Blu Ginger professes to be authentic Thai cuisine but too much of their menu displayed playful, gimmicky descriptions making it difficult to take them seriously. Newbie-friendly fusion seems to be the aim at Blu Ginger…which perhaps explains the hit-or-miss execution of their dishes. Their Tom Kha Gai, for example, lacked the lemongrass and fish sauce punch expected of the chicken coconut soup, rendering it bland and unmemorable. Their chicken and ginger soup however proved stellar, intensely fragrant and tasty. The Reunion, an appetizer sampler of satay chicken, wrapped shrimp, dumplings–artfully rendered and all very tasty, but terribly routine for Thai food. The Nutty Professor, Blu Ginger’s version of a peanut sauce dish, was marred by too much bean sprout filler–a disappointment. The spicy salmon curry (which our server warned us would take a longer time to prepare) first came out overcooked–the tail end of the fish came out dry and inedible. After a 2nd pass through the kitchen, the dish came out much more presentable, with a spicy sauce and prettily decorated with flash-fried basil (?) leaves. For the dessert course, Blu Ginger pleased us again, serving up 3 samplers in shot glass size: tapioca pudding, coconut custard and rice pudding–all excellent. Sadly, the high price of dinner dampened our overall satisfaction with the experience. The only area that Blu Ginger seems to surpass expectation is in presentation. Here’s to hoping for more consistency from Blu Ginger in the future.

7 Salsas serves up more than 7 tasty, spicy salsas. Their menu is chock full of Tex-Mex dining options. Sitting in a nice neighborhood in North Irving (and another location in Coppell), 7 Salsas is a somewhat-upscale setting presenting tasty and reasonably-priced fare. For our visit, the endless chips and salsas came out; every one of the salsas proved mysteriously and addictively spicy. The restaurant also served up remarkably tasty chicken jalapeno poppers–moist and mildly zingy. 7 Salsas’ version of a Caesar salad turned out to be the only disappointment in the evening–I expected a Caesar constructed from scratch, but the only show came from our disinterested server tossing a few leaves, corn niblets, red peppers, with prepared dressing. The Parillada turned out to be a satisfying combo fajita meal for two; steak, chicken and shrimp on a sizzling plate with a saucer of flaming chorizo queso. The fajitas were pleasingly flavorful, though we felt the queso insufficient for our needs. Despite our server’s indifference, we found dinner a pleasant experience at 7 Salsas that we’ll be coming back to explore the rest of their menu.

120 S Denton Tap Rd
Coppell, TX 75019
(972) 393-3894

Local Diner serves up simple, inelegant, unpretentious fare. The fiance and I paid the Local Diner a visit for a Sunday breakfast. This Coppell outpost evoked old-time diners…barstools and tiled countertops, bright lighting, primary colors, and scores of 40s-60s memorabilia hanging from the walls. Our hosts were courteous and upbeat, very attentive when it came to taking orders and refills. While the Sunday church and sports crowd slowly filtered in, the fiance and I dove into our simple repasts. I ordered eggs and bacon with a side of 2 pancakes, while the soon-to-be-DH ordered French Toast with his eggs and ham. I found our meals acceptably executed, nothing too exciting or daring in the presentation…though I thought the bacon was lacking in salt. Nothing else thrilling to report about the meal…except that it was priced just right for what we got. Perhaps their lunch menu will have more tasty offerings…but one presumes too much to expect any more from this budget dining destination.

761 S MacArthur Blvd
Coppell, TX 75019
(972) 745-8822

I’ve been drawn to this place ever since I saw the “kolache” sign beckoning. And I was pleased to discover that this little hole-in-the-wall bakery serves some mighty fine fruit kolaches, in addition to their sausage kolaches and cinnamon rolls. I confess that the first time I arrived at 1pm during a weekday I was worried that I wouldn’t get a chance to try their sausage rolls (they had run out). But my consolation was a half-dozen cinnamon rolls which proved to be tasty. Hoping it wasn’t a fluke, I’ve returned with the soon-to-be-DH who reckons himself a cinnamon roll fanatic. We came early on a Saturday morning and sampled sausage rolls (tasty and spicy), ham & cheese rolls (good), fruit kolaches (blueberry was an excellent rendition) and their cinnamon rolls (went back for seconds). We both agreed that everything exceeded expectations…and we enjoyed the cafe feel of the small dining room (loved the mural) and the counter staff was helpful and courteous. Kasa Kolache is definitely worth stopping by if you’re craving a good baked breakfast.

