JANUARY: Nori Handroll Bar

I'm finally back from a long break from blogging! My new concept for CHOMP! is that once a month, I will be featuring my favorite dining spot from the previous month. Since today is the last day of February, I gotta hurry up and post my favorite from Jan2019! I am also removing my "cookie rating" since these will all be my favorites. It'll get boring when all of them have 5 "cookies". Haha!

Technically I've been going to Nori since October of last year... and I've wanted to write about them ever since then (but life got busy and I was a little burnt out). But it's too good not to feature, so they're kicking off my 2019! Plus I did go to Nori in January. Ha!

I've been following Chef Jimmy Park since the days of Pok the Raw Bar (still my favorite poke place in Dallas). I had one of the best meals when the raw bar opened up there. Since Chef Jimmy left Pok, I've been WAITING for him to do something else. Finally Nori Handroll Bar opened in September 2018 in Deep Ellum!! Woohoo!

Nori Handroll Bar
2814 Elm St.
Dallas, TX 75226
(469) 436-6674
norihandrollbar.com
Price: $$-$$$$

I've gone numerous times since they've opened and every time the food is just fantastic. I expected nothing less from Chef Jimmy! Hands down my favorite sushi spot in Dallas, Nori has a great chef (duh!), a great team, and wonderful owners. Plus the decor (minimalist modern) and the music are great!

Chef Jimmy Park being his awesome self.

They specialize in handrolls (or "Temaki") which is a new trend in DFW. A few things to understand when eating handrolls...
1) The seaweed is very important. Nori's is custom made so it has that perfect crispness when you bite into it. Eat it quickly when they place the handroll in front of you so you can experience that perfect texture. The longer the handrolls sit, the softer the seaweed can get. (Mind you, it's still good if left sitting too long, but once you experience how it's SUPPOSED to be, you'll know what I'm talking about!)
2) The handroll chefs at Nori will wait until you have consumed one roll before making your next one. That way the handrolls are not left sitting too long.
3) This one is specific to Nori... their handrolls do not need soy sauce. AT ALL! I have never used soy sauce there because each roll is already so flavorful. I do get their wasabi relish to put on there though. YUM!

Aside from handrolls, Nori also offers complimentary tapas such as seaweed salad, octopus salad, edamame, shishito peppers, and more. 

Yes, complimentary. It's awesome. On the dinner menu, you can also find the full selection of hot dishes like their awesome brussels sprouts, hamachi kama (yellowtail cheek), etc. They have various sashimi dishes which sometimes changes depending on whatever fresh fish they have that day. They also have a sake bar at the front of the restaurant which is pretty badass looking!

Since I've been there so many times already, I'm just going to post a bunch of pictures and what they are. You can't go wrong with anything. I'd happily eat any of these again!

Yamaimo (japanese mountain yam, shisho, ume boshi) $5.50~ Gluten free and vegetarian

King Salmon (house cured ora king salmon, crushed sesame seeds, chives) $7~ Gluten free

Negitoro (fatty tuna, scallion) $9~ Gluten free

Negihama (yellowtail, scallion, crushed sesame) $7~ Gluten free

Nori Scallop (hokkaido scallop, tempura crunch, creamy spicy) $8~ This is a personal favorite.

Red Crab (red crab, garlic aioli) $9~ Gluten free

Baked crab... torched in front of you. Yum!

Baked Crab (red crab, baked avocado with creamy spicy) $9~ Gluten free. Another personal favorite.

Ebi Katsu (panko shrimp, ginger dressing) $8~ This is my absolute favorite!

Chef's Temaki Special: This changes, but I had Tamago (egg).

