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True Food Kitchen is officially open in Legacy West in Plano and I cannot be more excited! I freaking love this restaurant and now I have 2 locations to dine at! This is literally 5 minutes from my parents' house. I may just go visit them more! haha.
I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peek last week for their Friends and Family night. My friend and I arrived on Friday at 6:30PM. The new Legacy West center is huge btw... this was my first time driving through. So excited for everything that's happening there. And the new True Food Kitchen location is beautiful! It's much bigger than the one in Dallas but it has the same overall feel and colors. It's so bright and open, I love it! And lots of patio seating too.
True Food Kitchen - Plano
7601 Windrose Avenue, Suite F100
Plano, Texas 75024
(214) 291-9591
www.truefoodkitchen.com/locations/plano/
Price: $$$
--- I want to specially mention the service that night. Everyone was super friendly and accommodating. I know they are still training and had a few mistakes here and there but they were quickly fixed so I was very impressed. Also, when I arrived, I had a bag with me with perishable food inside. I asked if I could put it in the fridge in the back. Adrian? (I think that was his name) was super helpful. Not only did he put my bag in the fridge he also put a note on it with my name and table number. He also said he would remind my waitress at the end of the night so I won't forget it. Sure enough, I forgot about it, but he personally came and reminded me and grabbed the bag for me. :D Like I said, super accommodating. Keep up the good work, y'all! ---
I was seated quickly and greeted by the waitress. She brought out some waters while I waited for my friend to arrive. I perused the menu... even though I had just been to the Dallas location a little over a week ago. hehe. While waiting, I also asked a few questions about the menu and the waitress was very helpful.
Once my friend arrived, she ordered a Hangover Rx (pineapple, orange, honey, coconut water) $5~ It's so pretty and definitely refreshing. It tasted ike a lighter, healthier version of a pina colada.
We got a couple appetizers to start.
Chioggia Beet Bruschetta (vegan almond ricotta, amaranth, arugula, pomegranate molasses) $9~
This is a vegan dish. One big reason I love True Food Kitchen so much is they make healthier foods taste so good! And they're also great at accommodating dietary restrictions. I cannot believe this is completely vegan. I loved the almond ricotta. I loved this whole dish! I think the hippy nutty bread really completes it. So much texture. The nuttiness of the bread with the creamy ricotta and tender sweet beets... this was one of my favorites of the night.
Kale Guacamole (pink grapefruit, cilantro, roasted poblano, sunflower seeds, pita chips) $10~
This is also a vegan dish. My friend and I were both intrigued by the addition of grapefruit in the guac. I have to say, it's a nice little addition. Although there were segments of pink and yellow grapefruit in it and one of them was really sour. haha. When you get a bite of the sweeter one with the guac, the combination is really fantastic. However, they did not segment the grapefruit well so it was a little difficult to eat. The 'skin' was still on the segments so it took a little effort to cut those off. We weren't sure if this was their version of pita chips, or they just decided to change it for that night... but I really liked it. It's thinner and nuttier than your typical pita chips and went really well with the dip.
Daily Market Soup - Sweet Potato and Poblano $7~
I love sweet potato so the soup sounded really good. I expected it to kind of be like a butternut squash soup. However, it was surprisingly sour... not sure what component of the dish make it that sour but I didn't care for it. The texture of the soup itself was good but I wanted it to be creamier. I think this is the first thing I've ever ordered here that I didn't really like.
Scottish Steelhead (smoked onion farro, arugula, roasted beet, cilantro pumpkin seed pesto) $23~ My friend ordered this as her entree. Everything on this dish sounds fantastic. And it was! The fish was cooked well and everything tasted fresh and flavorful.
Sustainable Seabass (broccolini, sugar snap pea, roasted mushroom, ancient grains, umami sauce) $26~
I ordered this. But I subbed the snap peas with snow peas and the roasted mushroom for roasted beets. I love both of those ingredients but I recently I found out I'm allergic to them along with several other "healthy" foods. Sigh. I asked the waitress if they are ok with substitutions and she said "of course!" The dish came with mushrooms... but they quickly remedied it and were very apologetic. It was a beautiful dish and the subbed veggies paired well with everything. And that umami sauce... it sure was umami! I wanted more!
