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Finally found a phenomenal sushi bar in Dallas! First of all the overall ambiance was trendy and cool. Not a major thing, but I would have preferred having the sushi restaurant side in the back area and have the bar lounge area being the first thing to see.
Since there was a wait for the sushi bar, we of course had a few drinks in the back. I had the grapefruit sake martini that was raved about from previous Yelpers. AND yes I agree... I loved it. We also had the tuna tartar prior to being seated at the sushi bar. It was good... I've had better... but still pretty good.
Our bartender in the back lounge was very attentive and friendly; he totally gave us complimentary drinks for our long wait to be seated at the sushi bar.
But it was so worth the wait. We started off with the Rainbow Roll... which has always been my personal way of judging if the sushi will be good.... because the roll essentially has 4 to 5 different raw fish... and if I decide the fish is not fresh from that one roll, I will start ordering cooked food. But it was amazing. We also had Uni that melted in my mouth... as it should... the hamachi, salmon, and Unagi...absolutely delicious!
This place without a doubt has authentic sushi.... i didn't order anything fried... sushi rolls with anything fried or with cream cheese... seriously is fabricated americanized sushi.
I will most definitely be back!
Based on Yelp reviews, this seemed THE place to go for sushi in Dallas. Just moved from Torrance, CA to Dallas, TX and have been searching for a place that serves decent sushi. Have had sushi at: Steel, Teppo, Nobu, Shinsei, Sushi Bar (at Clarion on LBJ), Abacus...and the search continues.
We went on Fri night before 8 PM, waited at the bar for almost 2 hours. The guys at the bar are really cool and nice. The pleasant hostess might tell you 45 minutes, but it could be 2 hours...so I recommend ordering a few appetizers at the bar if you're told the wait will be 30+ minutes. Finally got seated close to 10 PM. By that time, they were out of toro. The waitress was uncommonly rude. The recommended sea bass was good, but the sushi was really disappointing. I didn't even bother to eat some of the sushi that was still left on my plate. Glad they ran out of toro...probably would not have been worth the cost.
Reasons to not go back: Really long wait, rude waitress, quality of sushi equivalent to $1 sushi
Mission to find good sushi place failed.
I'm not ashamed to admit it. I went here BACK TO BACK NIGHTS!
Had a get together with my brother in law, best friend and his wife. They were in the mood for sushi/japanese. I said, we have an IDEA!
They tried to convince us not to go, since we were there the night before, however we didn't mind at all!
(more people = more food = more sampling!)
5/5 rating for service, food, presentation, decore, ambience, EVERYTHING.
Ordered the:
Washu beef on a hot rock (sounds simple, but outstanding)
Uni (sea urchin)
Tamago (as good as it gets)
Toro and Super Blue Toro (amazing price for what you get)
Marinated SeaBass (amazing)
Corn flake crusted fried shrimp (amazing)
Daily specials:
Fish of the day was amazing (i think he blinked at me before they cooked him)
Salmon & Tuna Sashimi (melts in your mouth)
Toro Rolls (best bang for the buck)
HUGE oyster on a shell (hard and soft.... sooo good!)
Desserts:
Brulea & some type of strawberry pudding (i can still taste it)
Drinks:
Sake Martinis & Asahi Black of course
AMAZING. AMAZING. AMAZING.
Seriously. The sake list is now the BEST in Dallas! They have Kobuta Manju…
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Let me start this review off with one major Kudos......BRA-effing-Vo on the concept of Asian Tapas..i LOVE the concept of tapas anyway, but ASIAN tapas? *slow clap*....I'm gonna try not to make this a novel, but man, lots to say! Where to start...???
Atmosphere:
I'm sorry, but ever since I was little...I have LOVED going places that may not require, but imply the need to dress up and look nice. I'm a girl....we live for this. I loved wearing my new dress, and walking into a place that immediately treats you like......well...what you are....a respected paying customer. The staff is SO attentive and polite...pulling out chairs, carrying your drink for you from the bar to the table...willing to answer any and all questions you may have...etc. The ambiance is very cozy and chic. The actual dining area is VERY small...with great decor and Asian surroundings....we were lucky enough to sit at the sushi/grill bar and watch the masters at work....oh the things we saw, cant wait to go back.
Food:
Seeing as though I knew this was a sushi place, I was shocked at how little actual sushi they had. The had 8 rolls, tops....and a pretty nice selection of sushi/sashimi to choose from...it was perfect for us. We picked one roll...a few kinds of sushi to try..then headed into the tapas. Oh my the tapas...we already have an entire list of things we wanna try next time!! This time around, we started with the Soft shell crab bites and the spring roll. We both agree the soft shell crab was the best part of the evening..they were HUGE and served on top of a very tasty, yet light salad. The spring roll wasnt really my cup of tea, but Lance loved it.
