About two weeks ago, my dear friend Blaire came to visit me for a quick weekend. Blaire is currently spending her days with Teach For America as a teacher in the Mississippi Delta and was stopping by Dallas on her way home for the holiday. Before her arrival in Dallas, she gave me four requirements for dinner that night: the food must be delicious, the cocktails must be delicious, the food must be something she can’t get in the Mississippi Delta, and the cocktails must taste more refined than a Keystone Light.
With all of that in mind, I made reservations for two at Shinsei and, may I say, the restaurant came through on every requirement. Delicious food? Check. Delicious drinks? Check. Food that Blaire can’t get in Mississippi? Check. Not Keystone Light? Check (thank goodness).
I did well.
We started off the dinner by ordering a round (or maybe two…don’t judge us) of Austin Mules. This choice was a no-brainer. Blaire’s favorite drink is a Moscow Mule and Shinsei’s Austin Mules are basically Moscow Mules but with Tito’s as the vodka.
Like I said: no-brainer. Oh and delicious. A delicious no-brainer. For $12. A delicious no-brainer (that has a more refined taste than Keystone Light) but is relatively inexpensive.
I could add more qualities here but I think you get the picture: this drink rocked my socks off.
Now for the food:
First and foremost, I must say that if I could spend every day of the rest of my life eating Shinsei’s Brussels Sprouts, I would. They. Were. Incredible. The extra punctuation is necessary. I would say that if you like Brussels Sprouts, be sure not to miss them… but I feel like that doesn’t encompass this dish’s awesomeness. Really though. So, if you like BEING HAPPY AND LOVING LIFE, order this dish. And then thank me in the hallelujahs your taste buds send up to the heavens.
Okay, now to back-track a bit to the beginning of the meal: the appetizers. As our appetizers, we ordered the Snow Crab and Cucumber Spring Rolls and the Surf & Turf Tataki. The spring rolls are served with a Thai peanut sauce for dipping (kind of like a creamy peanut butter with a twist) and are delicious. The tuna and tenderloin tataki is served with a Chinese broccoli salad and is just as delicious as the spring rolls. I had had both dishes on a prior trip to Shinsei with my father a few months ago, and [thankfully] my memory of their deliciousness did not lead me astray. However, if I had to pick one (and only one) to get, I would order the spring rolls as they are much more share friendly and appetizer-y than the tataki.
As our main, we ordered a bunch of sushi (and loved it). Per my request, we ordered the Spider Roll and, per Blaire’s request, we ordered the Rainbow Roll. Don’t ask me what’s in that hand roll because I truly have no idea (it came out with the compliments of the chef)… but it was absolutely delectable so I do wish I could remember. I’m sure by now you’re sensing a trend here: the sushi did not disappoint. And it went very well with the aforementioned Brussels Sprouts. Again, if I had to pick one roll (and only one) to get, I would order the spider roll… and the Brussels Sprouts.
Seriously: don’t miss the Brussels Sprouts.
By the way… keep up with Glitter & Spice:
