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We went to the new Lyfe Kitchen in Plano earlier this month for a light lunch. We had just gotten back from our all-inclusive Cancun trip so we didn't want to eat too much. Need to get back in shape!
Lyfe Kitchen
1900 Preston Rd. #111
Plano, TX, 75093
(972) 867-5933
http://restaurant.lyfekitchen.com/
Price: $$
I had been here once before. I thought it was pretty good but slightly expensive. However, they have this awesome brussels sprouts side dish for just $4! And you get quite a bit! I had my eyes set on that one again.
It's a cute place, bright lighting and colors, and an herb garden/shelf thing as soon as you walk into the door. It helps to reiterate their concept of healthy and sustainable foods. They support local farms, promote sustainability, and is overall environmentally friendly. Nothing is fried, and they offer gluten free, vegan, etc. options. I totally love the concept. And I understand their need to price things a bit higher. You order at the counter and they bring the food out to you.
It was my fiance's first time here. I knew he liked flavored water and juices and stuff so I pointed those out to him. They have some interesting waters, juices, and smoothies.
Orange Ginger Chia (fresh-squeezed orange juice, filtered water, lime, raw ginger syrup, lemon verbena, mint and chia seeds) $2.49~
This was quite good! I was surprised I liked it since I'm not a huge ginger fan. It was very refreshing, not too sweet, and the chia added some texture. If you haven't been following the food health news, chia is a recent trend. Supposed to be super good for you.
Roasted Salmon, Tomato & Fennel (sustainably raised salmon served with pan-steamed fennel, red onion, broccoli, zesty tomato sauce) $14.99~
He wanted something with protein so opted for the salmon. The fish was cooked well, but the flavors were quite light. Almost seemed bland at first, but the more he ate, the spicier it got. He can't really handle spicy so it was borderline too much for him. I got the spiciness, but to me it was very slight. It was an ok dish. Definitely light and healthy though.
Quinoa Crunch Wrap (whole wheat tortilla stuffed with quinoa tabbouleh, fresh crunchy vegetables avocado, edamame hummus, fireman’s hot sauce on the side) $7.99~
This was mine. It was very pretty! I loved it. Lots of veggies inside with all sorts of flavors and texture. I liked the combo of the quinoa with the avocado. The edamame hummus was great too! I'd get this again.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash (with dried cranberries, dijon vinaigrette) $3.99~
This is what I came for. Two of my favorite veggies in one plate for only $4!! Delicious! I think I can just order 2 of these as my main meal next time. hahaha.
This time was better than the first. I enjoyed my food a lot more. Guess you just have to order the right thing here... If you are into healthy food and/or have a special diet, this is definitely worth checking out. I'm totally digging this new trend of more local foods, healthy, sustainability. I really hope it continues down this path. :)
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It was our 6 months anniversary 2 weeks ago. :) We went back to Roy's where we had our first "dressed up" date. hehe. I can always use some butterfish and chocolate souffle cake! :P
Roy's
2840 Dallas Pkwy
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 473-6263
roysrestaurant.com
Price: $$$$
In our reservation I had told the restaurant that we were celebrating an anniversary so they decorated the table with confetti and printed out a personalized message for us. I always like doing special occasions here, they make it personal for you. Our waitress was great too. Super friendly and immediately congratulated us on the occasion. And then took our drink orders.
We got some of their spiced edamame while we waited for drinks.
The bf got the Mango Mojito (Bacardi Limon, mango puree, mint, lime) $10.95~ It looked pretty tasty but I cannot try. :( Mango allergy! He said it was good but super strong!
I got a glass of Moscato since it's the only kind of wine I like. Yum!
We started off with Beef Short Rib Bi Bim Bap (go chu jang sauce, carrot, scallion, fried egg) $8.95~
Never had it here before. But bibimbap is basically Korean mixed rice and I've had it plenty of times in Korean restaurants. The best is when they put it in a stone pot and the rice gets all crispy. Didn't really know what to expect here since I've never had an "upscale" rendition of this dish. It was pretty good. I think I still prefer the traditional prep but the flavors were still good and everything was cooked well.