For sushi we got a few pieces of Salmon on rice, A fish I cant remember (ordered it because I ad never heard of it before...we had already decided to do this tonight)...and the Spicy Tuna roll. The salmon was good, fresh...but a little fishy to me.....don't hold it against them though, i hadn't had sushi in a while. The couple pieces of mystery fish??? um...lets just say...we both had to chug our beers and grab ANY of the salad we had left.....SWING and a miss. Spicy Tuna Roll?? Perfection. I'm tempted to go back and try the "Feed Me" roll...apparently when you order that, the chefs just make up something themselves....its different every time for every person..pretty cool, huh?
Our last two choices...the lamp chops and something called a Yubi Wrapper. The lamp chops were cooked to perfection and very tender...the sauce under delivered, though. Yubi Wrapper? This was our other "lets get it cause we dont know what it is". We need lessons on how to do this, cause this was another miss....I'm pretty sure it was just a tube of tofu set on the grill for a few minutes. blech.
We already know that we want to go back and try other amazing selections that have like Qual legs on a stick.....Scallops and Shitake mushrooms....crispy chicken roll.....the seabass....corn flake crusted jumbo shrimp....popcorn crab....kobe beef cooked on a rock.....oh so much more! We even saw them taking WHOLE fish out of the cooler...and watched them grill them...WHOLE..and serve them up....WHOLE...I'm thinking we are gonna have one of those in our future.
Now....after ALL this...4 Kirin lights, Lamp chops, sushi roll and 4 sushi pieces, soft shell crab, spring roll, Yubi Wrapper (blech)....at a high scale uptown restaurant.....youre thining it cost a pretty penny, right? $63. Thats it. See ya there? Yeah, I thought so.....
JUST SAY NO TO YUBI!
Great place to chill on a nice day. I ordered a salad with tuna. I forgot what it's called. It was good. i ordered cheesecake at the time. Nothing special about this place. I didn't really bother to come back.
A group of my friends and I were excited to try Tei Tei, as we'd heard great things about it. When we arrived on a Saturday night there was an hour wait, which is fine as we were content to sit in the bar and drink. Unfortunately, the restaurant smelled horribly, like a combination of dead fish and garbage -- even the waiter noticed. We tried to ignore it. Other people in the bar complained as well. My friend had to resort to spraying perfume. We laughed about it and went about ordering sushi while we waited. The spicy tuna roll was merely ok. To be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed. I have had better sushi at Kona Grill, Oishi and Nobu. As we finished our drinks and the sushi and the smell did not improve, we opted to move on to the next place.
I definitely wouldn't recommend Tei Tei -- it's vastly overrated.
Went here last night for the first time and I have fallen in love. I'm pretty boring when it comes to sushi...but Tei Tei has a great selection. We ordered the Spicy Tuna roll, steamed dumplings, Big Roll (a MUST try), soft shell crab roll and the rainbow roll along with edamai (sp?) and seaweed salad. We also ordered tuna & salmon sashimi. All of those items were amazing. I was a little scared of the Big Roll...but stepped out of my box & tried it...wonderful! And the name does not lie...it is huge. The seafood potato salad they bring out when you sit down is pretty tasty. We ordered the green tea ice cream & some type of strawberry pudding. The ingredients are very fresh...hell, they have a basket of live lobsters on the sushi bar. Next time I go I'm going to concentrate on the tappas!
From now on when I'm trying to decide where in Dallas to give in to my raw fish cravings, Tei Tei will be the first to pop in my head. It just bumped my old favorite down to #2. Seriously.
The seafoody potato salad that comes when you first sit down is tasty - a great start to hold off your rumbling tummy while looking at the menu. My BF and I both got the sake martini. Holy hell it's strong. It took me an hour to get through it...and I'm normally a guzzler.
We ordered the Rainbow Roll (not on the menu, you have to ask for it), Baby Yellowtail sushi, Yellowtail sashimi and the Toro sashimi first. The Toro was beyond out of this world, it melted in my mouth like a stick of butter...only in raw fish form. The Baby Yellowtail was equally pleasing but no match for the Toro. The Rainbow Roll and Yellowtail were great, but I had already spoiled my taste with the first two.
I was still hungry after all of that (hey, I'm a growing girl!) so I ordered the Baby Snapper. It looked a little scary when our server set it down on the table, so I made BF try it first. They literally shave off the fish, skin on and everything, into pieces. Don't judge a book by its cover people. Between it and the Toro I felt like wetting myself.