We were getting pretty full but they asked if we wanted desserts... Well, if you insist. :P
Key Lime Pie (coconut chantilly) $7~
This is vegan and gluten free. We did not see a dessert menu so we didn't really know that it was vegan and gluten free. You can tell from the custard that it's more translucent instead of creamy. The pie on its own is a little too tart for me. But when paired with the coconut chantilly it was perfect. I loved the coconut chantilly. It was just slightly sweet enough to round out the lime in the pie. The crust is made from almond flour and has a lighter texture than normal. It did not feel like it was loaded with butter. We enjoyed it.
Coconut & Chia Seed Flan (caramel, mixed berries) $7~
This is also vegan and gluten free. Neither of us thought this should be called a flan... it's not the same texture, not eggy or bouncy enough. (Maybe closer to a Pot de Creme?) But it was goooood. I liked this better than the pie. The coconut flavor was perfect and light. I thought the caramel was a little too sweet but I've been cutting back on my sugar intake so my tolerance for sweets has gone down. Whatever they may call it... order it. It's delicious!
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*
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Great things are coming, y'all!! Get excited! On April 1st, Frisco will be getting the first arepa restaurant in DFW, Arepa TX. We don't have that many places in Dallas that serve arepas. And those that do, do not put their focus on it. What is an arepa you ask? Arepas are Venezuelan pan fried corn flour cakes that are stuffed with sweet or savory fillings of choice. They are delicious! And they're gluten free, which is in line with the whole gluten free trend that's happening right now. Also, different items can be made vegetarian or vegan by just eliminating a topping or two.
Arepa TX
5355 Dallas Pkwy #600
Frisco, TX 75034
(603) 366-8471
www.arepatx.com
Price: $-$$
I recently got an amazing sneak peek at the food. I was 1 of 2 people to be invited by @prestonroyalsw to dine at the chef (and owner's) home!! What an honor! I've been to a good amount of media/blogger events at this point but this is the first time I was invited to someone's home. The hospitality from the Arepa TX team was beyond amazing. From the moment we walked in, we were treated like friends and family. They were all just super friendly. We immediately smelled the food cooking and my mouth started to water. How amazing is it to have the chef cook for you in her own home? I geeked out a little. hehe.
They were plating when we got there. I cannot wait! We got some drinks and sat around chatting with Jammil (the chef's son who is handling the management and finances of the restaurant) and his wife, Susana. Along with their friend, Eric, who's in charge of Development and Design. We got some background and insider info on the development of the restaurant and menu items. Everything sounded delicious and I was getting hungry.
We were seated in the dining room and I was glad that several of the family members sat down to dine with us. The conversation just kept flowing like we've all known each other for a while. Then they started bringing out the food.
First up... Brisket & Chimichurri Arepa (tender and juicy slow cooked brisket in an ancho and guajillo sauce with pickled onions and avocado). It was served with a side of Plantano Frito (sweet fried plantains) and Seafood Cocktail (shrimp and crab cocktail in spicy clamato, with crunchy white onion and avocado).
Everything was fresh and made from scratch. I'll start with the arepa... pressed thin and the outer layers were nice and crispy. The brisket and chimichurri combo was fantastic. Beef is always great with chimichurri... and of course, they make their own chimichurri! It's so creamy... but there's no cream! I've never had chimichurri of that consistency. I loved it. I poured it on everything that night. The brisket was tender and the combination of flavors was well rounded. The plantain chips were great too. Super crispy but not at all greasy. Went really well with the shrimp/crab cocktail and/or chimichurri sauce. I had a refill on the chips. I'd take these over potato chips any day! The shrimp and crab cocktail was a nice little side. The addition of the crab added a variety of texture, plus it's more seafood, so who's gonna complain. :P One of my friends that went with me is Mexican and she said she makes her shrimp cocktail with very similar flavors. So it's pretty damn authentic, I'd say.