Misoyaki "Butterfish" (Alaskan black cod, sizzling lemon shoyu vinaigrette) $33.95~
I've been dreaming about this dish ever since I made the reservation 2 weeks prior! haha. But I was so excited that I didn't realize they had changed the description. So I was totally surprised when they served the dish that it looked completely different... No wasabi cream sauce??? Whatt? What's going on? I asked our waitress and she explained that a while back, corporate came in and changed up the menu. Took off some stuff, add a few, and decided to change the butterfish back to its original preparation. I didn't even know there was an original preparation! I've had the butterfish with the wasabi cream sauce since I first went to Roy's 10 years ago! And this is by far one of their most popular dishes. Why the decision to change?!? Needless to say, I was disappointed. It did not satisfy at all. I mean, the fish on it's own was still amazingly tender and yummy but I did not care for the shoyu vinaigrette AT ALL. There was too much of it and made everything too salty. And it was drenching all the rice! I ended up putting a small plate underneath one side of the plate so the sauce would flow to one side of the dish and I scooted the food to the higher side. hahaha. Super ghetto. But it made it better. :/ Now, most of you are probably pretty disappointed to hear this news. But the waitress informed me that they can still make the preparation with the wasabi cream sauce but you have to call them a few days in advance to request it. Trust me, I WILL be doing that next time I go!!
The bf got the Blackened Island Ahi (spicy soy mustard butter sauce) $31.95~
Good thing we didn't BOTH get the butterfish like we initially talked about! haha. The tuna was fresh, had a nice thin sear on top and good flavor from being blackened. I liked the spicy mustard sauce on this one sooo much better than the butterfish shoyu. The spicy mustard almost reminded me of the wasabi cream. It was a little too much bite (spicy) for my bf though. He didn't want that much sauce either.
So it wasn't as spectacular as we hoped it would be but then it's dessert time! haha
Pineapple Upside Down Cake (with mango sauce and coconut ice cream).
The bf got this. This also has to be ordered ahead of time like the chocolate souffle cake since it takes about 20-25 min prep. The waitress was very thoughtful since she knew of my mango allergy and brought the sauce on the side so I could try it. :) We didn't realize there was mango sauce on it when we ordered it. The cake was warm and fluffy. I liked the flavor of the coconut ice cream and it paired well with the pineapple, but not a fan of the shredded coconut inside the ice cream. The presentation is very nice and playful, and they even wrote "happy anniversary" on our plates in Hawaiian! :)
Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle (raspberry coulis, vanilla bean ice cream).
Of course. Can't go to Roy's without getting this. They also wrote on the plate on my dessert. hehe. I was excited! But when I cut into it, nothing came out. It wasn't molten... meaning it was overbaked or it sat too long. :( I debated saying something since I rarely ever send things back. But given that I was already disappointed from my entree. I wanted a great dessert! haha. I think one of the managers walked by and I mentioned it to her. She was super nice and said they would make me another one if I'm willing to wait. And of course they would take it off our check. I said I definitely will wait for another! While waiting, she brought over 2 glasses of champagne on the house and apologized again for the cake. I didn't expect them to do this. It was very nice of them. Our waitress came by too to apologize and assure us that my cake is coming soon. When it finally came, they wrote "Sorry" on the plate! hahaha. How funny! I liked that. This time it was perfect. Gooey and melty on the inside. Slightly crispy on the outside. It was a great ending to a still wonderful night!
Despite the surprises and changes in the food, we had a great time. I'd say this was one of the best service I've gotten at Roy's in all my years being there! Our waitress and everyone else really made the night more special. :D And I'll be back for sure. And I won't forget to call ahead and request the better preparation for the butterfish! haha. Which still baffles me btw... that dish has been super popular. Why change it?? Please tell corporate to bring it back!!!!!
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I went back to Sushiism last weekend with some friends to celebrate a birthday. I also wanted to go back because I wanted to try their ramen. hehe.
Sushiism
1628 W Hebron Pkwy. Ste 120
Carrollton, TX 75010
(972) 395-7800
http://www.sushiism.com
Price: $$
The owner, Siri, greeted us as we were seated and she immediately recognized me and was happy that I had returned. "I brought new friends," I said. hehe. She's so nice!
