Photo by Kathy Tran

Woo S. Lee greets customers at Ku Sushi like he has for the last 10 years.

 The restaurant, which is tucked into the first floor of the Preston Forest Village Shopping Center, is a neighborhood favorite. 

“When people come in, they ask for Woo,” says Chang Choi, who owns Ku Sushi with his brother and uncle. “He gets caught up all of the time because people want to talk to him. They really are friends with him.”

Choi and family have owned the restaurant for the last five years. The primary chef is Limwoo Lee. Like Woo, the food is comfortingly familiar. The restaurant is known for its rice-less rolls. 

The Ku special boat serves three, costs $109.95 and includes miso soup, seaweed salad and tuna, salmon and yellowtail sushi and sashimi, and more. Bestsellers include the $16.95 love roll (salmon, crab meat and avocado wrapped with soy paper and tuna topped with ponzu sauce), the $15.25 valentine roll (salmon, avocado and mango wrapped with crab meat and topped with spicy sweet sauce) and the $16.95 Kristy roll (tuna, salmon, yellowtail, crab meat and asparagus wrapped with cucumber and topped with apple ponzu sauce). 

Try the $15.25 Preston roll (salmon, crab meat and cream cheese wrapped with soybean paper and deep fried with ponzu sauce).

Families have grown up coming to Ku Sushi. Parents enjoy the wine selection, which rivals that of nearby wine bars, and kids who started with fried rice and California rolls quickly became teenagers who ask for the chef’s specials. 

The restaurant also serves sake, cocktails and a selection of Japanese beers.

Choi says fresh fish arrives Mondays and Thursdays. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings are less crowded. Reservations are recommended on weekend nights.

Those who work nearby know this insider tip for lunch: Get the bento box or roll combo to go. “It’s pretty quick for sushi,” Choi says. 

“Woo seems shy, but he is sincere,” Choi says. “People who know us, know him. We know everyone who comes here.” 

Next time you see Woo, try saying “Arigato gozaimasu” (pronounced ah-REE-gah-toh goh-zai-mahss) -— which means thank you very much.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sushi means vinegar in Japanese. It refers to the vinegar used to season the rice.

Photo by Kathy Tran

More places to get your sushi fix

Blue Sushi Sake Grill
Known for sushi, craft cocktails
and vivid decor.
7859 Walnut Hill Lane, suite 180
bluesushisakegrill.com

Rock & Roll Sushi
Classics served with rock music.
6109 Berkshire Lane
rockandrollsushi.com

Sushi Star
Japanese and Korean specials.
5956 Royal Lane

Sushi at The Mercury
Dishes with sake and spirits in a Japanese setting.
11909 Preston Road, suite 1418
themercurydallas.com