AliceC

I’ve heard amazing reviews about this place so it was top on my list of places to try. We ordered 3 things.

1) Croque monsieur. The bread had a nice crispy crust which I liked, but it had asparagus on top. I like asparagus, normally, but for some reason it had a very strong flavor and, i felt, took away from the rest of the flavor of the dish. I think I’d get it again without the asparagus next time.

2) banana cream tart. Nice flaky crust that wasn’t soggy since they lined the inside with a layer of chocolate. The banana filling was very runny and sweet but a nice balance to the whipped cream on top which wasn’t sweetened.

3) Croissant. It was huge! And it was very buttery and flaky. Excellent.

Overall, wasn’t bad, but didn’t understand all the hype of the place. But I would go back to try other things. Everyone seemed to be getting this berry bread pudding thing in a cup so I got to try that.

I have loved this place since I was a kid. I think what makes me love the desserts here so much is that they are all very light and not too sweet.

My favorite is their plain cheesecake. It is very light and airy, not dense like the kind that you find at cheesecake factory. It has a fresh strawberry dipped in the strawberry sauce. They also have a chocolate cheesecake version, but haven’t tried it yet cause I love the plain one so much.

I also love their summer fruit cake. It is just a plain white cake that is again very light and airy. It has a whipped cream icing that isn’t too sweet and has various fruits in the middle and on top. The fruits include mandarin oranges, kiwi, and strawberries. It is absolutely divine.

I’ve also had lunch there, but the menu is quite limited. Their chicken salad sandwich and french onion soup are just average. I would definitely stick with the desserts there.

Overall, I highly recommend this place. The only problem I have is that they require a minimum for charge card use.

I tried 3 items on there dessert menu. First, I got one of their black and white cookies. It was a large pyramid looking shortbread like cookie with black and white icing. It just the right consistency for that type of cookie, not too crispy or soft. It had just the right amount of moistness if you can use that term to describe cookies. I thought it certainly lived up to the reputation I had heard about them.

I also got an eclair filled with vanilla custard-like filling and covered with white icing. I’m not a big eclair fan, but this one was really tasty. I let it sit for a day before trying it so the pastry was slightly soggy but not bad for having sat around for one day in the frig. The custard wasn’t too sweet and had a very smooth consistency. The sweetness from the icing perfectly complimented the custard filling.

The last item was a fruit tart with a vanilla filling and berries on top. Although it was a tasty treat, it just didn’t seem like anything special. The filling was creamy and again slightly sweet. I think I would have like it to be a bit sweeter for this dessert.

Overall, the desserts were tasty and I’m certainly glad I had the chance to try them out, but for some reason I don’t think I’m going to crave any of them like I do some desserts. But I would pick some up for a special occasion for others to try.

I was super excited to try this place when I first read about it on guidelive since it is the first korean fried chicken place I’ve heard of in dallas. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all that impressive, but maybe my expectations are a bit high since I’m comparing to places in SF and chicago.

We ordered 5 pieces of sweet & spicy fried chicken, which is what I typically think of for korean fried chicken. Although it was suppose to be 5pcs, we got double that number (smaller pieces, though) and it was certainly filling. The chicken was a bit dry and the sauce was not as good as I was hoping. It wasn’t as spicy and it just didn’t have the right balance of sweet and spiciness. The dish also was served with this doughy stuff which I think the koreans call dok (don’t know if I’m spelling that correctly). It had a slightly crunchy exterior with a slightly chewy middle but the good kind of chewy.

We also ordered a 2 piece combo which came with regular fried chicken, fried rice, salad, and pickled daikon (white radish). The chicken was less dry, but nothing to be impressed about. I could have passed on the fried rice, but that may simply be because I’m not a big fan of rice. The salad was a nice balance to the greasy meal, and I loved the pickled daikon. It wasn’t the spicy kim-chee kind but the sweet and sour kind. I could have eaten a whole bowl full of it.

Other useful things to know when going:
You order at the counter and pick your drinks out of the frig. The tap water is stored in the bottles that you can take to your table. I grabbed the chilled beer mugs since I couldn’t find any other cups, but I think you can ask for plastic cups from the counter. They will bring out the food for you. And you pay at the counter after you’re finished eating. You can leave the plates on the table (something I like to know when I go to places like these so I don’t look like fool leaving them behind).

