Restaurants in Mooresville

Torch-like chandeliers and sconces flicker above pristine white table linens inside the dining room of Sangam Indian Cuisine. Waitstaff transport plates of delicately spiced lamb, vegetables, and seafood baked in clay ovens, deep-fried, stuffed with fruit and nuts, or topped with garlic according to traditional North Indian recipes. An all-you-can-eat lunch buffet fills chafing dishes with regional specialties made from vegetables, meats, and lentils, and fills minds with ideas for how to use up the lifetime supply of naan they won in the lottery.

Owner Garmon Moore and the team of chefs at Hole in the Wall Crab Shack pile plates high with in-the-shell blue crab legs and crab cakes made with lump meat, brought in from the Carolina coast weekly. House-made lemonade washes down tender helpings of made-to-order fare, including garlic crabs, tilapia sandwiches, and sides of hushpuppies.

Inside the brightly decorated restaurant, chefs re-imagine Mexican plates with California-style touches. Surprising ingredients pepper Baja Soul's entire menu, including tucking caramelized red onions into steak tacos. The fish tacos—a house specialty—reflect the cross-border fusion, especially the Negra Modelo fish, battered in Negra Modelo and topped with refreshing pico de gallo and chipotle crema. Adventurous chefs remix spices and flavors in a sextet of house-made salsas, such as the piña-fire flavor brewed from roasted habañero chilies and sweetened with grilled pineapple.

Behind the full bar stocked with imported and craft beers, mixologists season mojitos with freshly pressed guarapo, or sugar-cane extract, and pour house-made margaritas and shots of premium tequilas. While servers whip up tableside guacamole, diners can play with interactive touchscreen booths that stream music and videos.

At Tokyo Japanese Seafood & Steakhouse, chefs turn diners into audience members as they skillfully flip steaks and seafood on the hibachi grill and roll fresh maki at the sushi bar. Grillmeisters marinate meats and fish in a signature sauce before searing flavor into dishes such as steak with mushrooms and sesame seeds or teriyaki salmon with broccoli. A variety of combination specials mix chicken, shrimp, or scallops with sides of fried rice and sweet carrots. Sushi chefs craft nigiri with smoked salmon or specialty maki such as the 10-piece Tokyo roll, artfully lining a soybean wrap with shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, and creamy avocado. The intimate space boasts Asian-themed décor, including cheerful figurines and a wooden model ship that occasionally sets sail upon gusts from a large Japanese fan.

Near the shores of Lake Norman, Sushi @ the Lake's nimble chefs roll and grill Japanese food, from simple maki rolls to hibachi dinners. Behind a sushi bar outfitted with seats where diners observe the action, sushi chefs carefully assemble more than 35 maki rolls filled with fresh seafood such as snow crab, eel, and scallop. For guests who prefer their food awkwardly kissed by fire, hibachi masters sear jumbo shrimp, new york strip steak, and other proteins on a grill to serve alongside veggies and steamed rice. Sports fans and model scouts for Wheaties can watch athletic events on seven TVs while sipping beer, sake, or specialty martinis.

Kyjo’s Japanese, Thai, and Sushi Bar builds a bridge between Asia’s diverse culinary traditions, uniting the spicy curries and noodle dishes of Thailand with the delicately arranged sushi rolls and sashimi of Japan. Chefs bustle about the kitchens of the Concord and Troutman locations, tossing ginger and bamboo strips into woks or drizzling spicy Volcano rolls with wasabi sauce and magma. Other signature sushi rolls include the Thai Sunrise—a combination of soft-shell crab and mango—and the deep-fried Gucci roll, loaded with spicy scallops and tied together with a belt of designer seaweed. Sips of wine, beer, and sake accompany sushi entrees, and creamy Thai tea or coffee temper the spices of curry dishes.