Sushi will always have a place in our hearts. Whether on team tempura or a raw purist, it’s fortunate that Uni Sushi in Downtown Plano makes it so easy to love them both.
Open since November 2014, Uni Sushi truly embodies the family business motif. David Kang, who helps manage the restaurant, works alongside his father, the owner and head chef, as well as his mother and his brother. While Mr. Kang is forming rolls behind the counter, David is helping prep, serve, clean and everything in between. Besides the occasional outside help, Uni Sushi is almost entirely run within the family.
The dynamic shows. David can be seen happily chatting away with his father during shifts, and service is quick, personable and gorgeous. Mr. Kang has been preparing sushi for 18 years, and his expertise translates into stunning dishes, well prepared rolls and precision knife cuts. Which in the sushi world means everything.
Uni Sushi’s interior is small, yet comfortable. There is no booth seating, but tables are placed with room in mind, and a large, glossy sushi bar with low seating wraps around the prep area, giving customers a front row seat to Mr. Kang’s delicate sushi creation process.
The menu is fresh and features unique creations alongside the typical classics. Japanese and Korean dishes can satisfy those looking for their proteins to be cooked. A “chef’s table” selection allows guests to bridge the gap to raw fish with unique and creative selections such as Hawaiian Poki and Smoked Salmon Tartare. Uni Sushi serves various beers and sakes, but adds that customers are welcome to BYOB as well. Prices are fair; guests can expect to pay in the range of $5 to $9 for a house roll, or up to about $15 for a specialty roll, with sashimi and main dish prices following suit.
The raw menu is extremely diverse, featuring a wide selection of high quality raw seafood, as well as, of course, uni. The uni – or sea urchin for those unfamiliar – is soft, creamy and delicate in flavor. That’s perfect for a restaurant that named after the creature.
Uni Sushi creates its dishes with an humble modesty that will not fail to impress guests. The restaurant serves actual wasabi root, instead of the much more prevalent horseradish-dyed-green. No flashes, bells or whistles – no bolded print on the menu. The owners understand that if each item is crafted carefully and thoughtfully, there shouldn’t have to be any gimmick to garner a patron’s attention.
Another benefit to having such a tightly knit, family-owned and operated business is that changes can be made whenever it’s best for the restaurant. Whereas Uni Sushi used to serve lunch, it has switched to a dinner-only service to focus on what is believed to be most important. David Kang’s brother is pursuing his Ph.D. and they don’t wish to continue serving lunch if he isn’t able to help. Family values are tight in Uni Sushi, and it plays an important role in keeping quality high and cost low. In the meantime, lunch is gone, but David Kang says that it may not be permanent.
While sushi may not be hard to come by nowadays, good sushi is something to hold onto. Walking into Uni Sushi is like walking into the Kang family’s personal kitchen, comfortable and homey. Conversation flows like sake, and we hope that the good times keep rolling.
Uni Sushi > [codepeople-post-map]
