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ASIAN MINT
11617 N. Central Expy (U.S. 75) at Forest Ln, southwest corner
(214-363-6655)
Open Mon–Thur 11–10, Fri 11–11, Sat noon–11, Sun noon–9:30.
web site | map | latest review | photo | access ++ |  add to library |
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$-$$ |
Dallas
| Asian /
Eclectic |
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(From March 2011) This place, with its clean lines, stylized art, and accomodating servers, is always a pleasure. So too was our meal of summer rolls with peanut sauce, followed by crispy red snapper topped with basil sauce, baby corn, and slivers of red bell pepper; an orb of jasmine rice flecked with black sesame seeds came alongside. Green tea ice cream with sticky rice and a splash of coconut coulis was a refreshing dessert; coming in second was a classic cheesecake with mango sauce and fresh raspberries. Bar. |
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BAMBOO HOUSE
540 Waugh Dr
(713-522-3442)
Open Sun–Thur 11–9, Fri & Sat 11–10. Reservations recommended.
web site | map | latest review | access ++ | add to library |
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Houston
| Asian |
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(From June 2011) This upper Montrose place perfectly fit our needs—a spare, quiet room; freshly prepared pan-Asian dishes; and personal service from perpetually spunky hostess (and chef’s mom) Bessie Chow. We started with vegetable-laden dumplings and then dug into bowls of chicken lo-mein (an old-fashioned but still delectable Chinese-American comfort food), pad thai, and crunchy orange beef with spinach. Our favorite? Crispy shrimp tossed with caramelized wal-nuts and Sichuan sauce on shredded bok choy. Beer & wine. |
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EAST MOON BISTRO
5028 50th
(806-712-8888)
web site | map | latest review | access ++ | add to library |
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$-$$ |
Lubbock
| Asian |
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(From February 2012) We felt like royalty, ensconced in a cherrywood booth at this elegant Asian fusion spot. No more tacky buffets for us! The Golden Bridge Roll—a trestle of fried crab, mango, and avocado, ribboned with shrimp tempura and salmon roe—was almost too beautiful to eat, but that made it irresistible. Next up, classic General Tso’s chicken: the glaze was unexpectedly sweet, and, appropriately, the rice came sculpted in the shape of a heart. Don’t miss the crispy duck. We could eat here once a week for a year and not sample all the dishes. Beer & wine. |
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FIVE SIXTY BY WOLFGANG PUCK
300 Reunion Blvd
(214-741-5560)
Dinner Mon–Thur 5:30–10, Fri & Sat 5:30–11. Closed Sun.
web site | map | latest review | photo | access ++ | add to library |
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$$$ |
Dallas
| Asian |
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(From June 2011) Our stunning array of appetizers exemplified the dynamic approach to modern Asian cuisine at this branch of Wolfgang’s empire: tiny pork belly dumplings with black vinegar and chile oil; hamachi and tuna sashimi with sticky rice and yuzu ponzu; sautéed crab cakes with a mango-cucumber relish; and our favorite, scallop and lobster shumai (dumplings) with a lobster-curry emulsion. That’s a pretty hard act to follow, but an entrée of sautéed halibut accented with keffir lime and a not-too-spicy pineapple-chile sambal could certainly stand on its own. If summer visitors are coming, Five Sixty is a must, not only for the fabulous food but also the view from the top of Reunion Tower. Bar. |
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FREDERICK’S
7701 Broadway (enter parking lot from Nottingham)
(210-828-9050)
Lunch Mon–Fri 11–2:30. Dinner Mon–Sat 5:30–10. Closed Sun. Reservations recommended weekends.
web site | map | reserve through OpenTable | latest review | photo | access + | add to library |
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$$-$$$ |
San Antonio
| French /
Asian |
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(From November 2011)
Fusion cuisine makes a splash here, where tastes of the Orient (especially Vietnam) blend with French techniques and traditions. A seafood broth, dark, mysterious, and herbal, made an excellent starter, as did a cold seafood platter of lobster, crab, shrimp, smoked salmon, and oysters with caviar. Sea bass, baked with artichoke hearts and shiitake mushrooms, is a winning main course; another is the oft-available lobster, cooked in a variety of ways (bathed in a cognac beurre blanc on our visit). Our only quibble was that the service in this dignified dining room was a bit off the mark; the waiters seemed detached and ill-informed. Bar. |
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GOUNG ZHOU ASIAN BISTRO
2002 Judson Rd, Longview
(903-247-8000)
Open Mon–Thur 11–10, Fri & Sat 11–11. Closed Sun.
web site | map | latest review | access ++ | add to library |
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$$-$$$ |
Longview
| Asian |
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(From May 2011) Original art graces the walls, and crisp linens and fresh flowers adorn the tables, belying GZ’s un-likely strip-mall setting on one of Longview’s most traveled streets. And the food, a pan-Asian miscellany, is delightful. The rainbow roll was fresh and spicy, and the chicken lettuce wraps, served with a tangy plum sauce, had a pleasant consistency, almost like a pâté. We’ve also heard raves about the Southeast Asian seafood bowl, a heady brew of shrimp, lobster, clam, mussels, and scallops, accented by lemongrass and basil. Bar. |
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GREEN PAPAYA
4455 S. Padre Island Dr
(361-851-0644)
Lunch Mon–Sat 11–3. Dinner Mon–Thur 5–9, Fri & Sat 5–10. Brunch Sun noon-3.
web site | map | latest review | photo | access + | add to library |
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Corpus Christi
| Asian |
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(From September 2010) This is an uncommonly good Southeast Asian restaurant in a rather obscure strip center. On a recent visit we made a meal of a platter-filling appetizer—shrimp and shredded veggies in a rice flour crepe. The amateur chef in our party had high praise for a soft-shell crab entrée. Always check out the daily chalkboard specials, and save room for your share of a fried banana dessert. Beer & wine. |
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KUSHI YAMA
3319 I-40W
(806-358-2900)
Mon-Fri 11-2 & 5-10, Sat-Sun 11-10
web site | map | latest review | no access | add to library |
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Amarillo
| Asian |
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(From January 2012) Kushi Yama is pretty darn sleek and sophisticated. Executive chef Richard Chen, of Las Vegas’s Michelin-starred Wing Lei, and local restaurateur Tadamichi Tayama have devised an Asian fusion menu designed for sharing. We began with seafood ceviche in a delicate yuzu vinaigrette. Next, we sampled the decadent smoked pork belly from the yakitori menu and a maki roll featuring spicy tuna. To top it all off, we shared the divine braised beef short ribs atop creamy beef cheek risotto in a star anise reduction with a side of wok-charred spicy green beans. The wine selection is excellent, and the service is attentive and professional. Bar. |
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LITTLE KATANA
Travis Walk, 4527 Travis, at Knox
(214-443-9600)
Open Mon–Thur 11–2:30 & 5–10, Fri 11–2:30 & 5–11, Sat 11–11, Sun 5–10.
web site | map | latest review | access ++ | add to library |
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$$-$$$ |
Dallas
| Asian |
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(From October 2010) We adore beginning with something healthy, like the emerald green seaweed salad sprinkled with sesame seeds. And sizzling water dumplings stuffed with minced cilantro and seasoned beef was an-other great appetizer. For an entrée, we chose something new, the garlic-ginger marinated flank steak served on addictive wasabi mashed potatoes and grilled green onions; it makes us salivate even now thinking about it. We like the feel of this narrow, Zen-ish room with its high ceilings and huge concrete beams, and the service is helpful and friendly. Bar. |
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PACIFIC MOON
15140 San Pedro Ave, at Brookhollow
(210-402-3411)
Open Mon–Thur 11–midnight, Fri & Sat 11–2 a.m. Closed Sun
map | latest review | photo | access ++ | add to library |
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$-$$ |
San Antonio
| Asian /
Deli |
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(From November 2010) The Brookhollow location has fewer offerings than the original, but the neighborhood feel of the front-and-center bar and the menu’s quirky blend of pan-Asian and classic deli still draw in a group of regu-lars almost any time of day. We found our lunch, though, to be a mixed bag. The Samurai Rice Bowl was a hit; despite the Japanese reference, it featured Korean-style marinated chunks of ribeye with flavorful brown rice and vegetables. But the Kona chicken salad, a crisp assortment of greens we’ve enjoyed in the past, came to the table with cold, tough tempura chicken—not what we remember, and essentially inedible. Bar. |
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