One of the biggest looming trends in sushi is making its way to San Antonio. Dallas import Nori Handroll Bar is opening in Spring 2027 in the Coopers Row apartment complex at 1118 E. Elmira St. in Pearl.
For those unfamiliar, hand rolls, otherwise known as temaki, are a less exacting version of maki — the tightly rolled cylinders most Americans associate with sushi. The seaweed sheets enclose the typical fillings of rice, fish, and vegetables, but are wrapped in a looser cone or tubular shape.
Although several San Antonio restaurants offer the dish, it doesn’t yet have a dedicated handroll bar. The concept first debuted in the Deep Ellum neighborhood in 2018. Entrepreneur Mark Lee partnered with Jimmy Park, a former Nobu chef known for Pōk the Raw Bar in Dallas’ West Village. Originally, the spot only offered 12 hand rolls.
Now under the ownership of chef Deukbok Cha, the restaurant has since extended the menu to several à la carte options stuffed with king salmon, unagi, soft-shelled crab, scallops, and other seafood. The rolls are also offered in sets, ranging from I Could Eat (three hand rolls) to Hangry (six).
Nori’s other offerings include sashimi, indulgent chef’s specials like truffle caviar nigiri, and fun appetizers like poppers made with jalapeño, cream cheese, red crab, and spicy tuna. Cha has also introduced Korean flavors that reflect his heritage.
The Dallas location is modeled after the neighborhood alleyway bars found on the streets of Tokyo, offering only 24 seats. The San Antonio outpost has not yet released renderings of the space, but at 2,995 square feet, it might offer a little more stretching room than the original.
“Pearl has such an incredible food culture, and it’s exactly the kind of place we want to be a part of,” said Deukbok Cha, chef and owner of Nori Handroll Bar, in a release. “We want to create a gathering place where people can stop in for fresh hand rolls and Japanese-Korean flavors that are simple, approachable, and genuinely delicious.”
