Modern Japanese restaurant Wakuda is expanding into Texas, in one of the priciest dining neighborhoods in Dallas, the Design District.
The Tokyo-inspired restaurant Wakuda is expected to open in fall 2027, restaurant founder John Kunkel confirmed to The Dallas Morning News.
Wakuda originated in Singapore and is named after Tetsuya Wakuda, a “chef’s chef,” as Kunkel said, who has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Australia and Southeast Asia. Wakuda expanded to Las Vegas in 2022, and its coming-soon Dallas restaurant will mark the third Wakuda in the world.
Picking Dallas was obvious, Kunkel said. After members of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. bought a majority interest in the Dallas Mavericks from Mark Cuban, they wanted fine-dining restaurant Wakuda to join the city where they’d made a sizeable investment. Restaurant founder Kunkel made it happen.
Meanwhile, his company 50 Eggs is also working at the American Airlines Center with concessions group Levy on the food and beverage options during basketball games. 50 Eggs had already opened Yardbird Southern Table and Bar near Klyde Warren Park, though Kunkel’s company has since sold that business.
The Golden Gai roll at Wakuda in Las Vegas is made with tina, salmon, white fish, tobiko and chili ponzu. Wakuda is expected to open in the Dallas Design District in 2027. (Courtesy of Wakuda)
Wakuda in the Dallas Design District will be a nearly 10,000-square-foot restaurant with a focus on “live-fire proteins,” Kunkel said. That’s beef, mostly: a selection of individual cuts, 32-ounce shareable steaks (which cost $275 on the Las Vegas menu), and tastes of Australian, American and Japanese Wagyu.
“We want to embrace Dallas and the steakhouse,” Kunkel said.
The Japanese word yakiniku, or grilled meat, will be central to the Dallas menu, he said.
Sushi is likely to be a significant portion of the menu as well, as it is central to the restaurants in Singapore and Vegas.
Wakuda in Las Vegas (pictured) is located in the Palazzo tower at The Venetian Resort. In Dallas, it’ll be in the Design District. (Courtesy of Wakuda)
Kunkel isn’t willing to say whether Wakuda will chase Michelin attention in Texas just yet, though it’s likely anonymous critics from the French guide will be waiting on the opening. “Our goal is to deliver Michelin-level quality in an approachable, fun atmosphere,” Kunkel said. Diners won’t find white tablecloths but instead a “youthful, vibrant” feeling inside, he said. Design plans are underway.
The company specifically targeted the Design District, as have restaurateurs behind flashy Dallas spots Delilah and Carbone.
Wakuda is much bigger than what 50 Eggs typically does, Kunkel said, to accommodate private dining rooms for special events.
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