820 S MacArthur Blvd, # 112
Coppell, TX 75019
(972) 393-0415

I remember the original Uncle Tai location in the Dallas Galleria, well known for supplying North Dallasites with fine Chinese cuisine in upscale digs. I’m happy to hear that Uncle Tai relocated to smaller, casual and cozy outpost in Coppell. While I’ve only sampled one lunch dish from their takeout menu, I’m looking forward to trying out more of their menu. The tasty Hot Garlic Beef I ordered came out well prepared and cooked to order (I requested broccoli), though I must remember to stress steamed rice in the future–I wasn’t too keen on the dirty fried rice they paired with my lunch portion. I gobbled down lunch like Chinese food was going out of style–proof that Uncle Tai hasn’t lost his touch. I am looking forward to more takeout and delivery from Uncle Tai’s!

820 S MacArthur Blvd Ste 108B
Coppell, TX 75019
(972) 462-1584

I was thrilled to discover great Thai food in Coppell. The fiance and I visited Siam Thai for dinner and we feasted like royalty here. Nearly everything we ordered was a delightful treasure trove of flavors. The fried calamari were not the typical deep-fried rings usually offered by other restaurants–ours was a plate of lightly battered toothsome squid sticks, paired with sweet chili sauce. The coconut soup was at once sweet, sour and mildly spicy, with a slight fishy-sauce aroma…the signature of a well-balanced, flavorful coconut soup. The corn patties, while filling, was the only appetizer to disappoint, the batter seemed too thick and overpowered the scattered kernels of corn. As for the rest of the dinner, we requested 4- to 5-star heat with our pad thai with pork, Thai spicy peanut sauce with chicken and their signature seafood dish on sizzling plate. The pad thai noodles was a fantastic rendition of the classic dish…and with the added heat, we found we couldn’t stop eating despite the slow burn. The Thai peanut Chicken–while nowhere near the caliber of Banana Leaf’s version–was still a crowd-pleaser, and disappeared faster than the pad thai noodles. As for the sizzling seafood, I was pleased to see many different chunks of seafood swimming in the red coconut curry…this turned out to be the spiciest of all the dishes we sampled that evening–perhaps due to its still being served piping hot. Everything turned out delicious, and we lamented that even when loosening our belts, we couldn’t stuff ourselves any fuller with the excellent meal before us. Thankfully, we’re within delivery range of this Thai restaurant and we look forward to sampling more of their exotic menu!

1980 Nantucket Ste. 103
Richardson, TX 75080
(214) 575-7437

The Original Fried Pie Place will be the death of me. I like fried pies way too much…and the small variety of meat and fruit pies peddled here will keep me coming back for more. And wow, now they also serve funnel cakes. There’s nothing else like this restaurant in Texas! I’m looking forward to their Spinach/Mushroom/Cheese and Broccoli/Chicken on my next visit.

1223 W McDermott Dr Suite 75
Allen, TX 75013
(972) 747-0057

How did I miss reviewing this little neighborhood gem? Thai Pan has been my go-to for Thai food for over a year, and nothing I’ve ordered from them has disappointed. This little eatery in a strip mall off McDermott has been serving reliably good Thai food in modest, comfy surroundings. I can’t help but order their tom kha gai every time I visit; it’s a perfectly balanced sweet, sour and spicy soup with tender morsels of chicken and mushrooms. Some other favorites from their menu include spicy basil fried rice, panang curry, pad gra pow, and their sticky rice with custard. The customer service is attentive and friendly, the dining room is small yet inviting. Allen is one city that should find itself lucky in having a fine Thai restaurant such as Thai Pan.

921 N. Central Expy
Plano, TX 75075
(972) 422-4745

About a few years ago, Mongolian barbecue appeared on the dining radar. Asian restaurants added it to their menu of offerings, a couple of chains established outposts in the DFW. Genghis Grill happens to be one of the first chains in the area to offer Mongolian. At first, it was a hit.

Once upon a time I was enamored with the concept of prepping your own dish and watching the cooks slap it around the cooking stone while you and your friends enjoyed a drink, watching for your meal to finish. After a couple of years, Genghis Grill must have changed their format, charging a little more for their food in the process, providing a one-meal option on top of their all-you-can-eat. They still offer a variety of meats and seafood, including fake Krab, and a host of veggie and sauce options. They also thought adding tortilla to the starch/carb list was also a pretty good idea.

After a recent visit to the Plano outpost of Genghis Grill, I determined that much of the social aspect and Asian taste and feel was gone or just fakery. This location had football playing loudly on the TV at the bar…hardly any onlookers hung out at the stone cooktop. This location solidified my suspicion that Genghis Grill had succumbed to the fate of most chain restaurants: quantity over quality, safe and routine replacing daring and innovative.

