Asian Food and Cooking

Steel Creator Bringing Vietnamese Street Food to Downtown

​It was dark and cold yesterday morning when I biked past the empty storefront alongside Press Box Grill, so I elected not to check out the brand new permits posted in the window. But D Magazine's Tim Rogers is obviously a better -- or at least warmer -- cycling newshound than I am, since he s ... More >>

Secret Recipe: A Good, Not Great, Find
In a Search for Malaysian Food in DFW

Secret Recipe's Hainanese-style roasted chicken​Malaysia is a country of vast and diverse cultures, all marrying to create one united cuisine. The nation's food borrows and combines elements of Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, Filipino, and Indian menus, creating a robust flavor profile. The use of ... More >>

On a Roll: Exactly What is Big D's Defining Sushi?

Ooo, you're so fancy, Philadelphia. ​The Dallas Fish Market, which offers discounted sushi to downtowners on Sundays and free sushi to everybody on Wednesdays, is now promoting its late-night sushi menu: A selection of specialty rolls, including the Dallas roll, is available until 2 a.m. on Fr ... More >>

Venturing Out for a Bibimbap Bender
In Koreatown

Kristy YangTree House's bibimbap, a perfect blend of textures and flavors​I found myself on a bibimbap bender last week after my friend Sam had recommended two of his favorite restaurants in Koreatown. In the spirit of holiday overindulgence, I felt justified in visiting both places in the sam ... More >>

The Tale of the Blind-Date Ambush at Benihana

​On Benihana's website it asks: "What did you do last night?" Well I have two additional questions. When was the last time you ate at Benihana? And when was the last time you went on a business lunch disguised as a blind date? My answer to the first question is too long ago. I forget about Ben ... More >>

Sake Industry Urges Dallas Diners to Pair Rice Wine With Steak

Sake's not just for sushi, according to the latest promotion by the sake industry. "It's a world class drink, not just something that goes down hot at a Japanese restaurant," says Linda Kawabata of the Akita Sake Promotion and Export Council, which is hosting a tasting event in Dallas next Monday. ... More >>

Sharaku Sake Lounge and Izakaya: An Inspired Way to End a Workday.

JS Chen's Crab Fried Rice: Tackling
The Mythical Beast

Photos by Kristy Yang​Maybe tackling JS Chen's prodigious crab fried rice the day after Thanksgiving wasn't such a great idea, after all. Wanting to refresh our palates from turkey and stuffing bombardment, boyfriend and I took a breather from our half-hearted Black Friday shopping to pay a ... More >>

Of Dining, the American Dream and Places in the Heart

​Apologies for missing last week's Walk the Wok. Hope everyone has been eating well and has discovered something tasty since the last time we rendezvoused. During my MIA time, I've been revisiting past blog-subject restaurants with the intention of doing updates. I stopped in at Naga Thai to ... More >>

V Bistro: Next Time, This Party of One
Will Party Down the Block

​As this weather continues playing its schizophrenic mind games, the affect on me is a range of melodramatic "food swings." It's cold. I want something fat. It's hot. Maybe just some fruit. It's cold again. Maybe it's OK if I have a burger as long as I'm wearing a baggy sweater. Nope. ... More >>

Ba Le: Good Sandwiches, But Not Great

​A couple of weeks ago, when a visit to Ba Le in Garland proved disappointing, I teased that I would be trying out the much more highly recommended outpost in Arlington. The two restaurants couldn't be more opposite. While the Garland location is a small deli take-home type of establishmen ... More >>

Pho 95: Does U.S. Pho Beat Vietnam's?
Not Always.

