Shun by Yama Sushi — Restaurant in McKinney

First, it must be mentioned that Shun just opened a few days ago, so they are clearly working through the challenges of opening a new restaurant. Having been to most of the great Japanese restaurants in DFW and having worked in Japan and visited Japan over 60 times, I think I can deliver a fair-minded assessment of my experience here. I am holding Shun to a high standard in my review because they are holding themselves out as having high standards and they have high prices to match.

First, the restaurant is beautifully designed. They clearly have hired a top notch designer or have excellent creative instincts. When we arrived around 530, the restaurant was not very busy, which is typical of a Saturday night early arrival, but I would have expected it to be busier given the fanfare they have received in the local press. Lots of staff standing around, presumably anticipating the restaurant to be much busier later in the evening. Some of the bus staff were chewing gum and fiddling with their phones - unacceptable in high end a restaurant environment.

Service was rather slow, but again, I will give them a pass on that since they just opened. By the time we departed two hours later, it would estimate the restaurant was at about 60% full. Our server was quite attentive and polite, but he was not as knowledgeable about the menu as he should have been. With prices on the higher end, I would expect service staff to be completely comfortable with everything on the menu. Shun's prices are at or above other high-end Dallas area Japanese restaurants- ( like Tei-An, for example - I actually compared the receipts to be sure.)

The fish was very fresh and tasty and we appreciated that the fish used in the specials is flown in from Tokyo's renowned Toyosu fish market. It's very expensive for a restaurant to do this, but has a high impact on the quality. I commend Shun for making this commitment.

Shun needs to work on fine tuning the small details - here are some examples: One of the servers spilled the appetizer at our table. The sold out specials were scratched out in ink on the printed menu, which is a move I would expect to see from a restaurant in a much lower class of service. (Why not just print a new menu?) As of the time of this review, there are numerous typos in their online menu, which is really not a big deal, but it suggests a lack of attention to detail you would never see at other high end Japanese restaurants in the area. Again, I am expecting a high-end experience because Shun says it is high-end.

In summary, Shun is very good, but not great. It proclaims it is "elegant" and offers "a high-end experience" - but it is not there yet. Again, they just opened. I will come back in a few months and learn if they can fulfill their promise of excellence. I hope Shun will accept my review for what it is: an honest assessment from a very experienced consumer of Japanese high end cuisine. I would be happy to share more of my experience if the GM or owner would like to contact me...

So, first and foremost—the food at Shun is absolutely delicious! Every dish we’ve tried has been excellent. After visiting three times, I finally feel ready to share a fair review of the experience.

Service/Training: The servers don’t seem to be properly trained. On my last visit, the waitress actually took away my menu and said we could share one and “look over it together.” That felt odd, especially since I was with a friend who had never been before. She also asked if she could take away the drink menu, which I declined. This all happened around 5:30 p.m., when the restaurant was only semi-full. We also kept being rushed to order, this has happened every single time.

Drinkware: Every time we’ve ordered the same drinks, the glasses have been different. My husband and I both thought it was strange—it made us wonder if they’re short on proper glassware. It doesn’t ruin the experience, but it does feel inconsistent. Also the drinks do take some time to come out. Usually we want to drink and then order our sushi.

Menu Knowledge: The staff doesn’t seem confident in explaining or recommending dishes. On two occasions we were helped by a younger server, and this most recent time by a woman, but neither gave strong suggestions or seemed familiar with the menu in depth.

Atmosphere: There’s a noticeable sewage smell near the entrance that lingers inside. It’s subtle at first but definitely distracting and takes away from the overall dining experience.

Overall Experience: Despite the service challenges, we love this place and would recommend it for the food alone. The specialty rolls, bluefin toro, and salmon belly are outstanding. That said, the overall experience really depends on the server you get, and service quality is the biggest area for improvement.

With some attention to staff training, consistency, and atmosphere, Shun could easily match its incredible food with an equally great dining experience. McKinney needed a sushi spot like this but there are some kinks they need...

I'm writing to formally express my deep concern regarding a troubling experience at your restaurant on 8/1/2025. My father brought my daughter to dine, and after their meal, he brought the check to me. The total was $61.55, which seemed appropriate -- until I noticed a $15 tip had been added without his consent.

Initially, I assumed my father had generously tipped. But when I asked, he told me the server said the tip was "included." He was confused, especially since he never received a customer copy of the receipt before signing. My dad was been told "it's $15" and handed him a receipt to sign, without showing the usual tip options (12%, 15%, 18%) that are typically printed. My father, who speaks very limited English, was pressured into signing without understanding the situation.

What's most upsetting is that the server spoke Mandarin -- the same language as my father and me -- yet still chose to mislead him. As someone who used to work in the service industry, I find this behavior unacceptable and unethical. It reflects poorly not only on the individual but on the integrity of your establishment.

Although the manager later corrected the tip amount to $8 (which I believe is fair), the original action was deceptive and borders on fraud. I've kept the voided receipt, which clearly shows the $15 tip written in different handwriting than the signature -- further evidence of misconduct.

This experience has left me feeling disappointed and ashamed, especially given the shared cultural background. I urge you to take this matter seriously and ensure that your staff are trained to treat all customers -- especially those with language barriers -- with honesty and respect.

Thank you for your attention. I hope you will take appropriate steps to prevent this from...