The Turtle ($12) has a rice base and a crabmeat center and is topped with avocado.[/caption]

Friendship helped build Tomo Sushi in Frisco. As Chih Liang prepared to open the Japanese restaurant in 2015, friends helped him and his wife renovate and decorate the restaurant.

So when Liang named the restaurant, the Japanese word “tomo” seemed appropriate.

“‘Tomo’ is a Japanese term that means ‘friendship, friends,’” Liang said.

Liang opened Tomo Sushi after working in restaurants for more than 15 years. During his career, Liang has worked in California and several cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He has worked at several sushi restaurants in Frisco, including Sake Toro Sushi and Sakana Japanese Cuisine.

Tomo Sushi is smaller than many other sushi restaurants in Frisco, with only six tables and three stools at the sushi bar. But the size of the dining room helps Liang be closer to his customers.

“To have good customer service, I like to keep it small so I can observe the interaction between … all of the servers and the customer experience,” he said. “If I see anything that’s not right, I can just point, get my server’s attention and say, ‘That table needs help.’”

The TDF roll ($12) includes shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber and cream cheese.[/caption]

Liang has plenty of time to observe the restaurant since he works six days a week as the head chef. He has a friend who helps prepare dishes several days a week. Liang’s mother, wife and sister also help run the restaurant either by waiting on tables or working in the back office.

Because Liang knows the customers in the area, he said he formed his menu based on the preferences of the local diners. Some of the menu items are traditional Japanese dishes, such as sashimi and some of the sushi rolls. All of Tomo’s signature rolls are a fusion cuisine that incorporates local favorites with Japanese influences.

The Summer roll ($14) is wrapped with cucumber instead of rice.[/caption]

Liang said the most popular dishes at Tomo Sushi are the signature rolls, such as the TDF roll ($12), which includes shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber and cream cheese. Another popular roll is the Summer roll ($14), which includes a sheet of cucumber wrapping around tuna, salmon, crabstick, mango and avocado.

Liang works every day the restaurant is open and prepares most of the dishes.[/caption]

Another popular dish is the Turtle ($12). The Turtle has a rice base and a crabmeat center topped with sliced avocado and formed into a ball so it resembles a turtle.

Liang said he may consider expanding the restaurant. For now, he said he is focused on building the brand.

Liang said the mission of the restaurant is to provide a friendly environment for children and adults and to serve fresh food.

“Customer service and food quality are the priority for me,” he said.