Sai Fine Asian Bistro

A couple weeks ago, I got invited out to try Chef Eddy T's new restaurant in Colleyville, Sai Fine Asian Bistro. Chef Eddy has had several restaurants open and close in the past few years... this is his latest venture. From the pictures of the food I've seen online, I had high hopes for this place. It really looks and sounds delicious. And it's an hour and 15 minute drive for us from Rockwall, so I'm really hoping for a great dinner.

Sai Fine Asian Bistro
5005 Colleyville Blvd. Suite 240
Colleyville, TX 76034
(682) 325-4050
http://sai-restaurant.com
Price: $$$-$$$$

I made it a date night with my husband. We went on a Sunday night (during Memorial Day weekend). The restaurant is tucked in the back of an unassuming center. Not really even a strip mall... it was definitely hard to see from the road. Walking in, there's a lot of Asian style decor. The restaurant has a main dining room and a separate section with the bar, which was not open at the time. We waited at the front for quite a while. Looked like they didn't have a host/hostess that night, so I just stood at the archway to the dining room in hopes that one of the waiters will see me. Finally the waitress saw me and came to greet us. She knew immediately I was there by invitation and sat us at a table right under the light. Thanks! That'll really help with the photos as the rest of the dining room was really dim. There seemed to be only 1 waitress and 1 waiter working, and there were only a few tables dining. It IS a holiday weekend so it wasn't too unusual for the sparse dining room. The waitress was super nice... gave us the menus and went to go check with the Chef on how our dinner was going to proceed. The Chef basically said we can order whatever we wanted on the menu.

The menu items all looked so good. Our server was the waiter, Grant. He was also super nice and accommodating. After asking some questions, we got some appetizers to start. I still couldn't decide from the entrees. haha.

Braised Pork Belly (Chef Eddy's signature braised pork belly with pickled daikon and pickled mustard greens) $8.88~ 

This was one of the recommended dishes. It smelled great. And I loved the flavors. It actually brought back childhood memories of eating roast pork in Taiwan. That's pretty legit imo. I also really enjoyed the combination of the pickled mustard greens and daikon to help contrast the fattiness of the pork. I really wanted a bowl of rice with this. hehe. Chinese roast pork is like one of my all time favorite things. The only complaint is that the sections of the pork that's not next to the fatty part was a bit dry. But I just made sure I had a little bit of fat with every bite of lean meat and it was fine.

Fried Brussels Sprouts (golden crisp Brussels sprouts served with chili plum sauce and crispy shallot) $7.88~ 

Just like pork belly, if I ever see Brussels sprouts on the menu, I have to order it. The sprouts were charred nicely! I thought it was too sweet though... that plum sauce overwhelmed all other flavors. My husband, on the other hand, thought it was great. He tends to eat a lot sweeter than I do.

We decided to add in a salad. I wanted more veggies. Miso Caesar Salad (romaine hearts with crostini and Parmigiano-Reggiano; served with Chef Eddy's famous miso caesar dressing) $8.88~ 

The miso addition to the dressing sounded so interesting. We both enjoyed it. The miso added an umami flavor to a standard caesar. I felt it was dressed just the right amount. I hate it when restaurants drown the salad in dressing.

For the entrees... I really couldn't decide... I wanted everything. So I ordered 2 from each section, "From the Street" and "Only at Sai". Our table was too small.... XD

Peking Duck Fried Rice (fried jasmine rice with pulled duck, onions, cherry tomatoes, eggs, soy sauce, scallions) $17.88~ This was also a recommended dish. The presentation was very nice in the Chinese style clay pot. The duck was tender and moist. It was a yummy dish.

Curry Laksa Noodles (Malaysian curry with egg noodles, baby bok choy, crispy shallot, red onions, bean sprouts, smoked chili, coconut milk) $14.88~ 

Served with chicken or tofu. I literally wanted everything with curry in it. I love any curries made with coconut milk. This was definitely one of my favorites of the night. The presentation was cool with the tower of crispy noodles on top. The curry was amazing. So much flavor, with a slight heat to it. It was rich, full of spicy, and comforting. I would order this again in a heart beat!

Massaman Short Rib (48 hour braised certified angus beef short ribs in Massaman curry with coconut milk, onions, cherry tomatoes, roasted peanuts, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes) $29.88~ 

I had my eye on this dish ever since their grand opening. It just sounds amazing. TOTALLY LOVED IT. The short rib was not fork tender but was still super tender when you put it in your mouth. Which I'm ok with... I don't want mushy meat! The curry was a different flavor than the noodles so that was a nice variety. This one was not spicy at all. At first bite, it wasn't as bold as the Laksa noodles, but as I ate more, I think I liked this sauce better... it was milder but was so well rounded. It comes with white rice which pairs great. We pretty much finished all the meat, but still asked for the rest of the sauce to go. I made fried rice with it later and it was bomb! Highly recommend!

Salmon Miso Truffle (grilled salmon with butternut squash, brussels sprouts, wild mushroom, in a miso truffle cream sauce) $27.88~ 

Initially we wanted the Five Spice Duck but it was unavailable that night. So we opted for the salmon since it was also a recommended item. Loved the presentation. That crispy skin on top was a great garnish. The fish was cooked well and I liked all the elements in it. However, it tasted a little too salty for me for some reason. I think the miso cream sauce overpowered all the vegetables. But my husband didn't think it was too salty. He gobbled up the entire dish!

We were too full to order dessert. I was a little sad, but I really could not have eaten another bite. Plus we have a longgg way home so we didn't want to be in a serious food coma. We ended up taking quite a bit of the entrees to go. They all reheated nicely so we had some good meals later too.

The Chef came out to meet us after the dinner. I told him I loved all the different Asian flavors. He definitely knows the Asian flavor profile well. It's very rare where something I eat brings me childhood memories. It was a great dinner. I can totally vouch for the food. The service was great too. Grant and the waitress were really busy since it was only the 2 of them but I think they handled everything well and always had a smile on their faces. I hope this place sticks around....but maybe they should move a little closer to us. haha. 75 min drive is a bit too far for any meal... I'm not really sure why Chef Eddy's previous ventures didn't pan out, because he makes some great food. Thanks so much for having us!!


*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*

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Dallas Restaurant Week 2013: Steve Fields' Steak & Lobster Lounge

This past Saturday was my 2nd Restaurant Week outing. It was also a celebration for my dad's 60th birthday! I chose Steve Fields' Steakhouse in Plano because it's close to home and has great food.

Steve Fields' Steak & Lobster Lounge
5013 West Park Blvd
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 596-7100
http://www.stevefieldsrestaurant.com/
Price (for RW): $$$$

Steve Fields' was one of my first ever RW experiences almost 10 years ago! I can't believe it's been a decade I've been participating in Restaurant Week. Definitely have had some great food over the years! hehe. I remember that Steve Fields' was very good. The portions were big, quality was top notch, and service was great. I hoped that 10 years later, it would still be the same!

We arrived for our reservation at 6:30PM. Most of the restaurant is already packed with people. We were seated in a smaller side room (which happened to be the room I was in 10 years ago!) haha. And it's a pretty big restaurant, so business is going strong! And considering that it's been around for almost half my life. It's definitely an establishment in West Plano.

We were greeted by our waitress who was super nice. She took our drink orders and gave us a rundown on the menu.

I had 3 Central Market 4th Course certificates so I went ahead and gave them to her at the beginning. For those of you new to RW, some restaurants offer a 4th course that you can either pay for or get for free with a Central Market Certificate. To get a certificate, you have to spend $25 at Central Market. But make sure the restaurant you are going to actually offers that before you go spending lots of $$ at Central Market! haha.
Each certificate got us Two U-12 Wild Caught Jumbo Shrimp (topped with spicy cocktail and remoulade sauce). 

The shrimp were indeed jumbo!! Cooked perfectly with 2 different kinds of sauces. Both were good but I tend to prefer remoulad in general. My sister and bf loved the cocktail sauce. It was a nice intro into the meal.

We also got some Bread (rosemary foccacia??, with whipped butter and spicy oil) during our shrimp course. 

Holy crap! They basically gave us an entire loaf of bread! haha. The bread was warm and soft in the middle, nice crust on the outside. The spicy oil had a nice kick to it without being overwhelming. Yummy. But I tried not to eat too much since it's only the beginning!

1st Course
Steve's Caesar Salad (romaine lettuce, croutons, Caesar dressing, anchovies). 

My sister's bf got this. It was fresh and had actual anchovies on it, which makes me think that they made the Caesar dressing from scratch. Traditional Caesar dressing is not the same as the stuff out of a bottle.

Baby Spinach Salad (topped with toasted pecans, tangerines, onions, blue cheese crumbles, hot bacon dressing). 

My mom got this. I liked it a lot. The spinach was fresh and tender. The bacon dressing added a lot of flavor but got a bit greasy towards the bottom. But all the different elements worked together really well.