The next one is their "Banh Mi" Arepa (tender chicken with radish, carrot, cucumber, and avocado crema).
I'm usually weary when I hear non-Vietnamese restaurants say they have Banh Mi. But you can't take this literally... they have components of a typical banh mi, but the flavors are very much their own. The chicken that was in there was unreal! It was incredibly tender and that was probably my favorite protein of the night. The radish, carrots, and cucumber added freshness. And the avocado crema was a nice creamy element. It was really fantastic. I don't care what they call it, I can eat this every day.
After the 2nd arepa, they realized we were all getting full so they made a mini version for the 3rd one. They will have both sizes at the restaurant btw, to accommodate all appetites. The last one we sampled was their Vegetarian Arepa (black beans, avocado, caramelized onions, sauteed peppers, queso fresco).
It had no meat, but can you believe that this was our favorite one? It had so much flavor!! Whatever that sauce was... I bow down to it. I can only imagine if I added the chicken from the Banh Mi one into this... it would be SO FREAKING AWESOME! :P
We also got to try some Yucca Frita ( crisp slices of yucca, served with chimichurri sauce). I love yucca fries and this is by far the best I've ever had. It was PERFECTLY fried and so crispy. When you see that translucency on the outside, you'll know you have a perfect fry. Yucca is a really starchy root, so to get it to that texture was amazing. I wanted to eat more... I was stuffed.
And then they brought out the desserts. haha. Luckily they were mini. They will also feature homemade custard popsicles at the restaurant. There are two sizes, regular and mini. These mini pops are so adorable! Mini Frozen Custard Popsicles: we got to try the Flan and Dark Chocolate flavors.
I'm so excited about the flan flavor... I love flan and this was great. My friend said she doesn't like normal flan, but loved this popsicle. Because these are frozen custard instead of regular popsicle mixture, they are a lot richer and more decadent. Just one or two mini ones had satisfied my sweet tooth. The dark chocolate was so smooooooth. Yum! I can't wait to try all the other flavors when they open. Supposedly they have a Horchata flavor too!
Like I said, get excited people! The food is freaking amazing and made with so much love. You can absolutely see the passion pouring out of everyone on the Arepa TX team. And I truly believe that when someone cooks with love, you can taste the difference. I think Arepa TX will do so well in Frisco, and cannot wait for them to expand through the rest of Dallas. Come to Rockwall, please! :P
I'm just still in awe of this phenomenal family team. They welcomed us into their homes with open arms, fed us amazing food, and showed us the love they have for their business. I really wish the best for them. Thank you Chef Mary Ann, Peter, Jammil, Susana, and Eric. This had been one of the best experiences for me to date. And a huge THANKS to @prestonroyalsw for inviting me and sharing this experience. :)
Their grand opening is April 1st. They will have some great deals I'm sure. Definitely go check them out. I want to try everything on the menu!
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Ahhh... finally getting around to posting. I've gotten so behind! Had some technical issues on my laptop and it ended up corrupting all my photos! Oh noes! :( Good thing I didn't wipe anything from my iPhone yet.
While dress shopping early last month with my friend and future mom-in-law, we stopped in at VertsKebap for a quick lunch.
VertsKebap - Lewisville
859 State Hwy 121
Lewisville, TX 75067
(972) 315-2846
http://www.vertskebap.com/
Price: $
I love me some Mediterranean food. It's like a make your own sandwich/wrap shop or you can use one of their pre-set combos. They press all the bread and wraps so it's crunchy on the outside! ...like a panini.
Kebap on Bread - The Texan with Falafel (spring mix, tomato, cucumber, corn, onion, jalapeno, spicy red sauce) Snack Size $4.65~
This was mine. We all got the snack size which was more than enough to fill you up. I'm glad I wasn't greedy and got the regular. haha. These things are stuffed to the brim! All the ingredients were really fresh and the bread was nice and toasty. A little hard to eat since they were super stuffed but tasty all the same. Just a little messy is all. Yum! I really liked it.
