Upscale Asian restaurant debuts in historic downtown Fort Worth hotel
June 27,2023
See full CultureMap article by Teresa Gubbins here.
An Asian fusion/sushi restaurant from Dallas has arrived in Fort Worth: Called Musume it has opened inside the Sandman Signature Hotel at 810 Houston St., where a release promises it will provide an unrivaled Japanese dining experience.
Musume, which means “daughter” in Japanese, is part of the Rock Libations restaurant group (ChopShop). The first location opened in Dallas' Arts District in 2018. Its menu includes sushi, sashimi, and Asian cuisine in small and large plates, vegetarian and vegan, salads, tempura, tableside ramen noodles, and six- or eight-course omakase by chef Yuzo Toyama, a native of Shizuoka, Japan, who most recently served as executive chef at Yuzo Sushi Tapas in Oklahoma City.
Menu highlights include lamb lollipops, steak, miso cod, duck leg confit, scallops, steamed red snapper topped with lump crab, and robusuta roll with lobster, avocado, and tempura shrimp.
They also aim to have Fort Worth’s largest selection of sake with more than 50 labels, and Japanese whisky with more than 60 offerings, along with wine and Asian-inspired craft cocktails. An on-site cocktail bar called The Lounge at Musume will serve an abbreviated food menu with appetizers and entrees.
The restaurant is located inside the historic 103-year-old, 20-story W.T. Waggoner Building that originally housed Continental National Bank and is now home to the Sandman Signature Hotel.
Decor is minimalist with Japanese gardens, Zen lighting, Shinto red walls, gilded artwork, intimate izakaya-style seating in snug spaces, floating banquettes, multiple private dining rooms, a 2,000-square-foot black-lacquer bar back-lit in red, and a tatami room inside the building’s original bank vault, with sunken seating beneath the floor and origami cranes dangling overhead.
“Literally years in the making, we are beyond excited to finally unveil Musume to all of Fort Worth and greater Tarrant County,” said Josh Babb, co-owner of Musume and co-founder of Rock Libations. “Our worldly offerings cannot be found anywhere else in the city, from our fresh flown-in-daily fish to our extensive selection of premium sake and Japanese whisky to our tableside handmade ramen. We hope Fort Worthians young and old will join us for a lavish and unforgettable Japanese culinary experience in the heart of downtown, unrivaled by any other establishment in Fort Worth."