They were also running a special that day which is $3 for various appetizers. If you follow their facebook page, you can stay up to date with their daily/weekly specials!
We got various appetizers throughout the night. I've included the regular price per dish.
Edamame ($3.99~) Pretty standard.
Vegetable Tempura ($4.49~) This was a good deal on special. You get assorted veggies like onion, bell pepper, asparagus, etc. The batter was nice and crispy.
Kurobuta Pork Sausage ($4.49~) This tasted like a mini hot dog to me. Wasn't too excited by it. And it was a pretty small portion.
Ginger Soy Fried Chicken (Karage) ($4.99~) This was yummy. The chicken was tender and moist and it was nicely fried.
Quail Egg Shooter ($5.99~)
This was a dare among the guys after a few rounds of drinks. haha. I didn't try one. It's a raw quail egg in sake with some scallions and fish egg, I think. They were a little scared but ended up saying it was actually pretty good! I don't like sake, but maybe next time I'll give it a shot... no pun intended. hehe.
One friend ordered the Ramen Set (Shoyu Ramen (soy sauce broth) & Gyoza) $12.49~
The gyoza was normal. Had a good sear on it. I tried a little of the shoyu broth and didn't care for it. I'm not a fan of shoyu ramen in general. I think it's just so generic. I found the broth to be a little bland.
I got the Tonkatsu Ramen (pork bone extract broth) $8.99~
This is what I came for. Last time we were here, Siri described to us how they make the base broth. They cook the pork bone for over 8 hours to develop the flavor. Sounds great! I wasn't blown away by it. The broth was good but wasn't as flavorful as I imagined. It was actually quite light. But as I drank more of the broth more flavor would build and develop. The noodles (although not homemade) were cooked well and had great texture. I really enjoyed the egg. The yolk was just slightly soft/runny...which is how I like boiled eggs to be. Not to the hardboiled point where the yolk is totally dry. The star of the dish was the pork. It was super tender, lots of fat, almost melts in your mouth. I wish I had more than just one piece!! It wasn't the best ramen I've ever had, but just in Dallas...it was pretty good. They should just put a second slice of pork in there though. hehe. :P
Another friend ordered the Kurobuta Tonkatsu (served with steamed rice) $15.99~
Kurobuta Pork is Japanese Berkshire pig that is prized for juiciness, flavor and tenderness, is pink-hued and heavily marbled. The Kurobuta pork make the cutlet a little different than other Japanese places around town. It was more like a battered pork chop. It was a little thicker and I definitely got some of the marbling in the meat. It needed a little more seasoning on the meat though. But the tonkatsu sauce definitely helped.
Firecracker Roll (salmon, cucumber, wrapped with sliced tuna, tempura crunch, spicy mayo, chili powder, eel sauce) $13.99~ I had this last time I was here and loved it. So I suggested to my friend and he ordered it. He loved it too!
Ocean's Trio (tuna, yellowtail, salmon, flying fish roe, avocado, cucumber) $12.99~ This was good but not as exciting as the Firecracker. Siri came by to chat with us frequently during the meal. We told her that we had a birthday and she gave him a complimentary shot of chilled sake with real gold flakes. She says that is for special occasions. My friend says it was really smooth.
And of course we got dessert! My friend ordered the Chocolate Lava Cake (double chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate and raspberry sauce) $7.99~
It was awesome! I cut into it and the chocolate sauce in the middle just flows out. The chocolate was rich and delicious. The cake was moist. I wanted to lick the plate clean!
Another friend ordered the Banana Flambe (fried banana tempura with vanilla ice cream flamed with Bacardi 151) $5.99~
This is not your typical flambe. The bananas are tempura'd. Then they spray 151 on it and light it on fire. Sounds cool but they couldn't really get the fire to stay lit on the bananas so it ended up just being tempura bananas. haha. It was still good but we didn't get to see the show.
After the food ended, then it was time for the real party. haha. The guys ordered some drinks and also had Siri surprise us with some of her creations. I'm not a big drinker but I did try a few.