Blue Crab & Roasted Corn Chowder (velvety stew of sweet crab, roasted corn and cream). 

The rest of the table got this, which came highly recommended. I love chowder! This was definitely velvety and creamy. Very rich and luxurious. The small cup was plenty enough. I wish there was a bit more crab in it, but it was very good overall. Definitely filled me up a little.

Next are the Entrees, which were all served with roasted garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes and seasoned grilled asparagus.
"Center Cut" Filet Mignon (6 oz. Filet Mignon seasoned and broiled to perfection). 

2 people ordered this. My mom's turned out to be more rare than med rare which she was a little afraid to eat. But the rest of us thought it was perfect. It was super tender. The crust was nicely seasoned and seared. Very good steak. We all thought she lucked out that it was more rare. hahaha.

Pan Seared Sea Bass (fish filet topped with crab meat and bearnaise sauce). 

I opted for the fish since no one else was getting seafood. The fish had a nice seared crust on it and had good flavor even without the bearnaise sauce. But the sauce and crab on top were a nice touch. It was slightly greasy towards the end though. The mashed potatos and asparagus were pretty standard. The asparagus still held some of its crispness which I liked. It was a good dish, but definitely the weakest choice of the bunch.

Roasted Prime Rib of Beef (hand carved and served with Au jus and creamy horseradish sauce). 

I wanted to get this but since half the party was gonna order it, I changed mine to the fish. The prime rib was delicious. Super tender with just the right amount of fat (in my opinion). It had great flavor on its own. I rarely use the au jus or horseradish on prime rib. It is my favorite cut of steak and my first choice at any steakhouse. Steve Fields' did not disappoint.

It was a lot of food, but pretty much everyone cleaned their plates.

Then it's time for Dessert!
Carrot Cake (topped with candied pecans). 

Half the group got this including my dad. I had told the waitress at the beginning of the meal that it was his birthday and if they could put a candle on his cake for him. They did... and they even gave him a Happy Birthday card! He was surprised and very happy. :)

The carrot cake was a good sized piece. And normally I don't like carrot cakes because I don't like carrots (and sometimes they have shredded coconut, which I don't like either. haha). This one had BOTH, but I didn't mind either of them. The cake was moist and it had just enough cream cheese frosting in the middle and on top. The frosting and candied pecans paired really well with the cake.

Key Lime Pie (with graham cracker crust). 

The rest of us got this, including me. It was SUPER tart. We all made a pucker face as we ate it. haha. Even my mom, who likes sour things said it was a bit too much. I did like the raspberry sauce on the bottom and the graham cracker crust though. The pie consistency was also very good. I guess we just got a batch of super sour limes! XP

Aside from the puckering pie, haha, we had a great meal. My dad really enjoyed his birthday celebration. Everyone loved the food. Our waitress was great, very attentive without being overbearing. The courses were all served at a timely manner. Success!! :D

By the middle of our meal, the entire restaurant had filled up too. And when we left, there were a bunch of people waiting for tables in the lobby. Wow... business sure is good! And I'm happy to see that. I think Steve Fields' will be around for a really long time. :)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Battuto: Round 2!

I went back to Battuto last weekend with another friend. She said it was on her list to try so I said I'd totally join her! 

We went on a Friday night and this time the place was packed! It's good to see that business is going well. :) We were seated immediately and our waiter was very welcoming when he greeted us. 

Battuto Italian Kitchen
18101 Preston Rd
Dallas, TX 75252
(972) 930-0558
http://www.battuto.com
Price: $$

I already knew what I wanted going in. I wanted to try their Chilled Pea Soup. Now, I'm normally not a cold soup person, but it's hot and I recently watched an episode of Master Chef where Graham Elliot made the most beautiful pea soup. haha. So it's been on my mind ever since. :P 

I chose the pea soup and also the Caesar Salad $6~ I was then informed by our waiter that the pea soup was not available that night. Boooo... I'm so sad. :( So I asked him if I could do the Half Sandwich and Soup $13~ but sub the soup for the Caesar. He had to check with the kitchen and they said yes. I chose half of the Veggie Panini (roasted zucchini, squash and red peppers with fontina and pesto on grilled Tuscan bread). 