The service was outstanding. Our waitress was there when we needed her, but gone at the same time, making our dinner date seem very private. Next time though, I want to reserve the table in the corner that's in a hole and you don't wear shoes to sit at it.
Tei Tei, you're my faaaaaaaaavorite.
For Dallas, this is where to go if you want Robata. Tiny little fire box. Check. Sharp metal skewers. Check. Fashionable head band on the grill master. Check. Time and again I have watched the maestro take a fresh Branzini, sprinkle some salt on the fins and tail and effortlessly create a perfect whole grilled fish for the table. Beware though, the fish is ultra fresh. If you don't see one in the basket on the counter, you are out of luck for the night. The service is always top notch and the Wakatake is always smooth and cold. Other stand outs include the kumamoto oysters with ancient sea salt and the mussels in sake broth.
Pricey but that's what you should expect from the best sushi in Dallas. Branzino and sea bass are awesome. Sushi and sashimi are always awesome. Not one complaint out of the dozen times I have been here.
Amazing.... went here for my birthday with a friend from Austin. We started with the grapefruit and saki martini...TO DIE FOR! We also had the beef on a rock, sea bass that they de-boned at the table, unbelievable veggie tempura, and lots of sushi. Everything was top notch! Yummy! I will be back!
The only places I can compare it to are Uchi in Austin and Koi in LA. Tei Tei is better!
I could practically fall out of my front door of my house and into Tei Tei, and I still hadn't been. I've heard all kinds of wonderful things about the place, so I decided to give it a shot on Saturday night with a date.
We went early (6:30ish) to try to avoid a wait, which worked. We only had to chill at the bar for about 15 minutes before being seated at a table.
Our waitress was very knowledgeable, but was quite curt. We definitely got the impression that they wanted to move us through as quickly as possible to accomodate the ever-growing waiting crowd. We tried quite a few things. We started with the edamame (good), and the mixed greens salad (terrific). Next up some cucumber rolls (which I didn't try, but my date seemed to like ok). We ordered the corn flake shrimp b/c everyone on here had raved about it, but it was seriously disappointing. It was just some large shrimp deep fried in corn flakes. Not really any seasoning or special flavor...just greasy corn flakes. Really? In the interest of full disclosure, I'm really not a deep fried kind of girl (oh, except for french fries, funnel cake, tater tots...hmm....I take it back), but it did absolutely nothing for either of us. One bite to say we'd tried it, and that was plenty. We also got the sea bass, which was melty and fresh, but definitely way too greasy.
We wanted to look at the dessert menu, but our waitress brought the check before asking. Bummer. So, we paid and went to La Duni for dessert. (Probably a wise choice, anyway!)
In review, the place has a cool ambiance and is moderately priced, but I don't think I'll be back. I don't want to feel like I'm on a conveyer belt when I'm out to dinner, and I wasn't really impressed with any menu items but that yummy salad. Disappointing, but I'm glad I gave it a shot!
I love this restaurant. Excellent food and excellent service everytime I stopped by. What I like most about this restaurant is that you cannot find any ingredients fresher than this place. Every dishes are carefully prepared and cooked. If you want freshest sushi and sashimi, this is the place.
My first place to eat when I moved to Dallas two years ago and by far, the best time I have had a restaurant.
Yes, the wait was long. It was around an hour on a Thursday night. We waited, had a few beers, and before we knew it, were sitted a nice large table. The waitstaff was amazing, very knowledgable and friendly. They helped us pick out a few sashimi pieces, which were fresh with a capital F.
It is a little pricy, but it's worth it. The atmosphere is cozy and elegant. The sushi is fresh and tasty. If you want sushi dipped in mayo, fried, and covered with sauces--this place is probably not for you. But, if you appreciate fresh and yes RAW sushi, then head to Tei Tei for a memorable experience. Get there early on a weekend night, because the wait is LONG. I once waited for 2 hours for a table, but what can I say?
I am a slave to good sushi!
The wonderful Leigh F, took me here for my birthday, big ups to her first off.
I love how you go through the relaxing walkway to get there, with the steps and the bamboo, great start, kind of gets you in the mood. I also like the set up of this place. How you walk in, and if there is a wait, they take you through the tiny, dimly lit dining room, and into the bar in the back, or as i like to call it, the best waiting room in town. The bartender were great, he recommended that i try a beer called Black something or another, good choice my man.
