Sichuanese Cuisine Restaurant

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I seem to keep going back to this spot on Coit and Park and devouring the same dishes over and over. And that’s unfair because it seems Sichuanese Cuisene offers a diverse offering of good spicy food that I always forget to order. When I say the food is spicy, I’m not joking…unlike Americanized Chinese dining, chili heat pervades the entire menu at Sichuanese. From the cold noodles to the hot-and-sour soup served at the lunch bar, and nearly every item on their short daily lunch menu is clearly marked to fire up your taste buds. My favorites: cumin lamb and spicy steamed fish. Now if only they’d post their menu online so that I can plan my next vist.

My rating: 3.0 stars

Umeko Sushi and Grill

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What DH and I thought was going to be a typical sushi outing turned into a delightful excursion into Taiwanese dining. The sushi we ordered were afterthoughts as my eyes hungrily scanned the Taiwanese offerings that dominated half Umeko’s menu. I ordered way too much food as usual in my zeal for adventurous dining. Craving that earthy meat, lamb with scallions caught my eye. While the dish seemed to drown in a sea of green, the preparation didn’t overpower the lamb and proved quite tasty (I confess to trying to clean the plate off before the server took it away). Also ordered were the mixed seafood on rice and a mixed vegetable plate…while the rice dish seemed rather skimpy on seafood (2 clams, squid, 2 chunks of shrimp, and assorted fish cakes) the sauce nevertheless made the bed of a rice a delicious repast. The vegetable dish itself didn’t seem too spectacular, save for the chunks of mushrooms which quickly disappeared. On the sushi side, Umeko similarly didn’t impress…smoked salmon and mackerel nigiri looked and tasted suspiciously dry and bland. The eel-draped dragon roll however elicited great satisfaction from the hubby, while the salmon volcano roll seemed overly smothered in an oily mayo sauce. Overall, the hit to the pocketbook was a shocking $90 (with tip)…perhaps on a future visit, we’ll stick to the Taiwanese menu.

My rating: 2.5 stars

Afghan Grill

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19177 Preston Road
Dallas, TX 75252
Phone: 972-818-0300

I discovered Afghan Grill from a glowing Guidelive review. I’ve only had the pleasure of sampling their modest but diverse lunch buffet, but it proved to be a crowd-pleasing foray into Middle Eastern dining. Dolmas, a rice pilaf sprinkled with carrots and raisins (or are those dates), memorable kofta meatballs, and meaty kabobs. Great value for a truly satisfying meal, and a comfortable place to escape for lunch.

My rating: 3.0 stars

Little Sichuan Cuisine

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240 Legacy Drive
Plano, TX 75023
Phone: 972-517-1374

Another Guidelive discovery, Little Sichuan proved to be more exciting when I found it situated in a new Asian marketplace across the street from the Cinemark Legacy megaplex in Plano. Hubby and I started with a mild Asparagus & Crab soup swimming with countless green slices of asparagus. I ordered two other starters and three more plates, much to the surprise of our server, who cautioned us that I had already ordered more than enough for two people. But those Chengu dumplings were delightful, and the cold tripe/meat dish heavily dressed in hot spicy peanut sauce was addicting. Hubby remarked on the light and airy nature of the chicken fried rice, which he approved of. The garlicky water spinach and the beef with cabbage demonstrated lasting appeal after taking them home as leftovers. For an ethnic Chinese spot, the staff was very attentive and helpful. The restaurant itself showed its newness from the bright, unadorned walls and clean space. Definitely worth a trip back to sample the other options on their modest-sized menu.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Plano Chinese Barbecue

930 W Parker Rd
Plano, TX 75075
Phone: 972-943-1010

In the search for closer-to-home Chinese BBQ outposts in North Dallas, hubby and I have stumbled upon this site on our way to our usual standby (First’s Chinese). And what a happy discovery we found. The usual BBQ list starts the Plano menu but then we venture into a more diverse selection of dishes and specialties. Take for instance the deep fried beef with black pepper and the now-classic deep fried pork with pineapple sauce. These two dishes alone are worth repeat visits to Plano Chinese…and revisited them we have. On other occasions we have sampled scallops with broccoli (enormous sea scallops), beef flat noodles (customized to our liking), young chow fried rice, combo hot pots (swimmingly yummy), and mixed vegetable dishes (bok choy and chinese broccoli options). On the occasional Sunday visits, they also offer a small selection of dim sum! The best part of all this is that Plano Chinese BBQ takes plastic, and that’s enough to keep us coming back for more. There’s a new Chinese BBQ king in the North Dallas/Plano area, and we’re now big fans of it!

My rating: 3.5 stars

Pho Republic Noodle & Rice

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3591 N. Belt Line Road
Irving, TX 75062
Phone: 972-594-7259

Having lunch with the ‘rents sometimes tends to be a challenge, with mom’s healthy admonitions and cheap-date mentality constantly at odds with dad’s sometimes-adventurous-bordering-on-dangerous approach, and both totally contrasting to my “I’ll try anything once” gusto for food. Irving has become quite a mecca of different cuisines from Mexican and Indian, to Korean and Japanese, all vying for your dining dollars. But there are some cuisines that mom just doesn’t like, so that rules out some of my faves.