On a particular visit, the dining room floors were so sticky, it made my skin crawl to walk on them every time I marched to the serving line. Apparently they thought it was a good idea to clean the kitchen during restaurant hours; an employee was brushing a 2 inch pool of dirty soap water behind the stone cooktop where my food was being cooked. That could’ve explained why nobody was interested in watching their food getting prepped–the sight of that dirty water in the kitchen was enough to dampen any appetite.

I don’t know if it was the teen- to twenty-something clientele lounging around in the booths like they owned the place, the disinterested waitstaff who couldn’t be bothered to refill our drinks and clean off our tables, or the loud rock music blaring from the bar that competed with the football game on the tube that turned me off, but all I know is that I can cook up a better dish at home and I won’t be back.

4140 Legacy Dr # 310
Plano, TX 75086
(972) 618-8888

Formerly Treasure Chinese BBQ, 369 is the only Chinese bbq place I know of in the area that delivers on top of taking plastic! 369 is an amazingly happy discovery, serving some good Cantonese fare besides the basics. I pity the folks who don’t know anything else but Americanized Chinese, because 369 is a treasure house of good authentic Chinese food. Aside from their standards of roast duck and barbecue pork, they serve an excellent Beef steak in Peking sauce (Chinese style steak in First Chinese BBQ parlance) and good chinese broc with mushrooms. Other recommendations: seafood in spicy salt, walnut shrimp, shrimp in cheese sauce, vegetables and mushrooms in brown sauce. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, 369 has an untranslated menu of dishes hanging from nearly every wall in the room–just ask for recommendations, it seems the folks at 369 are eager to help out. They are also very accommodating when it comes to modifying dishes.

Plano has few tasty Chinese BBQ options that honor credit cards and deliver too…thankfully, Plano has 369 BBQ.

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.

240 Legacy Dr #302
Plano, TX 75023
(972) 517-1374

Hot. Chili. Oil. This bastion of Sichuanese cuisine in Far North Plano bests my original source for spicy Chinese food (Sichuanese Restaurant off Coit). I’m revisiting this spot in another review due to my close proximity to Little Sichuan, and their success in keeping up the good food. One of my favorite appetizers are the Chengdu dumplings, which never fails to leave me with a smile. On past visits I’ve sampled the dry sauteed beef, guaranteed to fire up the taste buds, various veggie dishes such as the Garlicky water spinach, pork with string beans, and eggplant dishes, and the five-alarm-tripping beef with cabbage in spicy chili sauce. Even the milder options on the menu, such as their asparagus soup, fried rice, and garlic chicken were memorable. One thing to remember is to balance the hot with the tame, so that you don’t scorch your tongue off before the meal is finished. It’s also prolly a good idea to order more steamed rice, as I love drenching my rice in chili sauce. Thankfully, the staff is quick on refilling glasses of water. The downside to dining here: a cash-only policy if your check totals less than $30.

214 W Campbell Rd
Richardson, TX 75080
(214) 575-2100

An Indian restaurant that delivers? You mean I can order my Indian food online too? Rarely does an Indian restaurant astonish me as much as Mumtaz does. But it’s true! You can order your meals online and pick it up–or have it delivered. I had to visit Mumtaz to give it a try…and as luck would have it, I visited on a Monday when the buffet only costs $5.99. They had a modest buffet, with a balance of meats and veggies…and there wasn’t an option I didn’t try. They had the juiciest tandoori chicken that I’ve ever had…and their goat curry was simply delicious, and not bony like other places I’ve tried. I enjoyed everything about their buffet…including their signature puddings and…who would’ve thought I would go crazy over cream of wheat? But it was so buttery delicious, I helped myself to another serving. Mumtaz is quite a gem of a discovery, and it seems other patrons think so too…the place appears packed every day for lunch. I can’t wait to try their dinner menu!

5290 Belt Line Rd Ste 144
Dallas, TX 75254
(972) 960-2999

Chow Thai is a billed as Thai fusion restaurant, and the billing is apt. For the most part I stuck with the decidedly Thai offerings on the menu, though I made up my mind that on future visits to try out their sea bass preparations. My dinner companion recommended the place because he had frequented Chow Thai regularly for lunch when he worked in the area. I had completely missed this little restaurant when I lived nearby. Thankfully I had an opportunity to finally visit. As usual, I ordered my old standby: Tom Kha Soup, which was capably executed. I will never complain of chicken coconut soup rendered so well (perhaps I should hook myself to a tom kha IV from now on). My companion had the White Pepper and Garlic Seafood while I stuck to my guns and ordered Panang Curry Beef. Again, both entrees were perfectly executed and delicious. To top off the meal, we devoured their sticky rice with custard, which my partner hadn’t tried before. It was a pleasing sweet ending to a delightful meal.