A Fourth-Generation Sushi Chef Brings a New Omakase Destination to Deep Ellum

An intimate new omakase restaurant is set to open in Deep Ellum’s newly-restored Continental Gin building later this year.

Tatsu Dallas, from acclaimed New York City chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi, will seat just eight diners, who will be treated to a chef’s selection of food prepared in the edomae style, a method that stems from 1820s Japan, in which food was often preserved by soaking it in vinegar, soy sauce, or simmered in broth. The restaurant will offer affordable omakase meals with seasonal fish sourced from around the globe.

Tatsu is the nickname of chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi, a fourth-generation sushi master originally from the Saitama prefecture of Japan. Sekiguchi spent a decade as the head of New York City restaurant Sushi Yasuda, winning accolades from critics and diners alike in the city.

Sekiguchi’s first solo restaurant foray was a pop-up in New York City which began in 2017. The pop-up, which was supposed to last just six months, eventually extended to three years. Sekiguchi announced he was leaving Omakase Room by Tatsu last fall, with his sights set on Texas.

Sekiguchi first traveled to Dallas about a year ago, and immediately fell in love with the city, he said in a press release. (Sekiguchi recently bought his first pair of cowboy boots, a pair of Luccheses he proudly showed off on Instagram, declaring he was becoming more Texan day by day.) He was especially enamored with the history of Deep Ellum, and felt an immediate connection with the Continental Gin building, which was built in 1888 and was recently renovated by Dallas company August Real Estate.

“I felt an enormous vibrance from, and connectivity with, the space, and love how the structure has so much character and history,” Sekiguchi said. “I am intrigued to find an establishment in Dallas that has been around since the 1800’s like our family business.”

Tatsu Dallas will join a newly-opened location of Fiction Coffee at the Gin, plus more shops and businesses that have yet to be announced. The restaurant is expected to open in Winter 2021.