For the bi-weekly “Dinner and a Show” restaurant review that I write for TheatreJones.com, I had to select a restaurant that paired well with the upcoming Paul Taylor Dance Company performance at the Eisemann Center in Richardson, Texas. It’s a modern dance company, so I thought a contemporary, French-inspired take on sushi would match it well. Check out what we ordered and what we recommend in this Edoko Richardson Restaurant Review.
Edoko Richardson Restaurant Review
Edoko is located in the CityLine mixed use development area in Richardson. It’s the second location for this brand; the first was opened in 2011 in Frisco.
The interior has a modern, stylish, upscale flair, and the menu options range from sushi to sashimi to salads to robata (a Japanese custom of cooking food over charcoal). Along with more traditional Japanese sushi, you’ll find menu items that reflect French and western culinary influences. Drink selections include beer, wine, cocktails and sakes.
Holy Mackerel
First, we ordered the Saba (Norwegian mackerel) sashimi. Mackerel is my favorite sashimi. Not only is it delicious, but it is high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and selenium.
At Edoko, our 5 pieces of sashimi arrived beautifully-presented atop thinly-sliced daikon and ice chips, garnished with a sprig of rosemary, scallions and an edible flower. The mackerel wasn’t as sweet as most I’ve had, but it wasn’t too salty or “fishy” either. It had a meaty texture, with nothing hiding the delicious taste of the fish. This dish was one of our two favorites, and we’d definitely order it again next time we visit.
Ocean Beauty Sushi Roll
Next, we ordered the Ocean Beauty roll. Accurately named, it’s made with salmon, spicy crab, panko shrimp, ginger sauce, bell pepper, jalapeño, cilantro and onion and served with a sauce I would have licked off the plate if I could have.
A couple of the sushi pieces fell apart a little, but only after we abused them by dredging them in the sauce.
And did I mention that the Ocean Beauty’s sauce was amazing? It was slightly sweet with a hint of sour and just the right amount of heat. It was perfect as is and didn’t need any help from wasabi or soy sauce. This was, hands-down, our favorite menu item we tried.
French Kiss
For our third item, we ordered the French Kiss Maki, a sushi roll prepared without rice. This roll is made with spicy tuna, spicy crab and cajun seared tuna wrapped in soy paper, with a spicy ponzu sauce. It wasn’t as beautiful as our other rolls, which we expected. Unfortunately, however, it was too salty for us, so a few bites were enough.
French Rainbow Sushi
Finally, we ordered another beautiful roll – the French Rainbow Roll.
It’s made with spicy crab, asparagus, cucumber, tuna, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp, white tuna and French ginger sauce, then topped with colorful flying fish roe (fish eggs).
Aside from the sauce, it tasted more like traditional American sushi than any of the others, and the vegetables added a refreshing punch and crunch.
We also enjoyed the variety of the different types of fish on top of the rolls.
We didn’t realize it until we had finished our meal that every roll we selected included spicy crab. When we return, we’ll be more mindful to order a roll without it, just for more variety.
One thing that sets Edoko apart from other sushi restaurants is its robata menu options, which are only available for dinner. Robata is a Japanese custom of slow-grilling meat and vegetables on a flat grill. We weren’t able to sample any robata because we stopped in during lunch hours. However, we’re intrigued and will definitely return for it. When we do, of course, we’ll also get our favorite Ocean Beauty roll again!
Address: 1250 State St. in Richardson, Texas
Website: www.edokosushi.com