Overall, the korean fried chicken just didn’t meet my expectations, but I’m not sure if there are other options in Dallas.

We started with the edamame and goyza. The edamame was standard but a bit more cooked then usual but not too mushy. The goyza were spicy and hot and served on a bed of red cabbage with a soy sauce-like dip. It was tasty if you like goyza.

For sushi, we ordered the nouvelle yellowtail sashimi with cilantro and jalapeño which was thin slices of yellowtail with one leave of cilantro and one slice of jalpeno with one drop of sriracha (i think that was the red sauce). It was a nice combination when eaten in one bite but a bit pricey ($18) for 6 slices which I thought equated to 2 or 3 slices of normal yellowtail sashimi. And yellowtail sashimi for 4-8pcs is 16.50.

We then ordered several rolls, spider, shrimp tempura, california, and spicy tuna. I really liked the rice because it was sweet with a slight hint of vinegar. To me, it seemed more authentic sushi rice then most places I’ve been. Besides the rice being different, everything was standard for the rolls we ordered.

For dessert, green tea ice cream which was actually quite tasty considering I really don’t like green tea ice cream. I usually prefer red bean. But this one wasn’t as bitter as it normally is and it was very smooth and creamy. The other dessert was this mango and banana tempura. It had slices of mango or banana covered in tempura batter and drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon powder. I wasn’t too impressed with this dessert cause it really wasn’t anything special.

Overall, i would go back. I’m still interested in trying out the ceviche martini. And I didn’t get a chance to try their sushi this time.

I love chaat. It’s all vegetarian which is usually not for me but i still love it. The way ordering works here is you get this paper at each counter and check off what you want. Then put your table number on the sheet. When it is ready, they will call out your table number. After eating, take all the papers you ordered from and give it to the cashier and pay. Cash only. So things I order…

(1) Aloo Tikka. this is a potato pancake like thing that is crispy on the outside and on top has chickpeas, onions, crunchy stuff, yogurt, green sauce (don’t know what it’s called). It’s very filling and can be quite spicy but you can tell them how spicy you want it.

(2) Dosa – crispy crepe. It can be plain (crepe only), with onions in the middle of a folded crepe, or with masala (potato filling). All of them are yummie. It is a bit greasy on the outside but it is totally worth it. Also, the mysore one has a spicy red stuff on the outside.

(3) Tawa Paneer with paratha – Chopped up paneer in a sauce and you dip the paratha in it. Also wonderful.

(4) Behl Puri – It is a mixture of crunchy fried stuff with some fruit (i think mango), onions, and chickpeas. it is slightly sweet and very refreshing. It’s less heavy and compliments the other stuff well.

(5) Samosa – This is the one thing that I’m not a fan of here.

There is another place in richardson, the original place I think. Both are amazing.

I’ve been wanting to try this place since it is part of the Lombardi group. It was quite busy on a Friday night. The place is quite small, but they have a nice outdoor patio area for dining.

To the more important stuff the food… We started with the mango sangria which I enjoyed, but I like sweeter tasting sangria.

We then ordered the Mariquitas con Guacamole which served 3 kinds of chips (plantains, taro, tortilla) with salsa, guacamole, and black bean dip. I like the plantians and especially the taro since it is something you don’t typically see. They were thin and extra cripsy. The tortilla chips were thicker but had a good crunch. The sauces weren’t anything special and they didn’t give you very much of it either. I like to have lots of salsa or guac or bean, but it was not possible with the small containers.

For the main dish, I got the Churrasco which was a chewy skirt steak, but well marinated. It had chimichurri sauce, guac, and red onions on top. I would have preferred more chimichurri sauce. It also had a tasty red cabbage slaw that complimented the steak well. And there were also yucca fries that were thick spears but had a very crunchy exterior but soft interior. Just perfect in my opinion.

One of my friends ordered the special called the lechon ascado, a pork shoulder dish. Apparantly, they have it every night but it runs out quickly. One friend of mine got the last one and the other had to settle for something else.

For dessert we got the cuban flan and the tres leches. The flan was average. It wasn’t as smooth and creamy as I like it to be. And the tres leches was moist and had some kind of alcohol soaked in it as well. It was definitely the better of the two.

Service was really awesome. I had made reservaions and the group didn’t all arrive on time, but they still sat us down and were patient with us even though the place was packed.

