I plan to be standing in line in front of Bar DKDC in Cooper-Young late Thursday afternoon. Why, you may ask? 

It’s because Chef Karen Carrier is hosting a no-reservations pop-up of her much-missed restaurant Do (pronounced like dough) Sushi on Thursday, Nov. 14. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

One-of-a-kind maki rolls such as the Kona Strawberry (crab, masago, seared walu, strawberry and a sweet-soy reduction) and the BLTA hand roll (teriyaki bacon, tomato, mizuna, avocado and spicy aioli) will both be back on the limited pop-up menu. So will an assortment of appetizers, sashimi dishes and noodle bowls.

Karen Carrier, front, along with Devin Brown, top left, Mindy Sun, top center, and Emily Adams, top right, are hosting a pop-up of Carrier’s much-missed Do Sushi restaurant inside Bar DKDC. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Mindy Son, who was the head roller at Do, will be back behind the sushi bar, as will Devin Brown, who has worked at The Beauty Shop for 18 years.

I know many of you can relate to how hard it is to say goodbye to a favorite restaurant, those spots where you can still almost taste the dishes you miss and your memories of the dining room are filled with unforgettable meals.

Do Sushi is such a spot for me. 

In the almost 10 years Do was open, I ate countless meals at the hip sushi spot Carrier opened in 2003 adjacent to The Beauty Shop restaurant, which she’d opened the year before. Even though Bar DKDC has occupied that space for 12 years, I still walk into the dining room and, when I look at tables, I can hear laughter and remember the smiles from the meals I had with friends.

And I’m not the only one.

The spicy-tuna and the BLTA Te Maki rolls that will be featured inside of Karen Carrier’s pop-up of her much-missed Do Sushi restaurant inside Bar DKDC. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Carrier hosted a few Do Sushi pop-ups in the spring of 2022, and there were lines out the door at each one with fans waiting to get a taste of this beloved restaurant.

That response and a craving for sushi is what inspired Carrier to bring Do back again.

“I wanted some sushi really bad and said, ‘It’s been two years,’” Carrier said. “It will be something light for everyone just before Thanksgiving.”

Originally, Carrier opened a general store in the space that’s now Bar DKDC. She had an eclectic mix of items ranging from custom-made hats to prepared foods to Dinstuhl’s chocolates. The shop was open for about six months before Carrier said she realized she needed to make a change.

“I think we were before our time,” she said of the shop.

The BLTA Te Maki roll that will be featured inside of Karen Carrier’s pop-up of her much-missed Do Sushi restaurant inside Bar DKDC. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Carrier decided instead to open a sushi bar in the space. 

“You know why? It’s because we didn’t need a Vent-A-Hood for sushi,” she said.

Do was a popular dinner dining spot for 10 years. It was unique not just for its creative riffs on traditional sushi bar items but because most of the staff were women.

“At the time, there were not many women rolling sushi,” said Carrier.

In 2013, Carrier decided to close the restaurant.

The spicy tuna Te Maki roll that will be featured inside of Karen Carrier’s pop-up of her much-missed Do Sushi restaurant inside Bar DKDC. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

“I knew I needed to make a change when they started serving sushi at gas stations,” she said. 

Carrier said the pop-up will feature a limited selection of items off the original Do menu.

In addition to the Kona Strawberry and BLTA, The Mindy (named after Mindy Son) is one Carrier plans to feature as well. The Mindy is a roll with spicy crawfish, cream cheese, crab stick and sesame seeds and then it’s dipped in tempura batter and deep fried. Eel sauce and sriracha aioli add the finishing touch.

There will also be “new style” sashimi. Hamachi (yellowtail) sashimi will be served with warm ponzu brown butter. New to the menu will be a tuna tataki dish with sesame-crusted ahi tuna served with kimchi ponzu, wonton crisps and cilantro.

Son now sells authentic Korean fare such as dumplings and kimchi through her business Mashi-Suh, and her kimchi is featured in the tuna tataki.

An assortment of drinks that will be featured in Karen Carrier’s pop-up of her much-missed Do Sushi restaurant inside Bar DKDC. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Diners can also expect appetizers such as edamame with lime and Maldon sea salt, crawfish rangoon and Thai-style gyoza as part of the offerings.

Carrier even plans to offer two noodle bowls from Do’s daytime restaurant concept, Noodle Doodle Do.

BoBo’s Chicken Matzah Ball Pho is a ramen-version of Carrier’s mother’s soup made with noodles instead of matzah balls. Panang Road Curry Broth is the second noodle bowl; that one is made with a red-curry coconut broth.

