Tag Archives: japanese cuisine

Sushi simple

Mua Sushi

761 S MacArthur Blvd Ste 121
Coppell, TX 75019
(972) 745-3377

Mua Sushi is a cozy little sushi shop off Beltline and MacArthur in Coppell. I’ve only been in a couple times during lunch hours, but both visits gave me a favorable impression of the place.

On my first visit I sampled their grilled mackerel bento and side dish of seaweed salad. The opener, miso soup, pleased me as it wasn’t as grainy or coarse as some other versions. The seaweed salad was perhaps a little too wet, but tasted typical of the dish. The star of my lunch hour was the bento box however, and what a beauty it was. A perfectly prepared slab of fish came surrounded by compartments of vegetables and sides, ala korean-style banchan–which I devoured with gusto. The fried dumpling and the California rolls also were also quite appetizing. Accompanied by ponzu (?) the grilled mackerel tasted fresh and delicious, the soft and supple meat hadn’t seen the insides of a freezer for long, if any. And to drive that notion home, the hostess dropped a hint on how fresh their fish was.

On my second visit, I decided to tame a sore throat with some soup. Sadly the only other soup entry on their menu was a Korean soup, a beef-vegetable dumpling variety, which I ordered along with their double-roll lunch special: the Casa and Eel rolls. My hostess emerged from the kitchen about 10 minutes later with a small bowl, medium-sized dumplings floating in a mild egg-flower broth and my rolls. The beef dumplings were excellent, though I wish there had been more than just 3 of them. The eel roll tasted average and I remain undecided about the Casa, a fried roll that came topped with a spicy cream sauce reminiscent of tabasco sauce. I didn’t think the fish content in both rolls merited more than a passing grade however.

Both lunches left me 15 to 20 dollars poorer per visit. I also have to fault them for their $1.95 charge on canned soda as well. However, the food is above-average, especially notable for their Korean elements, and the staff are friendly and accommodating. I look forward to more lunches here in the future.

Rating by epicureasian: 3.5 stars
***1/2

Nari Sushi

2625 Old Denton Rd Ste. 400
Carrollton, TX 75007
(972) 242-5200

Something about Nari Sushi makes me inherently suspicious.

Maybe it’s the freebies. On both visits, we were treated to two unexpected courses of appetizers, ranging from tempura to cold, spicy fish. But after a glance at their printed menu and at some of the prices, I’m not complaining at getting some of my food comped.

Maybe it’s the uncanny way they remembered us, by reciting our order from our previous visit. Butterfly kisses? Yes! Grilled mackerel? Yes!

Maybe it’s because they were too darned friendly? They checked up on us every time they passed by us from the kitchen. Was the freebie snack to our liking? How was our sushi tonight? Our hostess was always smiling and our sushi chef too accommodating. I suppose that wasn’t a bad thing…our glasses were always refilled promptly.

Maybe it’s the way Nari was tucked away behind a strip mall, far from the main road (by my reckoning) and that the entrance seemed oddly angled from the street. As if they were making sure they were hidden away from sight.

Don’t get me wrong; Nari has been a pleasant experience both times I’ve visited. But I have a feeling that they’re trying too hard…the food here speaks for itself. I’d come back for the sushi alone.

Rating by epicureasian: 4.0 stars
****

This crepe’s for YOU

Crepes 4 U

240 Legacy Dr # 218
Plano, TX 75023
(972) 517-9100

Fake Yelp reviews? I don’t know about that. Perhaps the high marks aren’t about the food.

I for one was completely taken in by the owner’s bubbly enthusiasm and outgoing friendliness. Every visit guarantees a lively conversation, while you watch him make your crepes on the spot.

I did enjoy chowing down on his freshly made ice cream and fruit crepes–that delicious contrast of warm and cold, crispy and soft–but it took a freezer outage to discover the true gems on his menu: the savory crepes — which the owner ought to promote more. The next time I’m in the area, I hope to see an expanded menu.

My rating: 3.5 stars
***1/2

Sushi done right

Jinbeh Japanese Restaurant

It’s been several years or more since I dined at Jinbeh (the Las Colinas branch) and thought it was time to sample its satellite spinoffs. For a Friday evening, I took the fiance out for some sushi at the Lewisville location. Tucked away in a strip mall, this location isn’t as upscale as the original, but it is still nicely decorated and spacious. Guests walk past two hibachi rooms before arriving at the sushi bar in the rear, an excellent setup, since we were nearly convinced to partake in the grilled foods.

But I had my heart set on sushi tonight. For a starter, we ordered the fried soft shell crabs, which were nicely crunchy but needed the flavor of the lemon and ponzu to perk it up. The seaweed salad didn’t fail to disappoint. For the main courses, we order nigiri-style mackerel (my old standby) then 3 of the house rolls. The first was a delightful roll that was sweetened by the mango inside…I couldn’t get enough of it! The 2nd was a spicy salmon and crab roll, decorated with two sauces, one of which was a zingy wasabi dressing. This one paired well with our mango roll, forcing me to jump from one plate to the next with each bite. The finale was a tempura fried stuffed jalapeno roll, piled high on a plate decorated in fire–ok it wasn’t really fire, but the sushi chef made it look like it was, using sriracha and mayo sauce. While the jalapeno wasn’t close to the heat in our other dishes, we nevertheless enjoyed the crunchy contrast it provided, and liberally sopped up the sauce from the plate.

We warned our waitress that we’d be using a coupon for tonight’s dinner, which she obliged without a fuss, so our $60 dinner only cost us $50 and tip. I felt this was a great price for a goodly and tasty amount of food. I can’t wait to come back to try their other Super-Mario-themed sushi.

My rating: 4.0 stars
****

A Movable Feast

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.

Pan Acean Noodles, Grill, Stir-Fry

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
***1/2

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!

My rating: 3.5 stars
***1/2

ZENse Thai

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.

My rating: 4.0 stars
****

A trio of Asian eateries reviewed

B.B.Bop Rice Bowls

2460 Lacy Ln Ste 102
Carrollton, TX 75006
(972) 620-9700

Excellent customer service. The b.b.bop guys were enthusiastic about their place and the food they served. I got a thorough rundown of the counter options, from the 3 types of rice, 3 meats (or 2 extra veggies), to the various veggie and sauce options. I ordered the spicy pulled pork with fresh spinach, steamed broc, and green onions (minus lettuce or cabbage offered), topped with their Chiang Mai Chili sauce. Their regular sized order was nearly too big of a lunch portion for me…I cleaned up every last bite. One thing to note: I did not get the signature plastic bowl that other reviewers have mentioned—they stuck my meal in a foam box. Clean and quiet place, more appealing to the fast-casual lunch crowd, not really a place I would linger in over dinner. Good food, casual digs, great price!

My rating: 3.5 stars
***1/2

Japan House

300 W Plano Pkwy
Plano, TX 75075
(972) 633-8000

Nothing truly stellar about this all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. The sushi seemed buffet-grade so their freshness is questionable. This is the only place in the area I’ve visited that offers a conveyor-belt for their specialties, handrolls and house sushi/sashimi. There seems to be more Korean choices on their hotbar…though I wished their kalbi wasn’t overcooked and their other offerings spicier. The most memorable food on their spread are their desserts…I’ve been pleased to see sticky rice covered in peanuts and sesame puffs offered amongst the Western-friendly selections like pecan pie and cheesecake–though I can’t imagine anybody enjoying the basil seed jello! The hostesses here were cheery and inviting, but quick to usher you out once they closed down for lunch. I’ve visited Japan House several times for lunch and it seems their prices are on the rise, while their quality continues to diminish. I’m not sure that I’ll be revisiting them in the future unless their food improves.

My rating: 2.5 stars
**1/2

Tokyo Teriyaki

1630 Valwood Pkwy
Carrollton, TX 75006
(972) 620-0211

Standard fast food Japanese eatery offering meats with rice. The menu caters to the business lunch crowd from the surrounding warehouse area…so the flavors are simple. You can’t really go wrong with chicken, beef or pork teriyaki. For the adventurous asian-food neophyte, the gyoza plate beckons. On my last visit I ordered a house special of beef and chicken and requested it spicy…which arrived as ordered with lettuce and steamed rice. I’m not quite sure that I enjoy the jerky-like texture of the beef…but then again, I’m not paying for prime grade steaks either. I also could have done without the lettuce medley, but I suppose that I really didn’t have many choices for veggies. Teriyaki sauce came tableside, in a squeeze bottle, along with the usual condiments: soy sauce and sriracha. Hard not to like this place for what it offers: the place was clean, service and food okay.

My rating: 2.5 stars
**1/2