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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsLocal news@ Work: Ashley and Mike McKinnon Celebrate 10 Years at Dashi

@ Work: Ashley and Mike McKinnon Celebrate 10 Years at Dashi

Ashley McKinnon at the Dashi hostess station in the courtyard at Caravelle Arcade.Ashley and Mike McKinnon, owners and chefs at Dashi, are celebrating a decade of preparing delicate sushi rolls for folks on St. Croix.

Ashley McKinnon started out holding sushi nights at local restaurants. The sushi was well received and it all turned into a larger enterprise.

“We thought maybe St. Croix is ready for sushi and we better snag that opportunity before someone else does,” Ashley said. “I had a following that is still coming back for sushi.”

Ashley McKinnon moved to Saint Croix in 1997, for new beginnings, new adventures, and to be near family.

She said she loves to cook and comes form a long line of excellent cooks, learning from the best of them. Armed with a business degree from Colorado State University and restaurant experience, she started a private chef service she called the Culinary Chameleon.

She snagged a job as a head chef on a 105-foot luxury yacht that did private charters to the British Virgin Islands. She said it was a lot of hard work and not all fun and games, as one would imagine.

“I gained a lot of experience working on the boat,” she said.

Ashley McKinnon and sous chef Cody Garcia.She was inspired to create sushi, because an official in the French parliament rented the boat every year and always requested sushi.

In 2005 the couple opened Dashi on Company Street, where the Twin City Coffee House is now. TheY wanted a catchy one-word name for the restaurant, so they looked in a Japanese dictionary and found dashi, which is a basic stock made from fish.

“We had a good problem, we kept growing,” Ashley McKinnon said.

They outgrew the original location and moved to their current place in Caravelle Arcade at 1104 Strand Street in Christiansted.

The menu lists more than 50 different types of sushi. They serve vegetable stir-fry, Pad Thai, tempura beef brisket, fish tacos and more. Mike McKinnon, is well known for the soups he creates. For desert they serve a chai tea custard covered in a dark chocolate ganache that won first place in the dessert category at the 2010 Taste of St. Croix.

Since 2006 they have won more than a dozen awards in all categories at the St. Croix Food and Wine Experience.

Their signature dish is Tokyo nachos, which are crispy wonton chips, tuna tartar, and avocado, drizzled with wasabi oil and sweet soy sauce.

“It’s been a favorite since day-one and if we take it off the menu people won’t be happy,” Ashley McKinnon said. “We’ll never get rid of it.”

The mother of a five-year-old daughter, McKinnon said the best part about her job is being able to constantly change and do what she wants. She added she is very fond of her staff, who are like family, and enjoys working with them. There are 13 employees working the front and back of the restaurant.

Mike McKinnon, the primary chef, began his career at the age of 16, as a head chef in a nursing home. He graduated from New Hampshire University and went on to work in Paris before moving to St. Croix.

When asked how the economic climate on St. Croix affects the business, Ashley McKinnon said the last two years were challenging and this summer could be as well.

“We have to re-invent ourselves and do new things so people come back,” Ashley McKinnon said. “Numerous customers return, that says something. Keeping quality up gives longevity.”

She added she was excited and proud to be around for 10 years and appreciates the customers and their support over the years.

She encourages people to check Facebook for the restaurant’s anniversary specials and to view the menu at www.dashisushi.com.

Live music is performed in the courtyard Thursdays and Fridays. Catering and take out are available. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 340-773-6911. Lunch is served from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Dinner is from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and Fridays until 10 p.m.
 

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