Bar DKDC manager Emily Adams has also created a handful of cocktails for the occasion, using house-made mixers to offer original spins on classic cocktails. The Kona Negroni will feature rice-washed gin and strawberry-infused cappelletti. The Sesame Sour gets a nuttiness from sesame syrup.

“These cocktails are reflective of the menu,” Adams said. “They compliment the sushi menu, not overpower those flavors.”

The Do Sushi Pop-Up will be Thursday, Nov. 14, at Bar DKDC, 964 Cooper St. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., and the menu will be served until they sell out. Seating is first-come, first-served. There are no reservations for the pop-up.

Happenings this week in Memphis

We Are Memphis and Crosstown Brewing Company have partnered to create a new beer that they say embodies the spirit of our city: the “Bring Your Soul” Dark IPA. The official release party at the Crosstown Brewing Company taproom is Friday, Nov. 15, from 5 to 9 p.m. The first 100 guests over the age of 21 will receive one free beer. 

The inaugural Science of Spirits is Friday, Nov. 15, at Lichterman Nature Center. The event will feature restaurants Bain BBQ, Huey’s and Graz’n. More than a dozen distillers will help guests discover and appreciate the science and art behind their pairings. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased at moshmemphis.com.

A Kona Negroni that will be featured in Karen Carrier’s pop-up of her much-missed Do Sushi restaurant inside Bar DKDC. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Grind City Coffee Xpo is back for its fifth annual expo. This year’s event is set for Saturday, Nov. 16, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at a new location at Crosstown Arts. This event is focused on coffee culture and everything that goes with it. There are two different entry times with a $40-per-person ticket price for the early-bird 9 a.m. entry and $35 for an 11:30 a.m. entry. Tickets are available at grindcitycoffee.com.

The Frayser Urban Garden’s 4th Annual Greens Cook-Off is a down-South-inspired culinary competition celebrating all things greens. The event will be held Sunday, Nov. 16, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Girl’s Inc. Youth Farm at 1179 Dellwood Ave. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at frayserurbangarden.square.site.

This Week on Memphis’ restaurant scene

Want to make your Thanksgiving stress-free? Check out my list of restaurants and prepared shops cooking everything from turkeys to side dishes for your holiday table. Be sure to order well in advance because many of these spots will sell out before the order deadline.

And speaking of your holiday table, 901 POP is selling adorable floral turkey centerpieces again this year. This annual fundraiser supports the mission of the nonprofit to spread joy and inspire kindness in the Memphis community by repurposing flowers. There are several different options that range from tiny turkeys to large centerpieces to DIY kits that are fun for the kids to make. Order by Friday, Nov. 15, at 901pop.org.

A sake 76 that will be featured in Karen Carrier’s pop-up of her much-missed Do Sushi restaurant inside Bar DKDC. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Bianca Phillips’ Thanksgiving guide offers recipes to ease your menu-planning worries plus a guide to turkey trots and holiday-lighting events in case you need something to do besides eat and nap.

I reported some sad news for dessert lovers. The Pie Folks in Cordova has closed. Memphians seeking Audrey Anderson’s well-known Slap Yo Mama chocolate pie or the Good Googa Mooga pecan pie will have to look elsewhere. One bright spot in this article is that Anderson is opening a new venture in 2025.

Sarah Cai of Good Fortune Co. is the latest Memphis chef to be featured on an episode of Guy Fieri’s “Guy’s Grocery Games.” She shared takeaways from the experience with Christin Yates.

In Food Files, Sophia Surrett reported that Wild Beet Salad Co. is on the hunt for a new retail space, Elise Desserts Co. has moved to a new warehouse space and the old Mellow Mushroom at Park Avenue and White Station Road will become a Bojangles.

Jody Callahan reported that a fire broke out last week at the Frayser location of Tops Bar-B-Q at 3023 Thomas St. It’s the second Tops in a month to have to temporarily close due to a fire.

Chef Karen Carrier during her one-night popup Do Sushi at Bar DKDC in Cooper Young on March 23, 2022. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Joshua Carlucci’s “$10 Deal” comes from Crazy Noodle on Madison Avenue. Two of his favorite dishes at this noodle shop are on the “non-soup” portion of the menu. 

Chef Jimmy Gentry of The Lobbyist shared the recipe for his famous Corn Mash. This signature dish is a bowl of decadently creamy stone-ground grits topped with roasted squash and drizzled with a bacon jus.

Lastly, on “Sound Bites” last week, Eric Barnes and Chris Herrington discussed food, Grizzlies and music.

Thanks for joining me for this week’s Table Talk. Be sure to look for this column weekly for all the latest food news in Memphis.

.....