Sleek New Restaurant DOZO Omakase and Handroll Brings Hope to Trinity Groves’ Reinvention in West Dallas

Last summer, the leadership of Dallas’ Trinity Groves changed from Beto & Son co-owner and chef Julian Rodarte to original CEO Phil Romano’s son, Sam. With that transition came the ability for third-party restaurants to finally open at the development that debuted in 2013. It was formerly a “restaurant incubator” where local chefs could try out new things. Only two of those concepts remain — Beto & Son and Kate Weiser. Two Romano restaurants, Saint Rocco’s and Sum Dang Good Chinese, are also still operating.

Trinity Groves has seen several new dining concepts open since Sam Romano took over almost a year ago. A couple, Oreste’s and Rollin Smoke BBQ, had very quick closures, but La Rue Doughnuts, seafood spot Pesca, and the most recent opening, DOZO Omakase and Handroll, are giving us hope.

The Story of DOZO Omakase and Handroll

One of our favorite new omakase restaurants in Dallas, DOZO was opened by husband-and-wife Ronald Le and Yisha Zhao just a couple of months ago. It’s actually a second, expanded location of the couple’s DOZO Sushi To Go in Richardson, which was founded in January of 2024 and offers really pretty boxes of nigiri, sashimi, and rolls for takeout.

“Both of us have always loved sushi,” Chef/Partner of DOZO, Ronald Le, tells PaperCity. “We love to travel and try Michelin sushi restaurants.”

Zhao says that Ronald started out by making omakase at home for dinner. “He didn’t have any training,” she says. “But he had a knack for it. He was making things like you’d find in a restaurant.”

After he was laid off from his corporate sales job, Le decided it was time to follow his passion for sushi. He met and trained under chef Shawn Yi before opening DOZO To Go. Chef Yi now serves as head chef in Dallas.

Le and Zhao always knew that they wanted to open an omakase restaurant. “Our Richardson regulars kept asking us when we were going to open a full dining room concept,” Le says. “Now, we’ve actually seen some of those regulars come check out the new Dallas restaurant.”

When the opportunity presented itself at Trinity Groves, they went for it. “The real estate company actually reached out to us to see if we were interested,” he says. After seeing success in Richardson, they decided they could expand to Dallas.

The couple also does their own marketing. Zhao is actually an Instagram food influencer (@shefliesfromdallas) with over 21,000 followers. She primarily covers Asian food in Dallas, but the couple has kept DOZO Omakase and Handroll pretty quiet.

“We wanted to make sure everything was perfect,” says Le. Next week, DOZO Dallas officially opens its full dining room. So far, seats have been offered at the chef’s omakase bar. Anything from the menu can be ordered in either seating area, but after trying the 15-course premium omakase myself, I recommend sitting at the chef’s bar to get the full experience.

DOZO Offers A Different Omakase Experience in Dallas

Compared to other omakases in Dallas, $120 for a 15-course experience is a good deal. It comes with a great variety of fish (favorites like salmon and tuna, as well as more adventurous silver and white fish options), miso soup, one handroll, and a dessert.

The couple says that what sets their omakase apart from other Dallas spots is that they are offering high-quality sushi for a more affordable price. They have several options depending on what you’re feeling for lunch or dinner. The DOZO omakase is only $38 and comes with seven courses of nigiri; a six-course nigiri & handroll is $33, and a five-course handroll set plus miso soup is $28.

DOZO flies 80 to 90 percent of their fish in from Toyosu Market in Japan. “The most important thing is that we prepare, cure, and curate the taste of each dish,” Zhao says.

From housemade shoyu to a lemon salt that takes a week to make, DOZO is putting in the effort to stay fresh and different. Ronald explains that they focus on yakumi, which is toppings with intent. You’ll find pairings such as daily-cured saba with fresh grated ginger, ama ebi topped with uni and caviar, and so many more flavorful bites on the menu.

Some favorites from the a la carte menu also include the madai carpaccio, seared truffle salmon, and hokkaido scallop trio. For drinks, DOZO currently offers sake and wine, but they’ll soon be adding on cocktails. Reserve your table here.