CHOMP!: duck

Showing posts with label duck. Show all posts

Monday, June 19, 2017

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.*

Quality of Food:

Service:

Ambiance:

Value: (comped)

Overall Experience:

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Friday, January 27, 2017

The Eberhard - Now serving lunch on Fridays!

The Eberhard on Henderson... typically known as a cool bar scene. They have chandeliers, leather sofas, high ceilings, and a gigantic wall of bottles. However, did you know they also have good food? I went to check out their brunch sometime last year and was pleasantly surprised by all the options and food quality. And now they've opened up lunch on Fridays only. It used to be only dinners and weekend brunch. I believe lunch runs from 11AM-4PM every Friday now. The crew at @bestfooddallas were invited to go check out the new lunch menu. They said we could go at any time, so I went last Saturday night with my husband.

I've always loved the decor here. Especially the chandeliers. Just makes you feel fancy! :P

The Eberhard
2107 N. Henderson Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 821-1100
www.theeberhard.com
Price (for lunch): $-$$$

We had an early dinner at 6PM. The place was still pretty empty. There was only one other table dining and a few people at the bar. We were immediately seated and our waitress, Barbara, came to greet us. She was super nice. Knew what we were in for and we were definitely well taken care of.

We started with some drinks.

My husband got the Knox Your Typical Old Fashion (Crown Royal, blackberry basil) $10~ He's normally super picky on drinks but he really liked this one. He actually finished it!

I normally don't drink. But I remembered a while back one of the @bestfooddallas Community Leaders went and featured a frozen cocktail with a popsicle in it. I asked if that was still available and she said yes. It's normally on the brunch menu, but I'm sure you can request it at other dining times.
Frozen Stoli Crush (Stoli orange, white wine, peach puree, tropical Red Bull, mimosa popsicle) $10~ She told me the popsicle flavor changes, but the frozen cocktail only comes in one mix. It is so cute!! And soooo delicious! I'm so glad I got it. Tasted like a peach slushie. And fresh peaches too... not just peach flavored syrup. The popsicle made it so much fun and kept it cold for a really long time. The mimosa popsicle on its own was great too. For once, I didn't need other people's help on finishing it. haha.

Our appetizers came out soon after our drinks. All of their lunch appetizers and flatbreads are $5 during lunch btw. Such a great deal.

Chef's Fancy Mac & Cheese $5~ I think Barbara said there's 5 different cheeses in here or something? It was really good. And definitely cheesy. We told ourselves not to finish it so we can have room for the other food but we ate it all... ha.

Avocado Toast (Toasted French baguette, avocado spread, roasted corn salsa, shaved asparagus, fresh radish) $5~

I always love avocado toast. I liked that this had a DIY element to it. You can top your toast with the corn salsa, asparagus, and/or radish. All the toppings were fresh and refreshing. I also liked that the bread wasn't super hard/crunchy. Most of the time baguettes are just too hard imo. Again... we weren't able to save any of it. haha.

For the entrees I chose the Duck Confit (confit of duck breast, savory bread pudding, butternut squash) $19~

My husband wanted this too but let me get it so we can try something else. (He ended up getting the better dish though. haha.) The plate was pretty. I was excited about all the elements. The portion of the duck was a little small but it's also the lunch menu. I was almost full anyways from all the appetizers. haha. The flavors were all very good, but the duck could've been seared a little more. The skin was not crispy at all. And the meat itself was a little dry, but still very tender... I also wished the bread pudding had some crispy parts. It would add a variation in texture. Overall the flavors were great but lacking in texture. I probably wouldn't order it again.

Corned Beef & Cabbage (confit of corned beef, steamed cabbage, potatoes in demi-glace) $14~

My husband chose this as his 2nd option. OMG. It was amazing. First of all, huge portion. And you can see the marbling in the corned beef. It was basically like thick slabs of brisket. The dish had so much flavor. I'm not sure what was on those potatoes, but they were yummy. The corned beef is made in-house and it was fork tender. Then I realized I've never actually had corned beef on its own. It's always in a sandwich or hash of some sort... But they just let the meat shine, and it was glorious! I would eat this any day. We ended up taking half of it to go because we were both full. (I made fried rice with it the next day... it was magical.)

We were stuffed! But of course... when you're checking out a new menu, you have to get dessert too. Fudge Brownie (a la mode).

They were out of our first choice... an Oreo Brownie Bar or something. The dessert was actually the least remarkable of the whole meal. I expected the brownie to be thicker when I hear "fudge" brownie. But I did like the cookie-like crust on the bottom. That added a nice texture. It was ok. I think also we were just way too full. But I would rather get another Frozen Stoli Crush as my dessert next time. hehe.

Now... I know what you may be thinking... $19 is a bit steep for lunch. And it is... but we both ordered from the "entrees" section. They also have a "sandwich" section that has sandwiches, burgers, and wraps... all $10, which is very affordable for the quality.

My husband and I really enjoyed ourselves. It was like a little date night. And we both liked our drinks! That's a miracle in itself. haha. Get the Corned Beef. Seriously. Do it. Barbara was great. She answered all my questions, checked on us often without being too aggressive. I think the manager came around a few times too. He was in a blazer so I'm guessing he's the manager. Also super nice and made sure we're having a good time. Throughout our dinner, people started coming in. Most of them went to the side with the sofas though. Only 2 other tables were actually eating there. They have good food, people! Go eat there, but still get a drink. hehe. :)

**This was a comped meal, but all opinions are my own.**

Quality of Food:

Service:

Ambiance:

Value: (comped)

Overall Experience:

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Friday, March 18, 2016

Shanghai Trip 2015

So... I totally forgot to post about my Shanghai trip. I went for a week before Thanksgiving. My parents were already there so I went to go meet up with them. My sister joined a few days later.

I didn't make a great effort to keep track of the restaurant names and stuff... so this is purely for your viewing pleasure. I included as much info as I have.

Shanghai has so much good food. Although I'm still biased that the food in Taiwan is better. :P And you can't beat these prices! $1USD = ~6.6RMB You do the math. Even the more "expensive" restaurants weren't that bad for a party of 3 or 4.

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Deep South Yunnan Ethnic Cuisine

Grilled Tilapia (Dai flavor, salty & spicy) 58RMB~

Spicy Rice Noodles in Small Pot 28RMB~

Stir Fried Water Spinach 28RMB~

Roasted Pork Neck 38RMB~ One of the most tender pork ever. So good.

Xuanwei Stuffed Bun 15RMB~

Bamboo Sticky Rice

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Old Shanghai Restaurant
Eel

Beef & Mushrooms

Sauteed Mushrooms

Wonton Soup

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Axiang Rice Noodles - probably the best place all week. We went back twice.

Pickled Cabbage Beef Rice Tofu noodles with Korea Style 36 RMB~

Tanked Spicy Pork Intestines Rice Tofu Noodles 36RMB~

Axiang Tomato Rice Noodles 31RMB~

Combo with side dishes and drinks
Sweet Hot Soy Milk - their soy milk was the best I've ever had. And came in a HUGE cup. Enough to share for 3 people. But I ain't sharing!! :P
Mango Juice