So, we set out for lunch looking for Korean, but eventually ended up at the Pho Republic. Situated in a North Irving stripmall anchored by a Tom Thumb grocery, Pho Republic’s clean and pretty digs makes it an approachable dining spot for all demographics. However, the restaurant just happened to be in the middle of a remodel, flushing out an unwanted guest, which fortunately came out at the end of lunch.

For appetizers, we had the spring rolls (which the parents raved about) and a plate of fried meatballs that I ordered. In truth, I didn’t expect to enjoy the shrimp spring rolls, but their emphasis on the shrimp and less on the stuffing made it a welcome appetizer. The fried meatballs however disappointed, as it was nothing like my favorite meatballs-on-a-stick which I order religiously order at Pho Que Huong. These meatballs were the bland, grey meaty balls that I normally order as extras with my soup. Oh well, I had a sweet ice drink to wash away the meatballs while I waited on the main course. It wasn’t as sweet as I liked, and come to think of it, the crushed ice came in chunks rather than fine shavings, but it got the job done. I might try the jackfruit drink next time.

Just as mom’s irritation about the slow food delivery was starting to manifest (two parties seated after us got their meals before us), the main courses arrived. Dad and I had our bowls of pho–he swears by the #19 while I ordered the meat-tripe-tendon combo #29. While my bowl of pho proved very meaty, there was something about the taste that was stronger than the plum sauce or hot chili sauce that I ladled in. Maybe the cilantro was too overpowering, or maybe my pho-senses were too tightly trained by Pho Que Huong’s. Either way, I just noticed that it was different. Mom got the vermicelli bowl with chargrilled pork. She compared it favorably to tocino, which is usually high-praise for any preparation of pork outside of Filipino cuisine. It was still a surprise for me to see her eat this dish (never having seen her eat Vietnamese before) but I guess that’s a testament to how tasty it was.

The service, except for the lag time in delivering our main meals, was good. Our drinks were always refilled, and the servers were patient and helpful, especially responsive about the hold up in the kitchen.

I remembered being at Pho Republic about 3 or 4 years ago, meeting there with my best friend to plan her wedding. The food was as nice then as it is today. She recalls that the Thai coffee was strong enough to keep her alert and on her toes.

I saw some Chinese dishes on the menu that I’d like to try the next time I’m out this way, among them, Yang Chou fried rice. Hopefully, the remodel will be complete by then, and that uninvited guest we saw during our exit won’t be around.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Steve Fields Steak and Lobster Lounge

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5013 West Park Blvd
Plano, Tx 75093
(972) 596-7100

We went back to Steve Fields for the fourth or fifth visit this year for a pre-Christmas celebration with our good friends, the Rustons. We used OpenTable.com to set our reservation for four, which made booking easy, and we received email confirmation the previous day. Even though we manage to straggle in 30 minutes late, the hostess still welcomed us cheerily and led us to our booth. Our server as usual was knowledgeable and friendly (hey didn’t he serve us on previous visits) and gave us plenty of time to talk, give gifts, and make our dinner selections. As usual I was torn between prime rib and ribeye, and a special surf-and-turf option didn’t make the decisions any easier. Of our appetizer choices, the lobster pizza impressed the most with its crisp-crunchy foundation smothered with cheese. The stuffed mushrooms disappeared too fast for me to make an impression. The sliced-strip bread with its olive oil concoction was still too spicy for DH, but it is still distinguishes itself from other beef palaces’ carb offerings.

Everyone in our party chose a beef entree: beef medallions, a couple of filets, and a ribeye. My bone-in ribeye turned out just a little rarer than usual, but it was still tasty (and DH argued it was gristly). Everybody enjoyed their entrees, with no complaints except that maybe the portions were larger than expected. Well…I do remember being disappointed with the pencil-thin greens that masqueraded as asparagus (that seems to be the standard here). Hey, Steve, could you PLEASE pick some “beefier” asparagus stalks to serve with those steaks?

We finished off the meal with an apple cobbler ala mode and twin raspberry/chocolate cheesecakes. The cobbler wasn’t quite as memorable as the cheesecake, which surprised our friends with two helpings instead of just one.

Another great meal from our top picks of 2006. We’ll be back, Steve!

My rating: 4.5 stars

Ye Shire Tavern

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3600 Shire Blvd
Richardson, TX 75080
(972) 881-7570

While it shares a common owner with the Silver Fox Steakhouse across the parking lot, Ye Shire seems poised to deliver a more satisfying meal that won’t traumatize the wallet. The service that we received for a mid-week dinner seemed more knowledgeable and attentive than the reception at its pricier sibling; the menu was less ambitious and geared toward a casual/bar food crowd. True to the sign out front, Ye Shire serves up prime rib. For $25 it’s a great deal and a delicious, hefty portion–and dare I say, possibly one of the best prime rib plates in Richardson. The prime sandwich also received high marks along with its side of chip-sliced fries. Only the deviled egg appetizer seemed unoriginal, no more memorable than a grocery store deli imitator. Still, some other items on the menu appeared tempting, so it may be worth another trip to Ye Shire for more exploring. As long as you’re comfortable with the casual sports bar-like digs, then you’ll feel at home at Ye Shire Tavern.

My rating: 3.0 stars