DaLat, Dallas' newest Vietnamese spot, held its soft opening over the weekend -- without booze, sadly. Not the ideal situation, but owner Khanh Nguyen should be securing the restaurant's liquor license soon, at which point those bar seats should fill up even faster.
But don't fret, lushes, there's a Super Save Liquor directly next door; that sweet booze-selling lady is so stoked on all the Pho-loving drunks.
The bar area and backsplash are bright and inviting, and the L-shaped bar hugs it so close that the seated patrons dreaming of house wells are comfortably removed from the dining room. Although the lights were a bit bright for 1 a.m., the light shows off décor that is modernly, gorgeously Vietnamese. Dark, wood-grain partitions section off the islands of tables while light walls and a huge mirror create a space that feels much larger than it is. The large windows that make up the storefront are retractable, lending a glorious breeze to our meal. A welcome cure to the vodka sweats.
Any one of DaLat's friendly staff members could be mistaken for a long-lost friend. Yeah, yeah soft openings are often an unbeatable customer service experience, but our server was like a Chick-fil-a and QT bastard love child who ate politeness steroids. It was awesome.
Oh, what's that? You want to know what else is awesome about DaLat? Hold on to your butt: they serve Tang. They serve straight-outta-your-childhood Tang.
You know what goes good with cold, cold Tang? Spicy beef Pho with fresh cilantro and bean sprouts. A squish or seven of Sriracha and soup bliss has become tangible.
The creative menu will expand and become even more midnight-munchies-friendly as DaLat continues to develop and carve out a niche on Fitzhugh. We just hope it escapes what ever curse befell RedFork.