We said "first available", and I'm so Glad we did. They walked us over to our seats, and they were at the food bar, not where they roll the sushi, but where they cook all of the cool stuff. I had so many question! But, for the most part, i just let them do their job. We started with the Soft Shell Crab, and it was by far the biggest, juiciest and tastiest SSC, that i have ever had, by far my favorite. My next vote, goes to the Spicy Tuna Roll, not the best I have ever had, but still very good. May have gone a little to heavy on the ingredients, it was a little large for my taste(TWSS). Batting third, the Lamb Chops...These babies were tender and topped with an interesting sauce that I really liked, Leigh F did not approve. The Spring Roll was interesting, normally you can bite in and tell exactly what is in one, but not these.....whatever it was in there though, it worked, they were good. Coming in low on my board, is the sashimi, nothing more, nothing less, just didn't care for it. And this is our own fault, but we wanted to try something we had never heard of, so we ordered a Yubi Wrapper, which was basically tofu with an outer crust, no thanks.
This is weird to some people, but i love to each garnish. And i also love little accompaniment(sp?) salads, and Tei Tei does both of these VERY well. They even top the garnish with sauces.....I love you for that.
Great staff, very polite and curtious. Our waitress was so sweet, and on the ball, all night. The atmosphere is just as you would expect, dim lighting, creative Asian art, smooth wood all over, and some crazy window light on the way to the water closet.
Getting to sit there and watch the guy cook all night, we have several things that we have to come back and try. At the top of the list, Crispy Chicken Rolls and Quail legs on a stick. And maybe a Black Snapper, it's a whole freakin fish!
This place is an awesome date spot as well, so grab her and go boys!
The smells coming out of the kitchen from the charcoal grill create uncontrollable drooling. The sake selection is superb, the service, excellent, and the food is ridiculous.
Nothing crazy or terribly interesting about the presentations - no flowers or ornate citrus arrangements- just super fresh fish prepared to perfection.
I wouldn't consider this a 'roll' place, so if all you eat are things that start with Volcano or Caterpillar, just keep driving.
We had the Grilled Sea Bass, Grilled Rainbow Trout, Unagi (Nigiri), Salmon, and Yellow Tail. Everything was super fresh and melted in your mouth. Can't wait to go back!
Was not expecting to find this kind of quality in Dallas, TX of all places. Great food - everything is fresh, Great Service, Wonderful Ambiance and Reasonable price for the quality. It's not your average Japanese Restaurant I know... But every dish they prepare, or at least the ones I've had, are just on the mark. They get fresh fish shipped from Japan every day and their menu is very similar to Izakaya style so you can try a little bit of everything. The Shrimp Tempura with Corn Flake crust is my favorite.
When you're in Dallas and you're willing to spend a little more this is definitly a good place to go.
I heard the owner also operates 2 or 3 more Japanese Restaurants in Dallas...
This is a place that makes my heart feel nice and warm. You walk through the small rock garden into a small, cozy space, put your name on the list and proceed to the lounge/bar section of the restaurant located in the rear and wait for the next 1-2 1/2 hours enjoying a drink over the DJ blending wonderful ambient and downtempo music that makes me full of joy!
When you come here, if you're a hardcore sushi/sashimi lover, you skip right past their selection of sushi rolls and order the sashimi. This is my favorite place in Dallas for the stuff and they get some of the best picks. I am a pretty weird white girl who loves eating whole abalone, and all of the other weird things that make most Americans squeamish- so you've been forewarned.
Hands down eat here for what's on the daily menu, and ask for the chef to create a sashimi plate of his favorite picks of the day. This will make you very happy that you did it! A big bonus for this place is serving fresh wasabi, and for a small fee, you can also get it freshly from the root. Most of the times, you will also be given a fish skeleton that's curved for presentation, but most don't know that you can ask for it to be fried and also consume it.
The robata grill is also outstanding... I'm surprised more people don't order menu items for it (after all, the place IS called Tei-Tei ROBATA). Almost every time I've been here, there's been fresh crab and lobster sitting on ice, so if you might be bothered by sitting in front of these still live menu items crawling around less than 2 feet from your hands without a barrier, I suggest you tell them beforehand. A hint to most of you that order a lobster- the brain is one of the best parts! I also dearly recommend trying the quail on a stick. If they have it on the menu, a very simple and playful item is the sweet potato that's been cooking on the robata and then wrapped in Japanese newspaper.
Also, to garantee you get a dessert item, request it in the beginning so they can hold it for you. The panna cotta's usually go quickly.
For those of you that like to order the california roll and think you're having "sushi"- go eat someplace else generic and enjoy your cream cheese and canned crab and let the chef at the sushi bar focus on the real stuff please.
