The Cedars Gets a New Food Truck Park and Bar, Plus Live Music

Update June 1: This spot is closed. Follow their website for more details.

Vo Singhal is something of a Renaissance man. A realtor by day and DJ by night, he had an idea for a combination food truck that could double as a portable stage for his performances. Through word-of-mouth with his clients, he met Jorge Castellanos, who at the time was a Mexican chef working multiple jobs in the service industry. The two met for hours, fleshing out a concept for an all-in-one food truck serving up Mexican food and curating the sonic vibes for parties.

In 2017, Tacos, Bites & Beats officially launched on weekends at Harry Hines Bazaar, before taking the show on the road, popping up at breweries, weddings and even catering for the Dallas Mavericks. The menu is standard Mexican fare, tacos, quesadillas, burritos and elote, plus craft beer and margaritas.

Three years ago, work began on a permanent location. It was to be called Dulce Nina, after the first names of Singhal’s and Castellanos’ wives. The two decided on a space on Ervay Street in the Cedars, not far from Lee Harvey’s, that used to be a car battery warehouse. However, the process proved to be far more complicated than initially expected, with numerous redesigns.

At long last, Dulce Nina is finally set to open this week. The space, designed in part by Hatsumi Kuzuu, a legendary name in the Dallas culinary industry, is entirely outdoor except for a small private dining room for rental. Half patio and half backyard, it doesn’t have a proper kitchen. Instead, there’s a small bar surrounded by three food trucks, including the original Tacos, Bites & Beats, and a new global fusion concept from Indian chef Bharat Bala.

A Menu with No Borders

Bala cut his teeth in the Mumbai food scene, where he earned a culinary bachelor’s degree and worked in fine dining establishments for Chinese, Indonesian and Mediterranean cuisine. After college, he immigrated to California and worked in the kitchen at Vina Enoteca, an Italian restaurant in Palo Alto that was Michelin-rated during his tenure.

He was recommended to Singhal by friends, who flew the young chef to Dallas for an interview.

“This kid is a shooting star,” Singhal remembers thinking. “I had the same feeling I had in my gut whenever I met Jorge.”

When speaking about both of his chefs, Castellanos and Bala, Singhal emphasizes the immediate connection he felt with both of their backgrounds.

“I’m an immigrant,” he says. “I know what it’s like being in another country, not knowing anybody or anything.”

Dulce Nina will mark Bala’s first opportunity to curate his own menu entirely.

“I’ve been part of a couple of restaurants that I have opened from the ground up,” Bala says. “But I’ve never been the face of it. I’ve just always been in the back end.”

Naturally, he doesn’t hide his enthusiasm. As for his first menu, he’s taking pieces of what he’s learned from cooking so many types of food in vastly different markets around the world.

“The menu is like the whole experience, bringing it all together,” he says. “Chinese, Mediterranean, Italian: It’s going to be a borderless menu, so every diversity, every culture will come in.”

Bala’s truck and the original Tacos, Bites & Beats will be the recurring vendors at Dulce Nina, but Singhal also plans to bring in a third truck on certain nights, highlighting another local vendor around the community.

Dulce Nina held a soft opening on Wednesday, April 9, for the Mavericks and Lakers game. The grand opening took place on Saturday, April 12, with The Voice finalist and Dallas local Danny Joseph performing. Moving forward, the restaurant plans to host live music on Friday nights from 7 to 9 p.m.

Dulce Nina 1800 S. Ervay St. Monday – Friday 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Closed Monday