This has taken awhile to germinate, but I think it’s about time I weighed in on the two Korean BBQ places I’ve visited in the first half of 2010.
Omi Korean Grill and Bar
2625 Old Denton Dr
Carrollton, TX 75011
Omi has a few things going for it. It’s perfectly located in a busy Asian strip mall. It’s also relatively new, meaning spacious, pretty and clean. My dining partner and I checked out their AYCE barbecue buffet, and we were mostly satisfied by their selection, though their options leaned toward more pork than beef or chicken. The panchan was a mixed bag, mostly forgettable. Service and pacing was typical for this kind of dining, meaning inattentive and inconsistent. Despite the giant vent hood over the table, I still walked out of the restaurant smelling of smoke, but I was pleased Omi had the grill built into the table, unlike some other places. Will I be back? Probably…they had an extensive menu of options that I’m willing to explore. And Omi provides a good setting for celebrations, entertaining friends and out-of-town guests.
My rating: 3.5 stars
Blue House
2540 Old Denton Rd Ste #300
Carrollton, TX 75006
Blue House is in an older building and setting across from the busy Korea-town strip mall from Omi. As part of our dining adventure, we sampled the AYCE bbq buffet. While the tables here were designed with built-in grills, it seems that the portable table-top burners were the grills of choice here. The fiance and I were pleased with the mostly beef offerings, and the banchan tended to be more memorable than previous places (including the large salad plate). Service here was just as comparable as other Asian establishments, meaning the staff was as accommodating as most places (though we were lucky to be visiting when we were one of two parties in the entire restaurant). Blue House had a nice sized Korean and Japanese menu, and I was almost persuaded to order off it, had I not the mission of checking their buffet. Worth another visit? Most likely! But I would be less likely to share this place with others; Blue House is more of a guilty pleasure than a must-go destination.
Some times when the food gods are generous and the stars and planets converge into harmonious alignment, a regular meal at a restaurant evolves into extraordinary eats. For example, last week’s visit at Hard Eight BBQ produced an unforgettable $19.95 ribeye dinner–perfectly seasoned, perfectly grilled and mouthwateringly good! The accompanying grilled onions and jalapeno elevated the dinner to sublime levels, and they finally got the recipe for sweet creamed corn correct. Our previous ribeye dinner at Hard Eight was less than stellar, overcooked after a long trip around the dining room on a hot plate…but Hard Eight redeemed itself in our next visit. Also not to be upstaged, Big Al’s Smokehouse on Inwood in Dallas is still the best BBQ restaurant in town to find beef ribs served right, outside of a Brazilian steakhouse. We visited their new digs this weekend and indulged on 1.5 pounds of freshly smoked ribs. Any BBQ joint that leaves you smelling of smoke hours later is as authentic as they come.
7835 N Macarthur Blvd
Irving, TX 75063
(972) 869-0663
Another all-you-can-eat Asian buffet opens in north Irving. Similar to Tokyo One and Osaka in concept, Sushi Awaji is comparable to Japan House in execution. There is a smattering of passable sushi and sashimi options on the cold bar, and on the hot bar, Korean and Japanese selections along with the predictable hot pot dinner. The staff is polite and quick on refills, though at times, some chafing dishes remained empty. When the check arrived, I suffered a little sticker shock–I just didn’t feel I got my money’s worth like I would have at Tokyo One or Osaka. What’s worse: Sushi Awaji resides in an old pharmacy building complete with sliding glass doorfront (extremely breezy during the winter) and easy-listening music blaring from the overhead speakers.
1168 W. Main St
Lewisville, TX 75067
(972) 219-2244
I didn’t expect much from this hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint in Lewisville. But the fiance and I made the trek to see how Lewisville’s best ‘Que ranks against our favorite. We weren’t wow’ed but we were satisfied. Dat’s proprietors appreciated that we loved our brisket with a nice rind of fat. Their affection for barbecue extended to the juicy and flavorful ribs, which unfortunately was sold out by the time we got there. We opted for sausage and was pleased that it came from a different source. Chicken turned out dry–but not many can pull off a moist barbecue chicken in these parts. What made our trip to Dat’s memorable was the profusion of southern-style sides: cornbread, collard greens, yams, and okra to name a few. For a fine finish, sweet potato pie and bread pudding, along with the typical cobblers, completed their menu. For these menu options and the excellent customer service (the staff displayed great affection for their food and were very welcoming), I’m willing to endure their average barbecue for some great Southern comforts.
It’s been said that in recent times, especially during our current economy, the food industry will try to capitalize on any gimmick to draw in the crowds. In order to bolster consumer spending in this area, the industry has been shifting their focus on venues designed to lift sagging consumer confidence by pairing spirits with appealing table-side visuals. Enter the “breast-aurant”. Once upon a time, the field was dominated by only one or two chains and a few local hangouts, Hooters being foremost in this category. Now the pool has considerably grown, especially in the DFW area, with the likes of Twin Peaks and Bone Daddy’s. Redneck Heaven joins the fray, featuring food, booze and games, served up by the requisite scantily-clad waitresses. Redneck Heaven recycles the old concept that bikes, babes and booze go well together, and gambles on this idea by positioning their restaurant in a family-friendly middle-class suburban location.
I must admit a bit of surprise when I first entered Redneck Heaven…I expected the pool tables and a boisterous bar atmosphere. What I didn’t expect was the barely-legal waitstaff, prancing around in skimpy attire, and at least one family with 4 children, lunching here. But I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised…the bar’s exterior vaguely gave off that “M for Mature” vibe. Or is that M for Mischief?
