Reviews of Japañeiro and Table 89

Jim Begley has been on a Japanese binge lately (delightfully so), and this week checks out Japañeiro, the newish restaurant from Nobu alum Kevin Chong. He suggests trying his Nobu-inspired dishes such as the black cod lettuce wraps as well as items such as the “square-ish” beef gyoza, the seared scallop with uni special (“smokiness melds memorably with salinity”) and the uni butter. While the truffled marrow filet “will cause you to question all the other (trendy) marrow offerings you’ve had in the past,” he says you can take a pass on the “pedestrian” kushiyaki and “uneventful” tacos.  [LVW]

Al Mancini takes on Table 89, the new fast-casual restaurant from Sami Ladeki that took over his Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza in Centennial Hills. “[Y]ou can’t go wrong” with duck tacos, salted caramel pudding dessert and Ladeki’s pizzas, he says. He also recommends the pork and beef meatballs (“worthy of any neighborhood Italian restaurant”), the kale and romaine Caesar salad and the steak and watercress sandwich. But he had “mixed opinions” on two dishes, the grilled chicken and hummus wrap. His only complaint? “[S]omeone at Google entered the address wrong for Table 89’s listing, and I ended up at a bus terminal.” [VS]