"Liquid Dessert" is what Siri called this. It had Baileys and Patron coffee Liqueur I think. It was yummy! A little strong on the coffee side (for me) but still pretty tasty.
By the end of the night, we actually helped her create a new cocktail! I wonder if she's going to put it on the menu? We named it "Pearl Passion". It had lychee vodka, a splash of yuzu, a bit of lemon peel and maybe something else? It was delicious! If you don't see this on the menu, just ask Siri, I'm sure she'll make one for you. :)
I really enjoyed the entire night. Great company and good food. They really makes you feel welcomed there. We will definitely be back.
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I've known about Vitality House for a few weeks now. It just opened not too long ago and features a lot of healthy, all natural foods. Plus it's pretty close to my work! So I really wanted to go check it out.
Vitality House
800 N Coit Rd
Richardson, TX 75080
(972) 664-9299
http://www.vitalityhouselife.com/Price: $$
I suggested it to my coworkers for our L2E Meeting. After the NBA Finals and eating out for every game, I needed to get my diet back on track! haha. I was excited about checking this place out. Their menu looked pretty yummy!
Walking in, the place is very bright and clean. Their color scheme featured green and orange and fit their theme well. Our waitress was super nice.
Their foods are all natural, some organic, low sodium, nothing fried, natural sweeteners, all natural poultry and grass fed bison. Pretty much everything is made in house and baked instead of fried. They even substitute apple sauce for some oil to cut some of the fat.
After looking at the menu forever (cuz I wanted to try so many different things!)...we finally ordered...
Dips and Chips (a variety of house made dips served with freshly baked pita chips) $4.25~ 
We got the Edamame Hummus and Black Bean Salsa. I've never heard of edamame hummus before. I thought chickpeas were what makes hummus 'Hummus'. I think it was basically a edamame dip that looked like hummus. haha. It was quite interesting. Very light, with a hint of acidity...probably lemon juice or something. I liked the texture, it was pretty smooth. I really liked the black bean salsa. It was light but also full of flavor and had a hint of spicy. The pita chips were nicely baked and crispy. I actually liked mixing the hummus and salsa together in one bite. The flavors from the salsa and the texture of the hummus really went well together with the crispy pita.
J got the Southwest Wrap (seasoned chicken, black beans, brown rice, tomato, pepper, onions, and avocado; with side of Sweet Potato Strings) $9.95~ 
The portion was pretty small for the price... The sweet potato strings were basically sweet potato fries that were baked. I expected 'stings' to be much thinner and crispier. The baked fries were quite soft... still tasted good though. The wrap was small...had some good flavors, I liked the avocado in there to add some richness. J liked it but said it was not worth the price.
K ordered the Greek Salad (tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, sprinkled with feta cheese and homemade tzatziki sauce) $8.95~ She also added Ahi Tuna on top for $3~ 
It was just a basic bed of greens with seared tuna on top. For $12...it wasn't anything special. The greens were fresh and the tuna was seared nicely. But again, a little too pricey. She enjoyed it though.
I got the Falafel Salad (falafel atop a bed of arugula with tomato and red onion, served with tahini and tzatziki sauces) $8.95~ 
I love falafel...the best I've had would still have to be in NYC. This wasn't really what I expected. The falafel were like half pieces on a bed of greens. The greens were pretty generic...but fresh. The falafel wasn't crispy enough on the outside and weren't super flavorful. It was ok, I wouldn't get it again.
I think the chips and dip were my favorite part of the meal. The other dishes were all fresh and healthy, but just wasn't spectacular. Plus we all felt it was just too expensive for what we were getting...especially since it's lunch. (They only open for breakfast and lunch btw...)
The waitress was super friendly, I really liked her. But the food took forever to come out (not the waitress's fault...). They weren't busy at all but we still waited a long time. I wonder if it's because they are making everything from scratch... But even so, it's not good for working people during lunch. Most of us don't have that much time to go out and eat.
So, I'd say overall it definitely didn't wow me. I appreciated the freshness of the ingredients but it wasn't special enough for me to go back any time soon. If they lowered their prices I might reconsider though! haha.
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