On separate occasions I’ve visited Gyros & Grill to try their gyros and kabobs. Their kabobs tended to be on the lean, tough and well-done side, but their beef gyros are spot on. If you pick up the combo, you can get either fries or salad with that. The salad is generally on display, pre-tossed, and typical salad fare. Fries are thicker than usual, with a better-than-average seasoning (probably the best fries available from this strip mall). I’ve also had their hummus and suspected it came from Central Market.
They have expanded their menu since my last visit, offering tacos, pizza, sandwiches, fish (grilled and fried) and rotisserie chicken on their menu. However I have one gripe with their posted menu. Often times one can’t figure out what combos are available and no descriptions are given on the picture menu. A little cleanup and de-cluttering is in order, methinks.
Gyros & Grill sits on the corner of a strip mall neighboring Grill Express. The dining room is smaller than other cafes on this strip, so large parties may have to get their Greek fix to-go.
FYI, a sign on their food counter indicates they are halal, though I did not ask to verify this.
Two words: Butter Chicken. 10 minutes and 2 music videos later, I was out the door and on my way home for some buttah luvin.
Tender chicken, a slow-burn spiciness, and delicious creamy sauce. Paired with rice and at $7.99 a plate, it made for a marvelous lunch. It was even too much for me to finish, and I normally gorge on this stuff.
I’ve also had their large wedge-shaped samosas (beef, chicken and veggie). Paired with their chutney it makes for great snacking.
This is a non-descript cafe, appropriate for casual lunches, and an unintimidating atmosphere for Indian food newbies.
My man and I were looking for a new dining adventure, and the man was craving Indian. Previously, the man had only one year’s experience with Indian food, so going to buffets was the best way to initiate him into the earthy-spicy exotic world of Indian food.
So we headed into Addison to give Flavors a try. First mark in their favor: nice, clean and spacious digs. If it wasn’t for the Sunday buffet I can imagine this place can host upscale dining. Second good sign: we were greeted immediately and ushered to our seats. Always a telling sign that the staff gets down to business–and that business is good food.
Third good sign: 2 buffet lines and all-you-can-drink soda fountain. As soon as we hit the buffet, everything was clearly labeled and stocked with fresh food. This was a good sized buffet with diverse vegetarian and meat offerings. Some standouts include their chicken tikka masala, lemon rice, fried fish, a fried potato/veggie dish and an excellent naan. (Which is saying something since I generally avoid the bread everywhere I’ve gone.) Other dishes less memorable were the chicken biryani, goat curry, saag paneer. We were surprised by the inclusion of a bitter melon dish on the buffet–typically more ethnic than most Americans can handle…woo! that’s definitely an acquired taste.
Flavors also delivered a capable fruit custard and a gulab jamun that was more custardy than bready, a decent rice kheer and good carrot halwa (though my partner says it’s not the best gajar ka halwa he’s eaten).
One thing I must fault Flavors’ buffet: not a single thing on the line was spicy-hot (not the pickled carrots or the spiced onions). Throughout lunch, I craved a burn, a kick, anything to get the nose running or throat scratchy…but none of the dishes I found delivered on the heat. In this I suppose Flavors’ buffet is newbie-friendly, but it would not be my first choice if I were looking to shock the tastebuds.
So Flavors’ buffet is great for initiates to Indian food, but too safe a choice if you’re looking for something stronger, more flavorful. However, the price is right (10.99 on Sat-Sun with unlimited soda), especially if it’s your first foray into this type of cuisine. As for me, I’ll come back for the good service and the naan.
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.
The fellow running Marshall’s counter was decidedly jolly and chatty with this early-evening-dinner gal looking to sate her BBQ cravings. As much as he seemed attentive however, he couldn’t deliver on the promise of good brisket. The barbecue here was “just okay”. I requested some fatty (NOT LEAN) brisket…I pleaded for “off the point” and some tasty “crusty” brisket, but the cut I received was nowhere near what I asked for. Sure, it tasted of smoke and I had morsels of flavorful crust, but the brisket was fall-apart dry. When I want moist, I want to see it glisten without having to poke the meat for the heavenly juices gluing together a rich, fatty brisket. The nice surprise to the meal however were the sides…I enjoyed the mayo-mustard potato salad and devoured their unique “signature” carrot-pineapple slaw. I’d like to give Marshall’s another try again for their sides…but if only I could convince them to cut me some outstanding brisket.