Lobster (lobster, butter ponzu aioli) $10~

Uni (uni, lobster roe pate, gold flake) $MKT~ Gluten free

Brussels Sprouts (fried brussels, parmesan, premium sauce, crushed sesame) $7~

Rock Shrimp Tempura (amazu ponzu or creamy spicy, yuzu) $MKT~

Hamachi Kama (yellowtail collar) $18~

Takoyaki (octopus dumplings, mentaiko sauce, bonito) $8~

Chicken Karaage (japanese fried chicken) $8~

Here are also some special bites that Chef Jimmy has made for me. I am honored to be considered his friend and can experience these wonderful creations! Disclaimer: Nori does not offer omakase (chef's tasting) on their regular menu. They may offer it on certain holidays so keep an eye out for that! They recently did one for NYE and Valentine's Day.

Hakami in homemade soy sauce

Salmon Belly nigiri

Home cured Japanese mackerel nigiri

Yellowtail in homemade wasabi soy sauce

Bluefin with ponzu

Kampachi with jalapeno dressing

Spear Squid nigiri

One last thing. Save room for dessert. It's not listed on the menu, but sometimes Nori will have this donut ice cream dessert that is just to die for. The donuts are from Detour Doughnuts in Frisco (they're seriously good at what they do) and topped with either a matcha or black sesame ice cream, with different sauces poured at the table. It's delicious. You won't wanna share. :P

Detour's custom Black Sesame donut with Black Sesame ice cream

Detour's Creme Brulee donut with Black Sesame ice cream and chocolate sauce

Thanks for always taking such great care of me, Chef Jimmy and Nori team! If this post doesn't convince you to go check them out... I don't think we can be friends. LOL! They just recently rolled out a new lunch menu btw. I'll be checking that out soon!


~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

The Keeper - EPIC Media Dinner!

Starting the year out with a BANG! Get ready for some SERIOUS foodporn, y'all! :)

**PSA**
If you follow me on Instagram, you're in luck! From now until Feb 13th, if you show them a pictures I posted from the media dinner, you can get a FREE appetizer up to $15 value! If you don't follow me, you better get on it! :P @chompdallas! I highly suggest the Crab Fried Rice btw... one of my favorite things!
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If y'all haven't heard of The Keeper... you are definitely missing out! It has been on my list to try for a while and I guess it's good that I waited because I was about to have my mind blown! I was approached by them to collaborate and host my very first media/blogger dinner. What an honor! And to plan out the event, they invited me out first to check out the space and menu. SO MUCH AWESOME!! This post will include both my preview meal AND the actual media dinner.

The Keeper - Shops at Legacy
5840 Legacy Cir. Ste D100
Plano, TX 75024
(469) 210-5337
http://thekeeperplano.com/
Price: $$$$+

The Keeper is part of Front Burner Restaurants who oversees heavy hitters such as Sixty Vines, Whiskey Cake, The Ranch, and most recently, Haywire.... and many others. All of their restaurants are fantastic and you'll also notice that their decor/interior design is also spot on. The Keeper is so cute. 

Spacious and decked out, there are interesting decor details everywhere, including a really nice cocktail area to the left of the bar, and a "Captain's Room" which can be used for private events. That's where we dined for the media dinner. It's super cool... lined on the walls are the Captains and they all have really fun stories behind them. The room can be closed off with curtains to keep your party exclusive. There's also audio/visual equipment if needed. AND this was the best part for us bloggers.. the lights can be dimmed or turned up as requested. Since our food photos are everything, the lighting is always very important.

We had a nice big group for the media dinner. 19 people! The Captain's Room was perfect with extra room to spare. Once mostly everyone arrived, they started dinner service. The service was on point, y'all. The flow of course to course was fluid, we never had to ask for our water glasses to be filled. And new/clean silverware just come out of nowhere course after course. They were definitely on their game! Special shout-out to Nicole and Joy for being the best waitresses.

Of course people got some cocktails! Their cocktails are extremely festive and fun. Some are served in different Tiki glasses.

Singapore Sling $12~

I'm not quite sure what this is, but it's fun to look at!

