Chef Peja Krstic of Mot Hai Ba Has a Side Hustle Sushi and Poke Bar, Ichi

Renowned Serbian-born chef Peja Krstic first made an impact on the local culinary scene when he took over Dallas’ contemporary Vietnamese concept, Mot Hai Ba, in 2015. His innovative and modern twist on Asian cuisine quickly earned regional acclaim, paving the way for him to launch Ichi back in 2020. Located inside the Exchange Food Hall, Ichi offers a fast-casual approach to contemporary Asian food, featuring a diverse menu that includes poke, ramen and bento boxes. Oh, and pink sushi.

In terms of ingredients and flavor profile, Ichi closely mirrors Krstic’s fine-dining ventures. Fresh, chef-driven ingredients like miso-glazed onions and crunchy roasted sweet potato evoke the high-end feel of Mot Hai Ba, yet the presentation at Ichi is casual. Customers can walk up to the counter, where an array of colorful containers displays ingredients Chipotle-style. The menu specializes in customizable poke bowls, sushi, ramen and freshly made Japanese sandos, with sushi crafted on-demand providing an engaging culinary show.
Start with any of the seven signature poke bowls, each mixed with your choice of protein, incuding tofu, crab, salmon or hamachi. We savored a roasted tofu poke bowl, with quinoa, vegetables, avocado and sweet potato in a miso vinaigrette. The freshness of the ingredients shines through, with crisp cucumber and carrots balancing the chewy, freshly roasted tofu, while yuzu caramelized onions and homemade miso dressing add a tangy complexity reminiscent of Krstic’s other culinary creations. The only difference is the takeout box presentation.

Classic sushi rolls like the shrimp tempura and traditional vegetable rolls are on the menu, but so are more adventurous options. The Ghost Rider, which is stuffed with a spicy crab-and-cucumber mixture and topped with togarashi salmon, immediately caught our eye, and is marked on the menu by a star, signifying a chef-recommended creation.

The pink panther roll is a must-try as well, even though it doesn't come with a star. Pink rice paper comes wrapped around spicy salmon mix and is topped with spicy mayo for a uniquely bright pink explosion of color.

Pink sushi isn’t something we’ve seen before. But a perfect mix of creamy avocado, tangy mayo and crunchy tempura flakes on top make us wonder why it isn’t more common.

Ichi’s also has signature ramen bowls, served with a house-made miso broth and topped with tempura shrimp. There are also Japanese sandos, available in two flavors but in a limited supply, so arrive early to snag one. The green tea roll cake, popular on Ichi’s Instagram, boasts a spongy green tea-flavored cake spiraled with fluffy cream, while its westernized sibling, the chocolate roll cake, is chocolate pound cake filled with chocolate cream.
Prices here are on the higher end, which at first seems to contradict the whole fast-casual branding. But high-quality ingredients and care add an element of luxury to each plate. Still, a $20 box of takeout sushi certainly sits on the higher end of what we’ve seen on the Dallas food scene.

Our verdict is this: while it may be much for an everyday habit, superior from-scratch ingredients, the renowned chef behind the brand and the pink sushi all certainly make the occasional splurge worth it.

Ichi at The Exchange, 211 S. Akard St. Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.