You see it in little movements. That could be the way a fish is sliced. The way rice is held and pressed. The understated confidence in which a piece is sushi is placed right in front of you. You know you are in good hands. And at Shun, you are in very, very good hands.
"I always try my best," chef Kenny Chong told me several days back, before today's grand opening. Previously, Chong was at Shoyo, a high-end omakase restaurant on Greenville in Dallas. Now, he's at Shun by Yama, where he's a partner and the executive chef.
Upscale Japanese In McKinney: Great For Dates
"Chef Kenny wanted to make a restaurant," said owner Lily Tang, who goes way back with Chong. She, along with her husband, also owns Yama Izakaya & Sushi, which has two locations in Plano, one in Dallas and one in Carrollton. "This is the most upscale one we've done, and we wanted you to feel that as soon as you walk in."
The decor is simple and elegant — fitting for a Japanese restaurant — with smooth wood and sleek marble finishes, and wagara (Japanese patterns) tastefully used throughout. Suspended crystal fish "swim" above the main dining room. The build was done by DFW-based Restaurant Headquarters, which also did Ebesu in Plano.
"You'd have to drive to Dallas to get this kind of thing."
The menu is interesting — and varied. Not only is there fancy sushi and fresh sashimi, you can order flavorful and beautifully plated appetizers, skewers from the robata and A5 wagyu from Miyazaki, Japan, with the A5 rating being the highest quality grade. "When I wrote the menu, I looked around to see what other restaurants around here were offering," said Chong. Besides high-end sushi, he decided to go with a bintochan white charcoal grill and an A5 Miyazaki wagyu tasting menu. "You'd have to drive to Dallas to get this kind of thing," he added. "Now residents of McKinney, Prosper, Celina and Frisco don't have to."
If Shun was in Dallas, I would recommend anyone who lives in Collin County to get in their car and drive whatever distance to eat there. But it's here, so I'll do the same for anyone living in Dallas County. Shun is worth the trip out. It's classy, nice and comfortable. The food is excellent. So, if you are looking for a new date spot in McKinney, you've found one.
What We Tried
The appetizers and small plates we tried were especially flavorful:
- Charred edamame with lemon garlic soy sauce
- Pan-seared scallops with garlic soy butter
- Crispy shrimp (tiger prawn wrapped with kataifi noodle and served with Sriracha ranch)
- Salmon yuzu mustard (fresh salmon with roasted bell peppers, lava salt in yuzu mustard, shaved truffle and fried onion)
We also tried skewers from the white charcoal-fired robata:
- Jidori yakitori
- A5 wagyu from Miyazaki skewers seasoned with black pepper and teriyaki glaze
Some unsolicited advice: Shun, as of writing, has a great selection of classic Japanese whiskies, including Yamazaki 18 and Hibiki 21, as well as Yoichi single malt — many of which I wrote about in my book, Japanese Whisky. If you plan on drinking whisky, especially neat or on the rocks, I'd recommend pairing it with these appetizers, small plates and skewers, because the whiskies can easily hold their own flavor-wise. For the sushi and sashimi courses, I'd recommend switching to high balls or sake — of course, Japanese whisky would make for a fine drink with Shun's homemade desserts or after dinner. Do order dessert. You must.
If You Are Feeling Like Fancy Sushi
Traditional Japanese sushi is a game of subtraction. This is a dish paired down to simple components: vinegared rice, raw fish, wasabi and sides of ginger and soy sauce. Like most things in Japan, in this simplicity, you find complexity and beauty.
In the decade or so, high-end sushi in the United States has moved towards a layering approach to sushi. This is a different approach. But as someone who has lived over twenty years in Japan, I don't think this is bad, especially in light of how, for centuries, Japanese chefs have put their own spin on imported dishes, creating something new and different and, most important of all, delicious. Case in point: Tempura, born out of deep-frying cooking techniques Portuguese missionaries brought to Japan in the 1500s. Food is a dialogue between cultures, traditions and people. It's also dynamic, evolving and changing. But for sushi, the innate flavor of the fish is key. So even when high-end sushi chefs layer other flavors, the flavor of the fish should not be lost.
For the main course, we had chef Kenny's selection. We had an array of sushi, including hamachi (yellowtail fish) with yuzu kosho, itoyoridai (golden threadfin bream) with kombu shoyu (kelp soy sauce), otoro (fatty tuna) with caviar and truffles, among others, including creamy Hokkaido uni with kizami wasabi — all delicious and beautifully done. The house-smoked salmon is a must-try.
The most opulent might've been the Hirame (halibut) with ankimo — steamed monkfish liver that's called in Japanese "the foie gras of the sea" — and topped with truffle salt. Everything was beautiful, fresh and wonderful, with chef preserving the innate, fresh flavors of each fish, with bringing out new flavors with layering and adding.
If you can, get a seat at the sushi bar, so you can watch chef Chong work. It's a pleasure to see him in action, with his practiced, careful and fluid movements executing excellent piece after excellent piece of sushi. Plus, he's an affable, hospitable guy — what you want for a pleasant, delicious evening. At least, I do.
For Those With Dietary Restrictions
"We won't have a gluten-free menu at the grand opening," said Chong. "But I would recommend ordering sashimi, and we can serve it with gluten-free soy sauce." There are plans for a gluten-free menu, and it's advisable to discuss any dietary restrictions with your server.
And at Shun, sashimi seems to be quite popular. "About 90% of our customers here order sashimi," he said. "I was really surprised and not expecting that."
What's Next For Shun?
The restaurant just opened — officially, today! Asking what is next is something presumptuous. No, it is completely and utterly so. But I did it anyway.
"I'm thinking of doing a new menu each season," said Chong. "Shun" (旬) in Japanese refers to the time of year that a particular food is most in season. That could mean weekly and monthly specials. Right now, Shun has a list of fish flown in from Tokyo's Toyosu fish market.
"Maybe if this is successful, we can do another one," said Tang. Right now, I cannot see any reason why that won’t happen.
Shun’s grand opening is today. Book a reservation here. The restaurant is located at 6651 Alma Rd Suite 200 in McKinney, near Bob's Steak & Chop House. We thank Shun for hosting and treating us.
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