The General Manager, Ryan, checked on the group throughout the night. He also offered a lot of interesting information on the restaurant, their inspirations, missions, etc. The Executive Chef, Ty, introduced every course as it came out. The man behind all the wonderful and tasty dishes. They use a lot of locally sources ingredients as well as the freshest seafood they can get. They have several items on the menu that's based on availability. Like the different types of oysters. I was able to get one during my preview, but it wasn't available for the media dinner. So you can go back frequently and potentially try something new each time.

Ok... I've talked enough. TO THE FOOD!!! They pulled out all the stops for this dinner. I didn't know what the menu was going to be. Holy moly... TEN courses! Plus 3 desserts. WOW! Also, several of the items were not even on the menu yet (I'll label "NEW~"). I believe it is being launched TODAY, Wednesday 1/23. So aside from the restaurant execs themselves, we were the first to try them!!!!!


NEW~ Tuna Tiradito (fresh big-eye tuna, citrus, pickled onion, aji rocoto). Not only was this beautiful with all the pops of color, it was so good. Especially that aji rocoto sauce. The tuna was super fresh and the citrus was bright.

NEW~ Texas Gulf Shrimp & Grits (stone ground grits, wild mushrooms and peppers, creole sauce) This was most people's favorite of the night, me included. Nice, big, plump shrimp rubbed with bold spices. The grits were creamy and amazing. This is a quick trend we noticed that all their dishes are packed with flavor. A MUST order!

Crab Fried Rice (crispy spam, crab, carrots, scallions, egg) $18~ Another MUST order. I know it's under the apps section but you can totally get this as your entree. It is a big portion size, definitely good for sharing. Tons of crab throughout, it's just so good. I hate carrots and I don't even mind it in here. I also love that they incorporate a lot of veggies in their dishes.

Scallops (udon noodles, bok choy, fresnos, carrots, micro ocean mix, hoisin-sesame sauce) $24~ Another favorite... maybe I should just stop trying to pick a favorite, eh? :P hahaha. Buttery scallops over noodles. Again, lots of veggies so it feels rich yet light.

Seafood Campechana (gulf shrimp and lump crab, avocado) $14~ This is a good starter to share, especially if you like ceviche and shrimp cocktail type stuff. Plump shrimp and crab!

Raw Oysters (chili sauce, horseradish and yuzu mignonettes) $3 each~ 

So... I've never been a fan of oysters in general, raw the least of all. I mean, I'll eat them, but I don't crave them or care to use up stomach space for them. HOWEVER, since I've had the oysters in the preview dinner. I've been waiting to get my hands on more! OMG! The freshest I've ever had, and served super cold. I think what made me really love these were the sauces... the yuzu one especially (the one in the middle). I don't like cocktail sauce really. The yuzu is a lovely brightness on the oyster. It's also more fragrant than lemon or lime. Loved it! I had 2! And if you get luckily, you might get to try some different kinds, if they have it in stock.

NEW~ Blackened Red Fish (rainbow chard, sweet peppers, decadent crab sauce). That crab sauce tho.... Drooling. Whoever says fish is bland needs to try this. The blackened rub on this was a punch in the face. Loved that they paired it with veggies on the bottom to offset the rich crab sauce.

Whole Red Snapper (fried, roasted brussels sprout, scallions, baby bells, micro herbs) $38~ Usually comes grilled, but you can request fried. What a show stopper. People could not stop taking pictures and videos when these came out. A whole fried fish definitely makes for interesting conversation! And their Brussels Sprouts are amazing. I can eat a whole bowl of those on their own.

King Crab Legs (steamed with drawn butter or spicy chili glaze, local corn, grilled potato salad) $48~ Everyone was stuffed at this point but all still holding out for the crab legs. All I can say is wow.... I took a leg and held it up, it's long! And packed full of tender crab meat. I normally don't care for crab, but this is some of the most tender I've had... especially dipped in that melted butter. The meat literally just slid out of the shell when you scooped it with the fork. O.M.G.

NEW~ Pork Chops (apple fennel slaw, bbq vinaigrette). They're a seafood place but they can do land too! The pork chops are a great addition to the menu. Bone in, cooked to perfection, served with slaw to balance the meat. I took most of it home and had it for lunch the next day. Still so good!

