This Top Knot Dessert Is Top-Notch

Like a bun gathered neatly at the crown of Uchi’s head, Top Knot is pretty and elegant without trying too hard. The same could be said of dessert at this Dallas hot spot. Take, for example, their pear nabe. Named for the heated clay pot it’s presented in, this straightforward...

By Kellie Reynolds

March 3, 2016

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Like a bun gathered neatly at the crown of Uchi’s head, Top Knot is pretty and elegant without trying too hard. The same could be said of dessert at this Dallas hot spot.

Take, for example, their pear nabe. Named for the heated clay pot it’s presented in, this straightforward dish is nonetheless striking in its simple beauty. Warm pear wedges meet the slightly earthy flavor of miso ice cream, which gets a crunch from a scattering of cinnamon-puffed rice. At the table, it’s finished with a flourish of caramel sauce. It is, in effect, a Japanese fruit cobbler — perhaps a mythical beast that was brought into existence here. What a natural companion for one of their Asian-meets-Southern hot fried chicken buns.

Daylight warms the natural wood tones of the loft-like dining room; a cheerful setting to knock back a few prosecco-popped glasses of $5 Top Knot punch. Come nightfall, a mood-shifting pink-orange glow sets in as globe lights reflect the hues of the mural adorning the back wall.

This, friends, is magic hour for mythical beast-hunting.

Top Knot's happy hour — featuring five drinks and five plates for $5 each — happens from 4:3O to 6:3O p.m. daily.

Top Knot, 2817 Maple Avenue, Second Floor, www.topknotdallas.com

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