The brainchild of chef wives Tracy Rathbun (Ken Rathbun, Abacus) and Lynae Fearing (Dean Fearing, Fearing’s), Shinsei has emerged as the go-to destination in Dallas for eclectic Asian flavors with a nod to Texas roots. Fresh, cool sushi selections include all of the standard compositions in addition to a few twists.

There’s the Spanish mackerel with yuzu, olive oil, shiso, and Japanese cucumber. Or try the spicy kaji roll with big eye tuna, Japanese yellow mustard, sriracha sauce, and chili powder. Mains are generous and alluring, from whole fried fish to hoisin baby back ribs to citrus beef tenderloin. Yes the staff can be overbearingly pretentious. But the food more than makes up for such vexations.

The zen atmosphere and see-and-be-seen bar is salaciously lubricated with saketinis, “Shinsei Sangrías,” and ruinously overpriced wines by the glass. The bottle list is predominantly from California with a good smattering of varietal selections and prices. On the few occasions a particular wine isn’t available, servers shamelessly attempt to up-sell to more expensive bottles—all in a good day’s pretentiousness shtick.