*This place only takes reservations for 3 or more.
*If you don't like waiting, come when they first open, or come late on a weekday (though it should not be too hard right now considering).
Tei Tei may well be the perfect Japanese resturant in Dallas offering the rare trifecta of ambiance, service, and most importantly, melt in your mouth good food.
I don't think there's a sushi item I wouldn't recommend ordering. From the toro to the scallops, everything makes you think this is how sushi should be prepared. The only small suggestion I would make to a first time diner would be to skip the rainbow row because it takes away from the delight that is the quality of the fish itself.
Finally, the antiquated tempura shrimp has finally met it's match in the form of...well...of all things corn flakes? I thought the fried shrimp looked a bit odd, actually thinking they flaked corn or something to make the batter, but no, it's the cereal and it looked amazing at the next table, and tasted even better than whatever word tops amazing. Admittedly, anything flash fried usually tastes good, but this is something I would order at least once especially with a group.
I love Tei Tei.
This was my first sushi/sake experience and it was amazing! It's cute and trendy and the beef on a rock and sushi is awesome.
There were one minor issues...
There is a wait most of the time because the dining area is small. But, on a positive note, that is what you get for good sushi
The upscale atmosphere here is what makes this place memorable. They use the nicest plating. I think it is very expensive but probably worth it for once. We had the beef cooking on the stone(good!). We had the cornflake shrimp (yum!), broiled oysters (no good!), sushi (not too fresh for the price). We had the seabase (so so), Scallop was good....
Anyway, it is a nice one time experience but most likely I won't come back due to price
Possibly the best sushi in all of Dallas. Takes a little too long to wait for a table, but the bar scene is pretty decent with good bartenders.
I love all of Teiichi Sakurai's restaurants, but Tei Tei is definitely my favorite. I've been here at least 4 times and everything is still amazing.... well except for the prices and the insane waits- but thank goodness for the bar in the back. They have lots of good sake, and they come in these cute little wooden boxes; also has good wine selection. Service is great, from the host to the bartender to the waitress... just like in Japan.
Notable dishes:
-Branzini! - Robata- my favorite. If you like grilled fish, this is wayy better than hamachi kama or anything else. Pretty big, $38 for an order, but generally an appetizer to share. Most restaurants don't have this, so it's worth a try.
-Lobster- I had this a while back, but i just remember the flavor was really good. I usually don't like lobster, especially the ones at American restaurants, but this one was definitely memorable
-Popcorn crab- tiny crunchy fried mini-crabs. warning: if u don't like to see ur food in-tact and whole, then don't get this. they were so cute I felt bad eating them!... but tasty nonetheless :)
-Foil wrapped sea bass and enoki - yummm
-Washu Beef on the rock- thin slices of raw beef cooked on a hot rock... nothing crazy incredible... but apparently lots of people like it
-sashimi is fresh and top quality. They have baby yellowtail, sometimes o-toro, and other rare kinds.
I don't think I've EVER had anything bad here. On par with, if not better than, most top japanese restaurants in New York and SF.
Much like Teppo, their sushi is good but the cooked items are the reason to come here. The miso marinated seabass is my favorite, but everything else I've had has been great. Everything is fresh and tasty. Like Amanda said, I much prefer to order several different items for the table to share than one entree per person - there are just too many good things worth trying on the menu.
Tei Tei is not huge, so it's not the best choice for a big group.
I hate that this place doesn't offer any "value" deals that most of the best places in NY offer - a la carte just makes things way too expensive. Aside from that, this is the best/most fresh fish in Big D. They also own Teppo which is very good on Greenville.
I was meeting friends off Henderson, and decided to get to the area before they did. Basically, I was sick of waiting on them at my apartment, and if I am going to sit around by myself on a Friday, I will do it at a bar.
Enter Tei-Tei. I decided to check this place out seeing as how even i couldn't believe I hadn't been. A little sake and a roll seemed like a good idea, especially since my dress was a little "much" for Old Monk". So, scantily clad, and excited to check out this "sushi hot spot", I went in.
SCREEECH... went the record when I walked in. "Did I go in the wrong door"? "Why is that guy dancing with glo sticks"? " Am I interrupting something"? "Those guys can't REALLY BE the bartenders". "Really? Is this place serious? WTF. Seriously?" The make and take sushi counter at Super Wal-Mart South Garland exuded more class then this place.
Meh. Whatever. I sat down at the bar anyway. I was the only one sitting at the bar besides a normal, and equally confused looking couple at the other end. We gave each other the side smirk and wide eye look in acknowledgement of our obvious mutual weirded outness. They, like me, must have been told a million times what losers they are because they had not been here.
Let's get back to the bartenders. Both of them were completely inattentive, and more involved with talking about how they were going to break down the bar and "get the hell out" so that they could get to Vickery Park. (Note to self: deduct one star from VP because they hang out there) While I was listening to their obnoxious, moronic conversation (because I couldn't avoid it) I noticed all the silver man jewelry one of them sported. Sweet! At least someone still shops at Hot Topic. Anyway, I am being rude. Sorry... not really. Finally, one of them noticed me sitting there. Not the one with man jewelry. The other one. The one who could change the oil in my car with the oil in his hair. Maybe it wasn't greasy hair, maybe it was sweat because he too, was dancing with glo sticks earlier. Whatever it was, it made me fearful it would drip in my drink. What did the grease monkey ask me when he saw me sitting there? Nothing. He told me something. He told me that if I wanted food that the kitchen was closing in five minutes. Nice, Ahole. "I will have some sake and here is my food order." If this DH had been paying attention he would have seen I had already filled out my order sheet, and was waiting on him to stop talking about Club One. Who even goes to Club One, and on top of it, admits it? You might as well just tell people that you just can't stop doing X. Pathetic. So unprofessional. When I go to a "nice place" i don't need to hear banter like this whatsoever. I expected the bartenders to exude professionalism. Pffft. Ya right. If I wanted to hear bartenders, or anyone around me speak as loud and tacky as they were, I would have gone to a bowling ally, or Black Finn.
Finally, my food arrived. Probably the annoying last order of the night. All I ended up getting was six pieces of nigiri, and some sashimi. I was kind of nauseated by the time I ordered so I forgoed the roll. Sashimi was nice. No problem. Then came the nigiri. I picked up the first piece to flip into my soy, only to notice that the rice was... HOT. No way. Gross. Room temp, Yes. Cold? Fine. Hot? No thank you. I sent it back. Of course, Mr. grease monkey was annoyed. I could care less. Within a few moments, I was given a plate of decent sushi. Nothing so fan-freaking-tastic, that I can't have elsewhere.
Now, they had told me I had to "hurry up and order" because the kitchen was closing. Well, here come their friends. Four guys just as loser-esk looking walked in, sat down, and ordered a slew of food. Mr. "Shampoo is overrated", delightfully took his home boys order and then proceeded to share with his friends and the entire bar his plans for the evening. AGAIN. By this time. I was completely done eating and just waiting for my bill. Of course their friends had to make my experience even worse by talking to me, and telling me about their recent trip to Vegas. "Have you ever been drunk and crazy in Vegas" ? *BARF* Clearly, these two are attracting an equally trashy crowd. Nice hiring Tei-Tei. Do these managers not see what is going on?
What a shame. I am sure my time there would have been better if I would have been at a table. I am sure the hot food is fine, and I am sure someone will want to come here in my future, and I will be back. I won't come back at my own discretion. Overall, the ambiance was tacky and cheesy that night. The service, was the epitome of inappropriate and unprofessional. Is this what Tei-tei believes is trendy and classy? Want a swank, see and be seen sushi place, and a great place to take a date? Go to Fish in West Village. Very underrated, and much cleaner then this place. Everyone there appears to shower, exudes professionalism, and there is not a strangely placed DJ in the corner "spinin".
Absolutely wonderful. Looking for a good date spot? Here it is. Hostess was pleasant and apologetic towards our wait, it took 5 minutes for us to sit down on a Saturday night, and they took our coats, pleasantly. The service was incredible and the manager was friendly. We loved sitting at the sushi bar and watching everything being made. The plates were beautiful and everything tasted so authentic.
Great food and service. Very little wait time. Met there with an ad agency client once for dinner. Had a really nice time. Friendly staff. Sushi always puts me in a good mood, especially when I'm on a freelance writing project. The waitress came up to me and said, "How do you become a Freelance Copywriter?" and I gave her some insider tips, and she gave me an extra roll on the house. Very nice.
Drinks and service were fine, no complaints. Had a long wait even with reservations, but it was a Friday night, so whatever - to be expected.
On to the food - not good.
Sushi was watery, as though it had be frozen and dethawed in a microwave. Rice was warm. Don't do the sushi.
Other dishes were meh. Actually pretty bland, which really surprised me after the reviews. Sea Bass was okay. Shrimp tempura with corn flakes was a bit to greasy for my taste. Maybe we went on a bad night, but who knows - I won't be going back again soon to find out.