​One of my best friends recently emigrated from Vietnam to the United States. He was born in Ho Chi Minh City, spent all 30 years of his life there and is a proud Vietnamese, but when I last spoke to him, he said something that surprised me. What he said wasn't so surprising as much as from wh ... More >>

Underground Sushi: Tuna Rolls in the Tunnels

When I first moved to Dallas, and was trying to figure out my neighborhood's food scene, my online research kept pointing me toward Kuai, a dumpling joint on Elm Street. Hanna Raskin​I scoured Elm Street, but couldn't find it. I had no idea then that the restaurant was beneath me, tucked into ... More >>

Ba Le in Garland Lays It on Thick

It always surpsrises me when I return home from Vietnam a few pounds lighter. Keep in mind that the nation still is a third world country, and the general mindset of the Vietnamese isn't as diet-fanatical as it is here. Although I've traveled back to Vietnam quite frequently over the past decade, th ... More >>

Naga Thai is a Rare Winner in Victory Park

Photos by Kristy Yang​Despite living down the street from the restaurant, I'd never ventured into Naga Thai. There are only a handful of Thai restaurants at which I will eat, and something about a Thai restaurant in Victory Park created images of high-priced, bastardized ethnic food in my mind ... More >>

Eating Asian in the Big Apple: The Highs, the Lows, the Many

Bone Marrow at Prune​Having been on a business trip in New York for the last two weeks, I thought, surely I'd be off blogging duties. However, the man had different ideas for me, with a seemingly innocuous send-off of, "Have a safe trip. Send in anything interesting you might find." Crap. See ... More >>

100 Favorite Dishes: Vegetable Platter
At Roti Grill

Clockwise from bottom left: saag paneer, samosa, kheer, kofta masala​As a countdown to the Dallas Observer's "Best of Dallas" 2010, City of Ate is serving up 100 of the favorite dishes we crave, savor and hope to scarf down again soon. These dishes are in no particular order. Some are little k ... More >>

Want a Taste of Japan? Go West, Young Diner.

Photo by Hanna RaskinUdon worth a trip to Irving​Japanese celebrities locate the DFW's epicenter at the crossing of Belt Line and Rochelle roads in Irving. That's the intersection that's home to three authentic-leaning Japanese restaurants, including Mr. Max, an izakaya around which traveling ... More >>

Japan House: Overabundance Does Not a Good Meal Make

​I really wanted to like Japan House. Upon first glance, I was in love. The staff is incredibly friendly, the dining area is modern, and the spread looks vast and promising. Because of all the above, it's difficult for me to write what I'm about to write. Located off of 75 in Plano, Japan Ho ... More >>

Rice 1 Roll: Don't Expect the World,
Just Good Indian Desserts

Rice 1 Roll's rava kesari​Rice 1 Roll's very slick takeout menu proudly announces the "Indian Chinese Café" serves Indian, Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese foods. It's a strange claim to make, because there's nothing but south Indian food on the menu. There's no half-hearted pho or lackluster pa ... More >>

Sharuku Sake Lounge Gets Refit Because Dallasites Not Sake Fans

Belly up to the bar, cowboys and girls.​Dallas diners aren't sake drinkers. So says Yutaka Sushi Bistro's Yutaka Yamato, who's rejiggering his Sharuku Sake Lounge to better accommodate local tastes. "I tried to sell sake because it's a Japanese restaurant, but it doesn't work well," Yamato s ... More >>

Rollin' With The Homies

Pho Que Huong: Not Quite as Comforting
As Food from Home

Noodles, the anti-blues food​I haven't written a Pho From Home in some time, as I've been reserving it for when the cold temperatures return. Last week, however, I found myself in the odd position of craving pho in the middle of the Texas summer. After botching a job interview in Las Colinas ... More >>

Sushi Star in Preston Hollow Shines With Far More Than Sushi

​My friend, Song Wii, owns Sushi Star Restaurant in Preston Hollow. I worry about him. Having watched my father work 12 hours a day behind a hot wok for years, I understand too well the pressures of running a restaurant. Unless impending bankruptcy or a natural disaster forces a restaurant to ... More >>

So, Why Do Jews Eat Chinese Food at Christmas?

