Dining Review: Dish is taste of midtown nightlife

Dish's grilled lamb teriyaki skewers on a bed of greens.

We were the first to arrive at Dish restaurant in Cooper-Young on a recent Saturday night, so we saw its least typical atmosphere. It was still daylight, the dining room was empty, and the industrial-chic interior, chilled by the very effective air-conditioner, seemed charmless.

Then the accommodating bartender brought us some cocktails, and a series of well-composed small dishes began arriving, along with some other diners. The painted concrete floor and minimal design of the place started feeling natural, and I forgot about the cement dust and rubble that has settled on the window sills beside the tables.

Photos by Justin Shaw/Special to The Commercial Appeal

A combination bar/club/restaurant, Dish on Cooper caters to a late-night crowd.

Dish's grilled lamb teriyaki skewers on a bed of greens.

Japanese-style croquettes are among Dish's dishes. They're breaded and fried puffs served with two types of dipping sauces.

First, cocktails. We ordered the "Dishwater," assuming it was a signature house offering: It's a Long Island Iced Tea-style, vodka-and-rum drink with the interesting addition of raspberry liqueur, a

tasty twist. On the bartender's advice, we also ordered a Cucumber Cooler ($7), vodka with muddled cucumber and lemon-lime soda (also known as Sprite). It was clear liquid, except for a drifting cucumber seed. At one point I confused my drink for my water -- they came in the same-sized glass -- and took a long, cool pull from the cocktail straw. It was a pleasant blast, but I realized when I stood up how deceptive these easy-to-swallow drinks can be.

Dish had a Mediterranean-style tapas menu for several years, but introduced a new focus last year. Food is still served on small plates, but with a decidedly Japanese influence, now that the restaurant is part of a consortium of "sister restaurants," including Sekisui and Pacific Rim, overseen by Jimmy Ishii.

We had the pork gyoza ($5) -- aka Japanese potstickers or dumplings -- five of them lined up on a rectangular plate with a side of the soy and chile sauce. They're pan-fried, plump and pleasing. Another unqualified success was the ebi shumai ($4), steamed dumplings with a shrimp center. Both were done in classic style, no surprises.

We got a seaweed salad ($5) as an interim dish. It was balanced with sesame and a citrus-y rice wine and vinegar sauce.

Dish has four types of kushiyaki -- grilled chicken, steak, lamb or vegetables skewered on bamboo. We got the flank steak ($6), which was shaped like a Popsicle on the skewer. The pepper and spice on the meat were terrific, but the sizzled lean steak clung to the stick, and, after attacking it awkwardly with forks and knives, we were finally reduced to pulling it off by hand.

The baffling dish we ordered was the fried crab claw. It was a pretty puff of deep brown batter with a crab's pincer stuck in one side, but the interior, the consistency of mashed potatoes, had barely a hint of any sea creature.

A selection of pizzas, including a meat version with marinated lamb and smoked pork, and one with ginger chicken, are available.

Dish caters to a late-night club crowd, hence its "smoke-friendly" status. We stopped by at 7 on a Sunday night hoping to try a pizza, but didn't go beyond the crowded bar into the empty dining room. The ambience was gay mixer, everyone standing and talking over the high-volume electronic music. We went back on a Tuesday, but the place was dark; hours on the Web site hadn't been updated to show it's closed that day.

DISH

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Address: 948 S. Cooper

Telephone: (901) 276-0002

Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 5 p.m. til; Monday, showtime and cocktails only; Closed Tuesday.

Reviewer's choice: Pan-fried Japanese dumplings; Chinese-style steamed dumplings; grilled teriyaki skewers.

--Peggy Burch: 529-2392

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