I don't know how any of us were still eating at this point. Some people had to leave and tapped out early. The rest of us got to stuff our faces some more with their yummy desserts!

Oh Chocolate, My Chocolate (chocolate ganache truffle, chocolate crumble, chocolate pamplemousse sauce, strawberries) $8~ Chocolate lovers, this is for you. The truffle itself is luscious and rich and dark. Drizzle that chocolate sauce all over everything!! A little goes a long way, it's a very satisfying dessert.

The "Key"per (angel food cake, key lime mousse, raspberries, pistachios) $7~ Surpringly this was my favorite. For one, it's so pretty! I normally don't favor lemon/lime desserts but this is so light, not too tart. And I especially love the textures from the fluffy angel food cake to the mousse, to the crunchy pistachios. If you are full from dinner, this is a good choice to get.

Bubble Waffle Sundae (sweethouse ice cream, marshmallow fluff, butter rum sauce, caramelized pineapple) $8~ What a fun dessert. The waffle is served warm. It pairs extremely well with the ice cream and marshmallow fluff. Definitely one for sharing!

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Here are the other dishes from my preview dinner that we didn't see at the media dinner. Lots of winners here as well.

Singapore Sling $12~
Painkiller $14~

Don't remember what this one is either... but it had mango in it.

Hamachi Crudo (apple, avocado, chilies, toasted garlic, yuzu sauce, micro greens) $14~ One of my favorites from The Keeper still. It was such beautiful plating. The hamachi (yellowtail) were so tender it melted in your mouth. I want this whole plate to myself!

Belon Oysters $MKT~ (limited availability) We were lucky enough to get 2 of these that night. (The 2 in front... see how they're bigger than the regular oysters?) These are wild caught and they are very limited. It is the "oyster lover's" oyster. Extra minerality, extra oyster flavor. My husband LOVED it.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip (parmesan, swiss, jack, tortilla chips) $11~ A good choice to share for people who don't want seafood everything. But guess what, you can get crab added to it for an upcharge. :P

Seafood Linguine (jumbo gulf shrimp, mussels, tomatoes, herbs, white wine parmesan butter) $16~ Really good pasta. The sauce was rich but the pasta wasn't drowning in them. Tons of seafood on top. Just look at that shrimp!

Icelandic Cod (chowder, crisp bacon, carrots) $28~ I've had Icelandic cod when we were in Iceland last year, so freaking good. So I was excited to see it on the menu. Of course, the fish was super tender and flaky. And it's served over their Clam Chowder, one of their big sellers. So you technically get to try 2 different dishes in one. The chowder is really good.

Akaushi Burger (white cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red onion, special sauce, grilled potato salad) $17~ Subbed side for Lobster Mac n Cheese. One of my friends wasn't that into seafood so he opted for the burger. Tbh, with so much fabulous seafood dishes around, the burger kind of got lost.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (spicy lime glaze) $5~ This also came with my whole fried red snapper, but it was THAT good.

Roasted Root Vegetables (baby carrots, turnips, rutabaga, citrus glaze) $5~ My husband ordered this... he loved it. I don't like carrots so I just kinda left this up to him. haha.

Lobster Mac 'N' Cheese (buttery old bay bread crumbs) $11~ One of the richest mac n cheeses I've ever had. So good, but eat sparingly. haha.

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I want to give a HUGE THANKS to The Keeper for hosting us. It was SPECTACULAR!! From the service to the ambiance and of course the amazing food, we were thoroughly blown away. Let's not keep this place a secret! I want to tell everyone about it. The food is legit and I love that they locally source as much as possible. And the seafood are sustainable. You can tell all the people that worked there were proud and passionate of the restaurant, from the wait staff to management. One of the most wonderful media experience to date, I hope all of you will go check them out and love it as much as we did.

And again... don't forget! Show them a post from my Instagram from this event and get a FREE appetizer! ($15 value, one table only.)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~