2500 N Central Expy
Plano, TX 75074
214.473.9797An adventure in dining led my husband and me back to this spot formerly occupied by Bangkok City. Thankfully the garish orange veneer had been replaced by darker, subdued colors. The exterior also showcased a patio barricaded by a flimsy bamboo fence…which might be pleasant on warmer days, but would it screen out the noise and exhaust from the busy highway?
We walked in and were astonished by the transformed digs. Dimly lit, more chic surrounds, this was not the old Bangkok City. Everything had been repainted and redecorated to reflect that Zenna was a hip new alternative.
We settled into reupholstered booths flanked on one side by a crystal beaded wall. It would’ve been a pleasant dining experience except for the loud party occupying 3-4 tables in the center of the restaurant. Still, it was a good sign that Zenna intended to service all parties, boisterous or not.
Perusing the colorful photographed menu, I decided to go for an all-Thai selection while the hubby went Japanese. I ordered the Panang curry with beef (with a request for 3-star hot), Thai Peanut chicken, and a bowl of Tom kha kai. Hubby excluded his normal selection of salmon sashimi and this time chose an assortment of rolls: Caterpillar, Crunchy and Tornado. I also threw in a tapas dish of Garlic Crispy Pork Ribs.
Fast forward to the impressions: the coconut soup reminded me of Banana Leaf’s version, minus the fishy sauce fragrance, savory sweet and mildly delicious. The panang, while thick-sauced, didn’t seem as memorable as Zoom’s or Banana Leaf’s panang versions. Plus it was surprisingly mild despite that I ordered it at 3 star spiciness. I still managed to devour most of the panang (since I had been hankering curry all week), despite its disappointing lack of meat and veggies. I was stuffed by the time I started picking at the Thai peanut chicken, which luckily transported well and made a yummy leftover dish the next day.
Hubby foreswore all Thai dishes before we walked into the restaurant, and was looking forward to the Japanese side of the menu. But every roll he tried was too heavy on the rice and not enough of the fish. He proclaimed the Zenna rolls on the same par as buffet sushi…and I had to agree, because the trio of rolls were bland-tasting and uninspiring to look at.
I also had to express disappointment with their tapas dish, which came out overcooked, nearly-blackened and flavorless. I thought that the fried garlic bits that the ribs sat on would’ve imparted some flavor, but it was akin to eating dried onion peels. The only thing we enjoyed about these ribs were their “crunchiness” and ease in dissection from the bone.
We put our hope in their dessert menu, but sadly, the sticky rice with mango was out of season. We fell back on the coconut custard and black sticky rice. The custard, while it had a nice spongy texture, held nothing of the coconutty flavor promised by the menu. The black sticky rice was the one redeeming quality of the dessert: warm, plump and sticky-sweet.
We hoped that Zenna might lure us out of Wylie in the wee hours, but their menu needs more refinement before we’re motivated to go back for a midnight meal.
My rating: stars