But my fiance and I were here for the food, and in particular, we came for the burgers. I am pleased to report that Redneck served up decent cooked-to-order burgers; no fancy sauces or exotic preparations here. They have a limited collection of condiments, since their burgers come sans dressings: ketchup and mustard, and if you ask nicely, they’ll bring out packets of mayonnaise. My burger was a grilled, medium-rare, hand-formed patty…I requested the bleu cheese burger with no pickles, extra onions and a cup of their broccoli cheese soup. The thick cheesy soup may have been overkill after our appetizer of chili cheese fries liberally garnished with jalapenos, which I’m happy to say tasted fine. The chili seemed to have been a house-made variety, with a good balance of ground beef and beans. A word about the beef–Redneck Heaven likes mentioning that they serve Nolan Ryan beef…and for a local eatery, I have to give them a thumbs-up for partnering with a home-grown legend.
Because the food seemed rendered capably, my dining companion and I both agreed that Redneck’s kitchen deserves a second chance despite the fact that this really wasn’t our type of venue. For those lonely male diners however, Redneck’s is sure to please. But guys, be sure to know your limits or you might just turn off that pretty waitress you’re trying to impress…the house special drink called Minnow Bomb does feature a live fish, and you might end up in the parking lot, hurling up said sushi and whatever meal that preceded it. Don’t say they didn’t warn ya–it’s on the menu.
The Fiance and I embarked on a series of dining adventures 3 weeks ago, a tour of menus compressed in a single day. We started with Pan Acean for their crowd-pleasing soup, visited Spice N Rice Indian Tiffin for samosa appetizers, ducked in next door at Zense Thai for satay chicken and a first course of Siam Beef, Cool Bamboo for Volcano Sushi, and finally Hard Eight for their BBQ chicken dipped in lemon garlic sauce. All dishes passed the test and I’m happy to report that we were mightily gratified by our movable feast.
At first glance, Pan Acean appears to be a home-grown version of the Pei Wei chain restaurants, with a menu featuring a broad palette of asian cuisines. My impression is that Pan Acean does it better. I have yet to find a dish that disappoints; Pan Acean displays a capable hand in the soups and courses that I have so far sampled: from their steamed dumplings to their Mandarin Garlic stir fry. They also had an interesting rendition of Walnut Shrimp; their tangy version was dubbed Vanilla Prawns and came with honey pecans. Perhaps the best dish that I’ve experienced is their Mandarin Seafood Bisque–a misnomer, since there’s nothing bisque-like about it at all. But the seafood broth is delightfully swimming with fish, mussels, scallops, shrimp and asparagus. It’s a soup that we can’t get enough of it seems, having ordered it on every visit to Pan Acean so far.
My rating: 3.5 stars
Spice ‘N’ Rice Indian Tiffin
Spice N Rice recalls the cafeteria atmosphere of Taiwan Cafe except that they serve up cheap and fast versions of Indian food. I regretted not sampling their other offerings, on our tour of menus, when the fiance and I dropped by for some samosas. We had to wait about 10 minutes for them to cook up a fresh batch, but it was worth the wait. Beef, chicken and vegetable samosas all had their distinctive flavors, and we found that their sweet-spicy chutney sauce greatly enhanced the taste. I should have remembered to order the chaat dish, instead of ordering them individually, but neither our hostess or the kitchen complained of the one serving each of the base-ball sized samosas. We got a great deal for the large portions…something I didn’t expect of a chaat house. We’ll be back!
There’s just something bizarre about ZENse Thai. I understand that they promote some fusion dishes on their menu, I grokked the beta fish in their little pitchers, but I just couldn’t grasp the decor. The raffia-rope that ringed the dining room recalled Buddhist influences, sacred trees ordinations and such–except I felt nothing holy about eating there. What was amiss was a peanut chicken dish…this omission was aggravated by their “Fearless Foodie” list: ka-prow and chicken tom-kha spaghetti?? Come on, give me peanut sauce chicken. Disappointed we resigned ourselves to an order of satay chicken and their Siam Beef–which surprised us. The satay chicken was uncharacteristically presented sans skewer, instead 5 pieces perched atop slices of french bread–and this proved to be an excellent combination. The Siam beef came out on skewers, and while the meat was tough, it was also remarkably well-marinated…very flavorful and satisfying. So even though ZENse lacked what we were looking for, we were nevertheless pleased by what we found and promised to visit again for another adventure through their menu.
My rating: 3.0 stars
Cool Bamboo
I admit some surprise that there are at least 2 sushi restaurants in Coppell, but it seems there is an audience for Japanese food in this city–for which I’m grateful. Cool Bamboo sits across from J. Macklin’s Grill in a quiet corner strip mall, displaying a serene, dark exterior. When you walk in, you realize the reason for this; next to the front door is a wall of dark tiles down which water streams gently. It is a departure from the typical water-glass sculptures that grace most restaurant lobbies. The upscale surroundings was accompanied by quick and courteous service. Even though we were here for a single course, we were still treated well. The Volcano sushi turned out a delicious rendition, sprinkled liberally with baby scallops and shrimp, and topped with twisty strips of wonton skins, which gave it crunch. With the pleasant digs and superb service, our experience at Cool Bamboo guarantees another visit from us.