​My graduate degree, like most, hasn't been good for much. But today -- and, I strongly suspect, today only -- it qualifies me to expertly parse the most attention-getting exchange of the Elana Kagan confirmation hearings. When Lindsay Graham yesterday pressed Elana Kagan to recall where she ... More >>

Stranded at the Altar: Zander's House Teases With a Menu We Can't Taste

​Plano has its share of Asian restaurants, but seeing as how I live in between the two closer options of Richardson and Arlington, I never feel the need to travel past Belt Line Road. Luckily, a shopping expedition to Allen made sure I'd have to drive through our northern neighbor, and I wante ... More >>

Omi Korean Grill and Bar Gets Props for Location and Atmosphere but its Food Fumbles

​I found myself on an eating mission last week with Cathy, my ever present best friend in gluttony. After some random driving around, we found ourselves at the Super H Mart shopping center in Carrollton. It was destined to be, as we have had a long overdue date with Omi Korean Grill and Bar. Hav ... More >>

How About Them Knockers: Uncle Wok?

​Uncle Wok 8440 Abrams Road 214-343-6670 Promised time: 45 minutes Actual time: 40.5 minutes The Score: Ability to make my mouth water during ordering process: 20 Food arriving smokin' hot: 40 Nutritional Value: -95 Knowing that with a name like Uncle Wok, you have to open a restaurant: 100 ... More >>

100 Favorite DIshes: Vietnamese Pork Panini at Lumi Empanada & Dumpling Kitchen

​As a countdown to the Dallas Observer's "Best of Dallas" 2010, City of Ate is serving up 100 of the favorite dishes we crave, savor and hope to scarf down again soon. These dishes are in no particular order. Some are little known, others celebrated. Some are pricey, others can be eaten on the che ... More >>

Genroku Sushi Makes Our Taste Buds Very Happy

For This Week's Appetite for Instruction, Sushi Purists Need Not Apply

Photos by Sarah Johnson ​Beef Tataki Roll Demonstrated by Chef Atsushi Koda of RA Sushi Sushi, sushi, sushi. You either love or hate the Japanese concoction of seaweed, rice, and whatever else is thrown in there. If you're fond of it, then you'll be happy to know that Appetite for Instruction is ... More >>

Biryani Bash: Chameli Restaurant vs. Chaat Cafe

Our winner: Chameli Restaurant's chicken biryani​ You can tell a great dish or cuisine by the many legends and fuzzy stories surrounding its beginnings. Today, we offer such a meal, one that comes from humble origins and yet has satisfied kings and presidents alike. Biryani is a long-grain ri ... More >>

Love Hurts: I Luv Pho Puts Our Fondness for "Vietnamese" Food to the Test

The food at I Luv Pho is enough to break your heart.​ There are the blogs I can't wait to write, and there are the blogs I put off until 4:30 on a Monday afternoon, tippy-toeing dangerously close to my deadline. This week's would be the latter. After being repeatedly hounded by a friend to vi ... More >>

Taj Mahal Imports: East Meets West, and the West is Very Happy

​ Editor's note: Take a tour of the area's specialty and/or strange markets with our own beloved Basket Case, Alice Laussade. Taj Mahal Imports 26 Richardson Heights Center (Richardson) 972-644.1329 Try: Bombay Kitchen Masala Chickpeas from the snack aisle Don't try: Heinz Salad Cream from t ... More >>

Roti Grill: Off into the Fast, Hot, Spicy Unknown

​We Texans love our food hot and spicy, so it's somewhat surprising that we haven't taken to Indian cuisine as much as some other ethnic dishes as sushi or Kung Pao chicken. But on further reflection, we are probably overwhelmed by the staggering parade of unfamiliar dishes with hard-to-pronounce ... More >>

Your Search for a Fabulous Hu Tieu Ends With This Post

​Last Monday afternoon, my friend and I found ourselves taking an unplanned tour of the Dallas area, from Uptown to White Rock Lake all the way to Garland, after three restaurants we wanted to try were closed or out of business. Frustrated and starving at this point, I declared that we eat at the ... More >>