So overall, it wasn’t bad, but certainly didn’t impress me as some of the other restaurants in the group. But next time I think I’m going to try the cuban sandwich or the lechon ascado and get the mojitos.

Recently visited the place for a late lunch. Started with their house salad which had romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and lots of cheese served with a nice tangy house dressing. The salad was doused in dressing, and I tend to like more dressing, but for me was a bit too much. My friend got the san remo olives appetizer which had tons of olives and served on a bed of greens.

We ordered a medium pizza which was the perfect size for the two of us, but if you have a good appetite then you might want to do the large as the neighboring table of 2 guys did. We got this quattro pizza which had ham, salami, artichokes, and mushrooms. I thought it was going to all be mixed together, but it was divided into 4 sections. I thought the pizza was just average. It’s a thin crust that was crispy, but I felt the overall flavor of the pizza was just standard and a little bland. My friend said that he prefers the cherry tomato with basil, but I’m a meat lover kind of girl so I wanted meat! But maybe the other one is better. Overall, it wasn’t bad, but I think I’d rather try other pizza places in dallas.

The place reminded me of a pricier version of Tin Star. I tried some of the guacamole with chips. The chips were in thick strips which made them extra crispy, but the dip was just average in my opinion. I prefer a chunkier version.

For drinks, they offer various flavored waters (mango, hibiscus, tamarindo, prickly pear). I tried the mango which was refreshing and would hit the spot on a nice hot summer day.

Despite being told the tostata salad wasn’t the most popular salad among the two I was deciding between (other being 7 layer salad), I got it anyway thinking I would like the tropical fruit and spicy habanero dressing. I did not like it at all. The dressing wasn’t spicy, and I just felt like the salad was pretty bland despite having sufficient amount of dressing. All I could really taste was the fruit (papaya, grapefruit, and the one or two mango slivers). I did like the thin slices of heart of palm and the toasted nuts (like pine nuts, but I’m no expert) which add a nice crunch to the salad. All this sat on a mound of lettuce that was just too much. The salad also had this fried strip of tortilla that had just the right amount of salt and spice and crispness.

My friend ordered the other “popular” salad, 7 layer, and said she liked hers, so it was just a poor choice on my part. And the others orderd tacos, which in hindsight I should have gotten considering the name of the place is “urban taco.” They said they were quite tasty, but the guys felt the portion was small but that is compared to american size serving portions.

For dessert, the group ordered some chocolate covered churros with cinnamon ice cream. I am just not a big overall fan of churro, but my friends said it was more like the real thing.

You order at the counter and the people deliver the food to your table. The place is causal and perfect for a group gathering since it wasn’t too busy but maybe that was just sunday night. I’d be willing to go back and try the tacos before eliminating this place off my list.

We were told me needed reservations, but they managed to squeeze us in when we arrived at 6pm. I think we got lucky since we arrived just before the rush hit.

We started with the ceviche because I have been told peruvian ceviche is incredible. We ordered a tasting of 3 kinds. First one was the kampachi which was a nice piece of sashimi with a thin slice of jalapeno to give it a slight kick and had a nice sauce. Second, was a crab and lobster ceviche in coconut milk which at first I was concerned about the coconut milk but it was just the right amount to give it a subtle sweetness to the ceviche. Last, my favorite, was the mixto which had halibut, squid, shrimp, scallops, mussels and it was phenomenal. It was seasoned with peruvian lime which is what I hear makes peruvian ceviche so incredible, and it was also spicy and had cilantro and red onions. It was a very fresh tasting ceviche with a nice kick to it. I would strongly recommend the mixto and most definitely get the ceviche here.

For my main dish, I ordered a sea bass but found it to be over cooked. It was served on top of a bed of fried yucca which had a wonderful crunchy exterior and seasoned with just the right amount of salt. The sauce was a coconut milk based which was a bit heavy for me. It also came with mussels and clams which again seemed over cooked to me.

My friend ordered the halibut which strangely enough was not overcooked which I tend to find most places overcooking it.

For dessert, we got the chocolate tres leches which was served with this special peruvian ice cream. The cake was a bit dry unlike tres leches but the ice cream was quite a nice compliment.

Overall, I would definitely return and probably just get ceviche. I might also try the churrasco which was the other dish I was debating between. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly.