience.
Beverage Director and Sommelier
Hiroko Sekiguchi
Hiroko Sekiguchi began her career in the service industry in 1994 and never looked back. Only two years out of New York’s prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology, Hiroko ambitiously opened her own café aptly named Hiroko’s Place in Manhattan’s SoHo district, which she operated for over ten years. A stint at Sushi Yasuda led Hiroko to be introduced to Chef Tatsu, her now husband, who was seeking a service manager for his launch of Omakase Room by Tatsu. Hiroko brings her two decades of restaurant operating experience to Tatsu Dallas in the role of okami to ensure we meet the highest standards of Japanese hospitality. The term okami in Japan is generally given to the chief service manager of a ryokan or restaurant, a role customarily reserved for the wife of the business’s owner.
Okami
Tatsuya Sekiguchi
Owner and Executive Chef
Tatsuya Sekiguchi grew up watching his father prepare traditional Edomae-style sushi and sashimi in his family’s almost 100-year-old restaurant in Hasuda City, Saitama, Japan. In 2001 Chef Tatsu took the skills passed down to him from his father and set out for New York City. It was not long before Tatsu’s extraordinary abilities were noticed by legendary Sushi Chef Naomichi Yasuda, who appointed Tatsu Executive Chef of his eponymous, Michelin-starred restaurant Sushi Yasuda in Manhattan. Under Tatsu’s leadership, Yasuda was named one of the 10 best restaurants in New York City by Zagat in 2013. He served at the helm of Yasuda’s storied sushi bar for ten years before setting out on his own. What was intended to be a short six-month residency at Omakase Room in the city’s West Village turned into an immensely successful two-year run. Chef Tatsu is now ready to share his culture and talent with Americans outside of New York City and is excited to welcome you to his first restaurant, Tatsu Dallas.
THE CAST
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introducing
Kirameki
at Tatsu Dallas
Nestled inside Tatsu Dallas is an intimate, cherry wood bar where Lead Mixologist, Crystal Dirdon-Cooper, is crafting cocktails as inviting as the décor. Guests at Kirameki will have the privilege of indulging in eclectic, signature cocktails designed to complement the seasonality of Chef Tatsu’s menu, as well as flawlessly executed classics with a Japanese flair. A selection of maki rolls are prepared fresh to order by Sous Chef Yoji Ishi for you to enjoy while connecting with friends, or making new ones, as you relax in the ambiance of Kirameki.
RESERVATIONS
Tatsu Dallas accepts reservations for parties or two or four via Tock at the link below. Reservations are released on the 1st and 15th of each month at 8 AM CST. All reservations are prepaid via the Tock platform. For parties of eight to ten, please contact us directly at the link below.