For a half sandwich I thought the portion size was very good. It was nicely pressed with the ridges on top and golden. I loved it. The flavors of all the veggies with the fontina were surprisingly bold. I did not miss not having meat! The bread was great too. I believe they salted the bread which made a huge difference. Very tasty. I'd order it again. The waiter told me that the Caesar dressing was made from scratch, with the egg yolk and anchovies and all that. Awesome. Fresh Caesar dressing is nothing like the stuff from the bottle. Even though I like both. hehe. I asked for it to be lightly dressed but it was still a bit too much for me. I found it too salty. But other than that the veggies were fresh. It was a big portion too. 

My friend got the Spaghetti and Meatballs (house blend of beef and veal meatballs on spaghetti) $12~ 

The spaghetti came with 4 pretty large meatballs. The meatball flavors were good, not too many fillers so they were very hearty. The pasta was cooked great. Al dente! Had great texture. And the marinara wasn't too sour, which I hate in some place. Oh.. and it wasn't too saucy, which I like. I prefer less sauce because I like the flavors of the pasta. :) 

It was a good meal. My friend seemed to enjoy it. Our waiter was nice but had to check on everything when I'd ask him a question... Maybe he's fairly new? Dunno. At least he was friendly and pretty attentive. Also, I saw Gene Gates, the owner, and he remembered me! :) We chatted for a little bit. Super nice guy! I hope business continues to grow for them. And I still need to go back and try the pea soup! hahaha. 

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Perla's Kitchen - Rockwall

My co-worker that lives in Rockwall has been raving about Perla's Kitchen and it's cakes for awhile now. She is a baker herself and says their red velvet cake is the best she's ever had. Now that just totally peaks my interest! 

Perla's Kitchen 
2455 Ridge Road, Suite 149 
Rockwall, TX 75087 
972-722-6162 
http://www.perlaskitchen.net/ 
Price: $-$$ 

Now... Rockwall is pretty far from me (about an hour drive. yikes!) So I had some free time over the weekend and decided to pay my co-worker a visit. It's located in a small strip mall, very unassuming. The place isn't very big and not much decor inside. Walking in, I immediately see the display case full of cakes! Excited!! haha. 

I got the Soup and Salad Combo (chicken and mushroom soup, Caesar salad) $7.99~ 

I had a cold so I thought some soup would be good. Plus I wanted something lighter so I can save room for dessert! But it was a huge plate. haha. The soup of the day was chicken/cream of mushroom. It was topped with big croutons and some cheese. Not a light soup. haha. It was yummy though. I love creamy soups and it warmed me up. Large slices of mushrooms and chicken in that little cup. I wish there was more soup than salad actually. I had asked for the Caesar salad to be lightly dressed. But it came drenched. :( I managed to eat some of it but I don't like too much dressing. 

My friend got the Ahi Tuna Steak Sandwich (Italian loaf with aioli, tomatoes, red onions, baby greens, white balsamic vinaigrette; side green salad) $9.99~ It looked really good and I was told it was delicious. 

We were actually quite full after the meal so we had a few bites of the cake and got the rest to go. 
Lemon Cake with Strawberry Filling $4.29~ 

This was also a recommendation by another friend that lives in Rockwall. I had expected their slices to be bigger... I wonder if we hadn't gotten it to-go if it would've. :-/ But, it was really moist and I really liked the lemon flavor of the cake with the strawberry in the middle. The icing was a bit dense and quite sugary. Luckily the cake was pretty light so was able to balance it. It was pretty tasty. 

Red Velvet Cake $4.29~ 

Of course we had to get this. Super moist like she said. I was surprised to see it more pink than red like in most other restaurants, but I guess that's good because they might've used less food coloring? The cream cheese frosting was dense and really rich...good but soooo bad for you. hahaha. I liked it a lot, but it wasn't the best red velvet I've ever had. 

It was a good lunch. I'm glad I got to try it. Was it worth the hour drive just for the cakes? I can't say it is. But if I'm craving desserts in the Rockwall area, I'd probably go back and try some of their other stuff. The blueberry cream cake and bread pudding sounds yummy! 

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Mi Piaci

I had a big holiday get together with a group of friends before the new year. We try to get together once a quarter, but with jobs and babies and life, it's longgg over due! I chose Mi Piaci because one of my friends mentioned to me a few months ago that they had squid ink pasta. Sold! I had to go try it. hehe. 

Mi Piaci 
14854 Montfort Drive 
Dallas, TX 75254 
(972) 934-8424 
http://www.mipiaci-dallas.com 
Price: $$$-$$$$

We had a party of 10 for Saturday night around 7PM. We were immediately seated and they put us in the private room with a giant round table. Felt so grand... definitely like a family holiday dinner or something. hehe. At one point we even closed the curtains so it was completely closed off to the main dining area. 