Return to Sushi Yama: Enough with the Sushi--Bring on the Chicken Gizzards

​I look back in regret at the first time I ever tried sushi.During one of my visits to Taiwan as a teenager, my part-Japanese auntie took us to a sushi restaurant. Taiwan was a Japanese colony for 50 years, and when the Japanese left, they left behind much of their culture, including a food influe ... More >>

It's Not Vegas or Taiwan, but You can Get Some Authentic Japanese Food at Sushi Yama

​While DFW boasts significant Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese populations, one is hard pressed to find more than the random Japanese person every now and then, much less an authentic Japanese restaurant. Most sushi restaurants in our area are owned by either Vietnamese or Korean proprietors.Unles ... More >>

Catch the Seoul Train to Fine Food in Korea Town

Little things mean a lot: Seoul Garden's small plates -- banchan -- are perfect for a big appetite.​ It took me a while to warm up to Korean food, to the chagrin of my many Korean friends. For inexplicable reasons, Korean food seemed to me to be the most foreign and odd of Asian cuisine. I sus ... More >>

Le Me Thinks It Can Do It All But Can't

​With Texas continuing its onslaught of dysfunctional weather (today excluded), I interpreted last weekend's abrupt cold weather as a sign for me to finally go and review Pho Bang, the popular pho restaurant in Garland. Along for the food ride was my friend Kelly, a Vietnamese cuisine neophyte. On ... More >>

Club Sushi

Pho From Home: Ngoc Suong

Photos by Kristy YangBun Cha​After a positive dining experience at the Super H Mart last week, I asked my mother if she was up for joining me on one more food expedition before she leaves town. She said yes, but any early excitement she held for Grimaldi's pizza or Rise No. 1 baguettes soon dissip ... More >>

Pho From Home: From Saigon Kitchen to the Super H Mart and Back

Photos by Kristy YangSoup at Saigon Kitchen​Is it safe to come out? Someone's writing sure did bring about a lot of ire last week, but I've always felt food, like puppies and babies, is a unifier not a divider. So let's get started again. Like many food finding expeditions I've had in the past w ... More >>

India West Is Really Just An Upscale DNA Copy of Its Sister Restaurant, Kebab N Kurry.

Pho From Home: Bistro B

​This week I had the rare pleasure of spending time with my mom. She is in town, well, technically in the country, for the next few weeks and I have been waiting anxiously for her arrival. One of my favorite pastimes is embarking on adventures of the food variety with my mom. Whether it's gett ... More >>

Out of Order: The Asian Mint "Pad Thai Piña Collision"

Patrick MichelsPad Thai Piña CollisionPad Thai Woon Sen (chicken, shrimp, clear noodles and tofu) with pineapple, cashews and squid.After I failed last week to get a rise out of the folks at Which Wich by ordering something terrible, it occurred to me that the problem might have where I was orderin ... More >>

Pho From Home: Dishes To Fit Your Resolutions

Mi Hoanh Thanh (wonton noodle soup).​City of Ate reader, Margie, comments, "Oh, and I'd like to add that this rash of dieting talk all over the web and TV is making me sick. My resolution is to eat more and drink more and have more fun doing it. Saying 'hell' more than 'damn' is another one I thi ... More >>

Pho From Home: Vietnam Restaurant

​The holidays wreaked havoc on my dining schedule these last few weeks, so today's post is going to be a tad shorter. Gathering backup participants for fulfilling my cravings in faraway lands like Garland or Carrollton proved rather difficult. Reactions from my family and friends ranged from an ... More >>

Pho From Home: Cafe Hop

​My only immediate family member in town this Christmas is my brother, Ben. It's been a difficult time for my family, and I figure my brother and I need a home cooked meal. Seeing as how my parents are both overseas caring for my ailing grandmother, this is kind of a conundrum. While I am adep ... More >>