I went to Tei Tei because on Yelp it was the highest rated Sushi place in Dallas. I didn't like it, but that is not to say it is not great. I realized after eating here that the Sushi I like is probably a little Americanized and this is more traditional. It was a nice place, the atmosphere was great and the staff was excellent. If you like sea urchin and kobu cured flounder, you will love this place. But don't go looking for a Philadelphia roll becuase you won't find it. Sue me. I like rolls.
This place is small, cramped, crowded, there is always a wait and the atmosphere is not romantic in the least; but, I still recommend this place for a date if you have a foodie friend you want to empress. This is not the place to take a fussy woman with low blood sugar as you will no doubt not get a second date. The service is polite yet aloof. And the food is super fresh and different from the usual Japanese in Texas. Which all comes across as authentic Japanese..
That said this is my favorite place for Japanese food in Texas. I do not go here specifically for Sushi but what I have had was very fresh. What I do go for is the Hot Rock - I love to watch the thin slices of Kobe Beef cook on the rock just moments before it melts like butter on my tongue. And the Miso Sea Bass is perfect in every way. But, my #1 favorite item here that I often find myself craving is the large skewered and grilled oysters (the outside skin is tight but the inside is raw and when you bite in it bursts in your mouth)..
If there is a long wait they have a nice bar at the opposite end of the main entrance with it's own entrance. Be polite and walk down the sidewalk instead of through the cramped dining area until your name is called.
Enjoy..
Hands down this the best japanese restaurant in Dallas. The food is quality, service is always great, and the restaurant experience is always exceptional. I've become a regular here and will continue to be. A true Japanese meal for me is not only sushi but also some of the more traditional/authentic dishes. My experience would not be complete unless I leave the restaurant eating all of the following: Agedashi Tofu, Chicken Roll, Miso Seabass, Salmon Sushi, Spicy tuna roll, WASHU BEEF ON THE ROCK, Steamed Whole Lobster, and the Panna Cotta.
May I emphasize that the washu beef on the rock is a hot rock that you use to sizzle the washu beef on. This is an awesome hands-on experience!
The restaurant itself is hard to locate--it is well hidden, which provides for a nice quaint and unique experience. The outside is misleading because once inside, it is a lively and intimate Japanese Restaurant. It only makes sense that this restaurant is so popular as the wait time is known to be lengthy. Expect 45 minutes.
Hands down my favorite restaurant in the entire city. You don't normally equate North Texas to Japanese food, but this place is really something special. I've eaten at Nobu and Megu in NYC, Morimoto in Philly, Ozumo in San Fran, and eaten fresh tuna hours off the boat in Tokyo and I can say that Tei Tei is as good if not better.
I started going to Tei Tei simply for the food and long before it became a mecca of the beautiful and over stylized people of Dallas and those who come to watch them. Besides the uber trendy scene, Tei Tei's food quality has remained impeccable, succulent and gastronomic dopamine for the pleasure zone of your brain . All sashimi is fresh and chilled to the perfect temp (toro sashimi is the best thing on the menu). Ordering hot and cold foods off the menu is a culinary adventure. Everything I have tried has been good and some wonderful. Some of my past favorites include: broiled sea bass cheek, agadashi tofu, yuzu pepper cured duck breast, and ox tail stew.
Service is solid, not overly friendly, but knowledgeable about the menu and food preparation. The worst thing about Tei Tei is that they normally don't take reservations which means you have to camp out at the bar for hours if you want to eat during prime dining hours. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as the bar is quite a scene although undersized. They have a full compliment of Asian beers and a relatively decent selection of Sake to be enjoyed in bamboo boxes or hollowed bamboo trunks.
Oh Tei Tei.....as many have commented, definitely the best Japanese restaurant in Dallas. The seafood is super fresh and its often taken up live right in front of the sushi bar before its cooked. They have new specials regularly but I tend to order my favorites. One of the best dishes there is the Cornflake Shrimp...its not on the normal menu but on their special menu and if its not...request it. It's taking the shrimp tempura we all know and love and instead breading it with cornflakes. I know it may sound a bit weird but its so delicious.
I also love the marinated filet of sea bass and order the sashimi sampler here since the fish is absolutely fresh and flown in daily. Another odd dish that I love is the grilled rice ball. It's exactly what it sounds like but the rice is flavored and grilling the rice brings about a nice earthy flavor.
While the wait can be bad........very bad. It's definitely worth the wait. Hands down, Tei tei is one of the best restaurants in Dallas.
An excellent spot for Japanese food --
Standouts include "kobe" beef sizzled on a hot rock, miso-marinated sea bass (excellent, immaculate fish), baby crabs, and various crudo.
