Born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and American father, Chef Michelle Carpenter’s menu reflects her personal biography and influences. While her father was stationed in San Antonio, the ‘airforce brat’ found work off-base in various Japanese restaurants. In her early twenties, she decided that she wanted to expand beyond being a sushi-maker and train to become an actual Itamae, a highly-revered profession in Japanese culinary culture. At the time, there were no culinary schools in the US for specializing in sushi. She had to move to become better. She left for San Diego and trained under several master Itamaes during a two-year stage, where she learned the craft of maximizing flavor from the highest-grade ingredients of the sea and land. Her mentors exposed her to the rigor and expectations of Japanese food.

Upon return to Texas in 1989, she found work at Mr.Sushi in Addison, later moving on to Yamaguchi’s in the Park Cities, where she was eventually promoted to Executive Chef under Master Itamae Yama-San. Yamaguchi’s was considered by many to be the preeminent sushi bar in Dallas. There, Michelle was able to hone her craft and develop her own loyal following. Yama-San allowed Michelle the ability to exercise her creativity and develop a new menu not commonly found on traditional Japanese restaurants.

In 2006, Michelle decided to open her own restaurant. Zen Sushi opened in 2007 in the heart of the Bishop Arts District. For 12+ years, Michelle has been serving thoughtfully-crafted sushi with American influences. High-grade seafood is carefully complemented with ingredients that are rare in traditional Japanese food. Lime, cilantro, or jalapeno, common for Southwest/Latin-American cultures, are beautiful additions to the technical finesse that characterizes Japanese culinary arts.

For its creativity and craftsmanship, Zen has been awarded over 14 ‘Best Sushi in Dallas’ awards, with accolades from the Dallas Voice, Texas Monthly, WFAA, AOL, and others. The culinary team at Zen Sushi has over 100 years of experience in Japanese cuisine.