240 Legacy Dr Ste 306
Plano, TX 75086
(972) 517-8200
Does it say something about the restaurant when it merits a return visit for their buffet? Ok, perhaps I may not have as discriminating a palate for Indian lunch buffets as other buffet-goers, but on 2 separate visits, Iravat did not disappoint. I enjoyed seeing a good selection of non-vegetarian dishes on their buffet line, and even partook of their naan. I do find that the tandoori chicken was overly dry (perhaps chicken drumsticks shouldn’t be the choice for this) and I found their veggie selections lacking (the veg pakoras lacked the light, crispiness that I was looking for). I also expected more heat from their curries, which I quickly resolved by ladling some of their spicy pickled carrots over my meal. I can describe the flavor of their dishes as conservative, which does not always characterize good and true Indian cooking, but what I ate of Iravat’s buffet was fairly palatable and reasonably priced. Given my distance from Pasand, Iravat is much nicer drive in prettier digs, and worth repeat visits.
My rating: 3.5 stars
Osaka Sushi
5012 W Park Blvd
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 931-8898
When the fiance pointed out “steak and grill” on the sign outside the restaurant, I wasn’t sure he was in the mood for some raw fish. But Osaka, an all-you-can-eat Japanese buffet, has just the right amount of fresh and cooked food to entice even the most reluctant raw food noob. After years of visiting Osaka, I am happy to report that they are my go-to place when I’m in no mood to make the trek to Addison for Tokyo One. I like that Osaka seems more intimate, less intimidating than other Texas-sized buffets. I always manage to find unexpected gems on both the warm and cold sides of the buffet. This is the mark of a successful Asian buffet, keeping the menu interesting by remaining inventive.
The fiance and I came to LaHa in search of the best fajitas in town…and while it was leagues better than the dessicated fajita meat we had at On The Border, LaHa fajitas did not earn any great honors from us. What did please us was that one fajita dinner plate could be shared by two, and I had no problem sharing the fajitas (a rare occurrence for me) because of the host of meat on our sizzling platter. I did wish that there had been more grilled onions on the plate, and my fondness for dipping my rolled up fajita in salsa was tempered by the mild, smokiness of that dip. I was looking for spicy heat but found none. The best part of our visit to LaHa was the sinfully sweet ending–LaHa served up a fantastic sizzling-hot pecan pie swimming in a chocolate-whiskey sauce with a side of ice cream! Marvelous!
Glad to find an Indian buffet open on Sunday just down the road a ways from me. They had a small selection, but most of the Indian standards were represented: chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, naan, biryani. The clientele was a mix of ethnic and white, so it seemed a safe bet that the menu was tailored for diversity. The furnishings and decor seemed fresh and new, and they surprised me by even having a bar. Really? In an Indian restaurant? Servers were polite and quick about refills and clearing off the tables. The only annoyances were the fruit flies buzzing around.
I finally managed to find myself at this Vietnamese dining destination for a dinner one evening, and I’m pleased to report that it was a gratifying experience. I ended up being the only patron on a cold Monday night, so I had the entire staff at my disposal. Thankfully they were polite and very accommodating when it came to feeding a very hungry, single female diner.
I started out with the Muc Nuong, spicy strips of squid served in a ginger-lime fish sauce. Spicy, tender and good! For the main courses, I selected Suon Non Zander’s, a house special marinated barbecue ribs, and Ca Salmon Nuong, grilled salmon with garlic broccoli. While both plates were served dry (no sauce) they still went down nicely with steamed rice. I ended the meal with an off-menu dessert, a sticky rice custard drizzled with strawberry liqueur. Yum!
Zander’s is a real treat, not your typical Vietnamese pho bowls here, though they do serve that for lunch. They renovated the old August Moon space and made it airy and roomy. Very nice, almost upscale digs–I’ve heard that they’ve hosted wedding parties here. I can’t wait to come back and sample more of their menu!
Solid, reliable food in nicely appointed digs. I found no fault with their fried corn patties or their tulip dumplings. Their tom kha gai was a balanced blend of sweet and sour, filled with chunks of chicken, tomatoes and mushrooms. Their panang curry hit the spot, though I found it mild after I requested it at medium heat. My dining companion’s green curry seem too hot for him…though I imagine he was more sensitive to spice. I even ordered a side helping of chili sauce, but it didn’t seem to boost the spice on my panang one bit.
Royal Thai is situated in a busy strip mall, neighboring other eateries. Luckily, the dining room seemed removed from the busy Greenville strip and the noisy lot. The quiet dining room and beautiful asian decor makes Royal Thai a good place for a date.