The sashimi-averse diners at our table ordered bland california rolls, but the yakitori and edamame hit the spot for these timid souls.
The floor tables are an excellent place to gather a group of friends and hide away, drinking from the fairly nice wine list and enjoying the ebb and flow of service on a busy busy night.
Holy crap, why had I not been here before?! This is going to be a difficult review to write because I feel like I won't be reviewing, just listing what we had. I think my "Oh my god, this was so good" ' s would grow old.
Anyway, a sampling of what my date and I had: kobe beef on a rock, sea eel, yellowtail, sea bass, fried spicy squid legs, Japanese snapper, spicy tuna tartare, Spanish mackerel, Kobu-cured flounder (FANTASTIC!), salmon, grilled fish cake, seaweed salad and more that I can't even remember.
Oh, we also had the "Feed Me Roll," which appears to be a chef's creation, using inspiration from other things you've ordered. Our Feed Me roll was a spicy tuna roll, topped with yellowtail, salmon, snapper, smelt eggs and salmon roe. It was really delicious.
All in all, it was a really delightful experience. We elected to sit at the bar, seeing as the wait for a table was pushing an hour. Sadly, Tei Tei doesn't take reservations unless your party is four+. Prices are reasonable, but if you order in excess as we did, don't be surprised to see a 3-figure tab.
We'd been searching for outstanding Japanese food in Dallas. Tei Tei fits the bill. The place is small, but cozy. We got there early, but it was already filling up quickly at 7 on a Tuesday night.
I tend to stay away from places that look too trendy, and Tei Tei does have that vibe going on, but that's not the focus here. Service was way above average. The staff was attentive without being obtrusive.
Sushi and grill staff spoke Japanese to each other, lending authenticity and pleasing traditionalists and sushi snobs alike. The sushi we had was amazing. The fish was very fresh and cut with care. But here's what sets a place apart: the sushi rice was perfect, and the nori was clearly fresh and high quality. Just when you start thinking tuna is tuna, you get a silky piece of heaven like we were served that night. Other sushi highlights: jumbo clam and baby yellowtail.
From the grill we had baby tako. The waitress made sure we knew what to expect when we ordered (we did), and I thought that made sense. It was just the consistency it should be, and seasoned to perfection. The "robata" part of the menu was rather limited, but I liked their focus on organics, local, and seasonal items.
Trying Asahi black (beer), which I hadn't seen before, was a special treat as well. The only drawback was a lack of parking in this busy area. Using valet was really the only option.
Probably my favorite sushi in Dallas Fort Worth. Best quality of sushi in Dallas. Only hang up is that it is a little pricey and also very small. The small size gives it a good feel and good service but makes it take a while to get in on busy nights. Time, the bar attached to it, is a nice place to hang out while you wait.
this is my favorite japanese restaurant in dallas. i'm gonna chime in like everybody else and say that they do serve fresh and consistently good food. i usually like to order sushi and a bunch of small plates instead of ordering just an entree. definitely check out the washu beef on a rock. they bring a few pieces thinly sliced raw beef with some extremely hot rocks and you sear the beef on the rock at your table...love the sound of the sizzle =)
other items i usually order: grilled kobacha (simply prepared with a bit of butter and salt), edamame, big eye tuna, fatty tuna (when available), yellow tail, salmon, japanese snapper, sea urchin, eel, and always something from the specials menu.
if you get a chance, the whole grilled fish is worth checking out...a lot of times they have japanese fishes that i've never heard...you're waiter /waitress can help you decide what's the freshest
there's not much i can complain about, except for maybe:
-the somewhat anemic dessert section
-the wait can be kinda long (but there is a bar section)
-can get crowded due to the small size
Tei Tei's small space is one its charms but it can be a drag waiting an hour for a table. A nice consolation to the typically long wait is the cool saki bar/lounge area in the next room. You can order a nice drink while munching on some edamame.
The sushi is done very well. The typical stuff you find elsewhere is very good here: tuna, salmon, eel and so on. The sea bass is very popular (almost as good as the one I make at home). Another popular dish is the "beef on the rocks," a 6-slice order of high-grade washu beef, served raw with an extremely hot rock and a soy based dipping sauce. You can do your own grilling at the table. What's not fun about that?
And it feels like a cozy little San Francisco joint which is nice.
Dallas, TX
Category: Japanese
Dallas, TX
Category: Sushi Bars
Dallas, TX
Category: Japanese
Dallas, TX
Category: Asian Fusion
Dallas, TX
Category: Sushi Bars
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