Gastrognome - Piranha Killer Sushi
by Kevin Buchanan
Piranha Killer Sushi’s downtown digs have been open for a little while now, and owners & chefs Kenzo Tran and Tommy Le have created an outstanding Japanese eatery serving up incredibly tasty dishes in a cool urban atmosphere.
Piranha charms on approach thanks to the iconic yellow piranha sign with its big eyes and bear-trap grin. The little fish hovers over Piranha’s spot in the 3rd Street Garage, the attractive retro Art Deco structure behind the Chase Bank Building on 3rd. The storefront shows off stalks of bamboo but otherwise doesn’t let on to the cool, hip interior contained within. I’d describe it as a sort of ’50s lounge/tiki bar (and I’m not talking about the stereotypical and inaccurate poddle-skirts-and-diners ’50s, but real ’50s Mid-Century Modern) with shots of contemporary Japanese design, blended with a dash of Ikea. Slickly understated lighting sets the place off, along with cool tilework and a colorful backlit bar. It’s extremely cozy, the sort of place you’d expect to see tucked in to a hole in the wall in some block in Manhattan, which only adds to the atmosphere.
I’ve found the service to be prompt, efficient, and friendly, always ready with a recommendation or help for diners who are unsure if they should be in one of these “soo-she” places. Now, I’ve always gotten weird looks when I talk about my love of sushi, because I don’t eat seafood and am not much of a meat eater in general. Most people are unaware of the wide variety of vegetable/fruit-based sushi delights to be had in your finer establishments, and Piranha does not disappoint there.
To start off, we (by which I mean my girlfriend Stephanie and I) got an order of the vegetable tempura and the steamed edamame. The tempura was delicious, featuring such favorites as mushroom, sweet potato, onion, and pepper, while the edamame (immature soybeans in the pod, steamed with salt) was a wonderful, fresh dish as well.
We then ordered a vegetable bento box, a chef’s choice selection which changes constantly. This time around, we got some of your classic maki vegetable rolls (containing filling like avocado, asparagus, takuan, and carrot wrapped in delicious soft rice and nori - tasty dried seaweed, for the uninitiated), along with a selection of nigiri sushi.
Nigiri sushi differs from the maki sushi, featuring a topping placed on a hand-formed clump of rice and bound together with a small strip of nori. The nigiri this time around featured asparagus (delicious), avocado (indulgent), and a red pepper variety that sported a wonderful marinade on the pepper that was just outstanding. I’m not normally much of a pepper fan, but this…wonderful.
As is the case traditionally, the sushi comes with wasabi and gari (sweet pickled ginger to cleanse the palate). As an aside, a tip for newbies - sushi is traditionally eaten with chopsticks or fingers, so practice beforehand if you don’t want to use your hands…and skip the fork.
The bento box also featured a serving of seaweed salad, cucumber salad, and serving of tomato slices & cheese in what seemed to be a soy-based sauce. Seaweed salad is a rather intimidating dish for newbies to the sushi game, but if you get over your initial fears a properly done seaweed salad is extremely tasty. The seaweed salad at Piranha is a fantastic example, with great flavor and spot-on texture.
The cucumber salad was a pleasant surprise, as I’m not normally a fan of the cuke. This, however, featured a subtle dressing that added wonderful flavor without destroying the natural taste of the cucumber, and it all comes out very good indeed. The tomato & cheese in sauce affair was unexpected, but delicious.
To drink, we had the traditional accompaniment of sushi - green tea, which at Piranha is very well prepared and flavorful.
Our dessert was an order of delicious green tea ice cream, which is extremely popular in Japan. I know it sounds odd, but the flavor of the matcha green tea becomes very tasty when reworked into ice cream form. Piranha’s green tea ice cream is among the best I’ve had.
Prices were reasonable, especially considering the impressive quantity and variety we got - though they are definitely on the higher side of “reasonable.” Looking back afterwards, both Steph and I agreed that we have found a new favorite sushi joint in Piranha. It’s got everything covered - outstanding food, wonderful atmosphere, and a great location.
As downtown Fort Worth continues its amazing success, Piranha should be in a great place to capitalize on all the activity - and if the constant lines and packed crowds we’ve been seeing while walking by the place are any indication, it looks like their success is assured. Steph and I have already become regulars, and we can’t wait to make a trip back to Piranha for more of their outstanding sushi.
Piranha Killer Sushi
Neighborhood: Downtown, in Sundance Square
Location: Ground floor of 3rd Street Garage, between P.F. Chang’s and Quizno’s
335 West 3rd Street
Web site: piranhakillersushi.com
Telephone: 817-348-0200
2 Comments, Comments or Pings
Suzette
Is that fish jumping out of the wall? I think it’s “alive!”
Nice!
Nov 15th, 2007
Jeremy
I love this place!! If you are fan of fish try their white tuna or the rainbow rolls, both are amazing.
Great review!
Nov 21st, 2007
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