Pan-Asian in Dallas

5 results

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Casablanca

200 N. Bishop Ave., No. 113 West Dallas

972-863-9600

Pan-Asian, Middle Eastern, Best Of, DrinkHere

The Silk Road-themed Casablanca sits like an oasis in the heart of the Bishop Arts District, just a few steps off the main artery. Here the mood is a desert oasis with sandy hues and a Moroccan aura. Like any cool desert hangout, it's centered on a calming pool of water (which is not for swimming). The menu of small bites stretches from the Middle East to Asia, from smoked edamame to pork and plum dumplings. Casablanca also expanded, adding an adjacent outdoor post called The Palm Bar with grab-and-go cocktails and a sandy lounge area. But if you and your friends like to get loud, get a room: Casanova is a sing easy in the back, with several swank private karaoke lounges for up to 15 guests. Reservations are a must.

5 articles
Elephant East

2823 McKinnon St Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-256-4151

Pan-Asian, Vietnamese, Thai, Recommended

Elephant East is a pan-Asian restaurant with a small but very intimate dining room, offering spots for small groups and dates. Start with an order of Bang Bang Shrimp or an umami rich lightly-fried soft-shell crabs covered in a spicy black bean sauce that same crisp napa slaw, which here was blessed with an umami-rich spicy black bean sauce and a sweet chili sauce creating a brilliant menagerie of flavors. Big steamed buns come three to an order for stuffed with saucy cubes of char siu braised pork. These were filling and had that perfectly odd, yet amazing, fluffy dense texture of steamed buns. Finally, end your pan-Asian soirée with a Vietnamese Espresso Martini. It cost more than many of the starters on the menu, but if you're a big fan of Dallas' quintessential drink, then splurge here. Elephant East uses an instant Vietnamese espresso powder, which the bartender said they special order. This gives it a bit more of a chicory flavor, but if there ever was a bow on a meal, this espresso martini here is it.

3 articles
Lemongrass

2711 Elm St. Downtown/Deep Ellum

214-745-0001

Fusion, Japanese, Pan-Asian, Vietnamese, Recommended, Menu

Owner Khoa Nguyen has created an Asian fusion restaurant that doesn't feel like a "fusion" restaurant. Instead, Nguyen has toyed traditional dishes while retaining authenticity to provide diners with "refined Vietnamese" -- his words. The Vietnamese rib-eye carpaccio appetizer is an example of this. The thin slices of steak are presented in the authentic Vietnamese salad format with its traditional accompaniments of shrimp chips and fish sauce. Lemongrass' banh xeo (a savory pancake made with rice flour), which Nguyen says is the restaurant's specialty, is a favorite. Nguyen will likely recommend the charcoal-broiled lemongrass pork with vermicelli and the steak cubes with garlic and fresh pasta if he takes your order. In keeping with such inspired dishes, diners would do well to keep in mind such creativity comes with a higher price point.

7 articles
New Tops Cafe

418 S. Ervay St. Downtown/Deep Ellum

214-761-0603

Pan-Asian, Restaurants, Best Of

Next door to a fast-food sandwich shop is an unassuming hole-in-the-wall specializing in pan-Asian cuisine -- emphasis on Thai dishes (naturally, pad Thai is available) and curries -- with a smattering of American fried favorites from land and sea, like fries, clams and hush puppies. Many of the menu options, which can be seen posted in the shop's window or read on the sidewalk chalkboard, are less than a 10-spot. One of the winners here, the made-to-order old-fashioned burger, has customers raving and returning in droves. Word to the wise, though, the lunch crush can be almost intolerable. But with food so cheap and varied, it's easy to see why Tops is so popular.

2 articles
Steel Sushi Restaurant & Lounge

3180 Welborn St Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-219-9908

Pan-Asian, Sushi, Recommended, Best Of

Steel is a gracefully distinct deuce of Vietnamese and Japanese cuisines, employing a small army of chefs and sushi masters in the process. It also may require a small fortune to experience, so cash out your bloodied high-tech portfolio and fortify it with your platinum Visa. Vietnamese Carpaccio, sea salt and chili pepper calamari, sushi and the deep-fried whole fish are the focal points on the menu. Plus, Steel secures its napkins and utensils with hose clamps at each place setting. So the kids will have something to play with while you count your portfolio pennies.

17 articles

Pan-Asian in Dallas

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