I was pretty hungry, so I attacked the bread plate when they served it. I think it was herbed Foccacia, garlic Foccacia and bread sticks. The bread was awesome. I loved the pillowy texture and lots of flavor. I had to refrain myself from eating it all. haha. 

We got started with some appetizers and salads. 

One couple got the Calamari Fritti (pan-fried with red chili sauce & cilantro oil) $9~ (in the background...)

I got to try one. It was awesome. The calamari was cooked beautifully and each piece was huge. It was like calamari steak fries. haha. The sauce complimented it well. 

I had the Insalata di Cesare (heart of romaine salad with classic Caesar dressing, garlic croutons, spiced pumpkin seeds) $8~ My favorite part was the pumpkin seeds, gave it that crunch it needed. It was a good salad, nothing fancy. 

A few people got the House Salad. They said it was really good. 

Zuppa Aragosta (Adriatic style lobster bisque topped with house made lobster fritter) $9~ This looked really good. I didn't get to taste it though. But those who ordered it cleaned their bowls. 

On to the entrees... They hand make all their pastas and even have a window into the kitchen where you can see the guy making it. I thought that was pretty cool. 

Spaghettini Neri (house made black spaghetti with butter poached blue crab and chili butter) $24~ 

All the pastas sounded great but I was here for this. You can definitely tell the pasta was handmade and had good texture. The chunks of crab were big and cooked well. I felt there was a bit too much pasta vs sauce though, but wasn't a big deal since I don't like too much sauce anyways. I liked the sprinkle of bread crumbs on top to add some texture. I liked it but I still like the one at Spoon better... It was a pretty big portion too. I took half of it to go. 

I also got a side of Broccolini Fritti di Peperoncino (flash fried fresh broccolini with red chili flake) $7~ I think they prepared it another way because it didn't seem flash fried nor did it have chili flakes on it. Oh well...still good veggies. 

 
Fettuccine al Prosciutto (wide, flat noodles in a light parmesan cream sauce with prosciutto and peas) $18~ 

I was able to have some of this. It's like a alfredo/carbonara... super creamy and decadent. I really liked it. The peas were cooked perfectly and the sweetness paired well with the salty prosciutto. Not for those watching their waistlines that's for sure. haha. 

I didn't get to try anything else, but it all looked yummy. 
Penne All' Arrabiata (hand rolled quill shaped pasta with spicy tomato sauce, pancetta, vodka, basil and pecorino cheese) $18~ 

Pesce Branzino (tamarind glazed Chilean sea bass with lemon basil risotto, radish sprout, with spicy sweet portabella mushroom sauce) $30~ 

Maiale al Forno (spice-rubbed pork tenderloin with parmesan polenta and blackberry demi glace) $25~ 

Osso Bucco alla Milanese (braised veal shank with traditional sweet pea and saffron risotto) $38~ 

Funghi al Forno (oven roasted wild Italian mushrooms) $9~ 

So our main waiter wasn't that great. But the waiter that served our entrees was super cool. haha. I mean the main guy wasn't rude or anything but after they cleared the entrees, the waiter came with the check. We were all chatting so no one realized that we weren't asked if we wanted any dessert or coffee, etc... at first. We thought it was weird so we called him back and said we at least wanted to see the dessert menu. I think he knew he made a mistake so when he brought the dessert menus he gave us some excuse saying he overheard some people talking about cake earlier and thought we had dessert already... Whatever. Even if we had cake earlier, that doesn't mean we don't want the option of getting more dessert!! Right?! There can never be too much dessert! 

And we DID get dessert. I love how all my friends love to eat. hehehe. 

Gelati o Sorbetti (assortment of gelato and sorbet made fresh daily) $6~ 

Torta di Limone (pistachio encrusted lemon tart with fresh berries) $6~ 

Crema Italiana (maple-flavored custard with fresh berries) $7~ 

I got Tiramisu (the Italian classic with espresso and mascarpone) $7~ It was pretty good. Nice and light since I was already pretty full. But pretty standard, not the best I've had. 

Also, just FYI, they don't do split checks but they can take multiple credit cards so I took it upon myself to list out all the totals for each card. Took a while, but I'm used to it. But it would be nice for restaurants to be able to do split checks. Just my thought. Thanks. :P 

It was a good time. The food was yummy and portions were pretty big. I probably wouldn't request the private table again though unless the group is bigger. It was hard to shout across the table. haha. I'd recommend this place for a special occasion. 

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~