Kebap on Bread - The Vegetarian with Veggie Patties (spring mix, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, corn, onion, house sauce, vinaigrette) Snack Size $4.65~
Kebap on Bread - The Verts Original with Beef & Lamb (red cabbage, tomato, cucumber, onion, house sauce, vinaigrette, spicy red sauce) Snack Size $5.25~
Fries (made to order, large) $3.45~ We got fries to share. The large is definitely plenty for 3 if you are not super hungry. They are fried to order so they were piping hot. Salted just right... it was delicious.
The employees there were all very friendly, even checked in with us on how we're doing...despite being a self-service restaurant. We all loved what we got. It's fast, fresh, and tasty. I will definitely go back in the future if I'm looking for a filling, and good, meal. :)
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Last Friday was Good Friday and it was a work holiday! Holla! So I planned to go check out True Food Kitchen with 2 of my friends for lunch. Due to some last minute schedule conflicts/cancellations, I was all of a sudden on my own. Booo. I've never really dined out by myself, so I was a bit nervous.
Walking to the restaurant, I saw there were groups waiting outside. AND people waiting inside. It's already 1:30PM! I told the hostess it was for 1 and she said there's open seating at the bar, whereas a table was a 30 minute wait. So I guess being by myself worked out! The place was very bright and energetic. The bar area was nice and open and you can see into the kitchen. I sat down and was immediately greeted and brought a water. So far I'm liking it.
True Food Kitchen
The Plaza at Preston Center
8383 Preston Center Plaza Drive
Dallas, Texas 75225
(214) 377-3333
http://www.truefoodkitchen.com/
Price: $$-$$$
*FYI, the location on Yelp is wrong. It's in the same shopping center as Sprinkles Cupcakes on Preston and NW HWY. I almost drove to the wrong place!*
I've been wanting to try this place for awhile. It was my initial choice for my birthday dinner but it didn't work out. Looking at the layout, it probably wouldn't have worked with a group of 30 people anyways. It's quite loud in there since it's just one open space.
They got some interesting drinks so I wanted to try some.
Hangover Rx (coconut water, pineapple, vanilla, orange juice) $5~ I was able to get a sample of this since they pre-made it. It was delicious. I don't really like coconut water, so the first sip I was a little weary, but the more I drank the more I liked it. Very refreshing!
Green Arnie (matcha green tea, honey lemonade) $5~
I ended up ordering this since I love matcha. It was so green! I liked it, but not as much as the Hangover Rx actually. I felt like the honey lemonade overpowered the matcha. I really didn't get much of the tea flavor. And the honey was too strong. I'm not a huge fan of honey.. I'm slowly trying to get more used to it. But if you love honey and lemonade, this is a good choice for you.
I already knew what I wanted to order. The "Inside Out" Quinoa Burger (hummus, tzatziki, tomato, cucumber, red onion, avocado, feta) $12~ With side of kale salad and sweet potato hash.
The food came out really fast. I was soon stuffing my face with yummy quinoa. I guess it's good I got to sit at the bar, and get my food so quickly. I was starving! I pretty much loved everything about this dish. The quinoa patties were crispy on the outside. Loved it! I've never had crispy quinoa before, it adds amazing texture. The hummus with the veggies was fantastic and the kale salad added more texture. My favorite though, was the hash. The sweet potato pieces were still slightly crunchy, which I normally don't like sweet potato to be, but it had so much flavor. And the way it was diced made it ok that it still had a crunch. I think I can eat a large bowl just of this. But everything worked well together. It was gluten free AND vegetarian! It filled me up without pushing me over the edge. Although I think a fried egg on top of the burger might just be even more awesome. haha. Again, loved it, will totally order it again.
I got a drink to go for my bf. Cucumber Refresher (cucumber, honey lemonade) $5~ He totally loved it. Super refreshing. Again, heavy on the honey for me, but still pretty good.
I enjoyed lunch very much, even if it was by myself. My waiter at the bar was super nice and didn't make me feel self-conscious about sitting by myself for the first time. I know it's no big deal, but just something different for me. I can't wait to go back in the near future. But I'll make sure to make a reservation!
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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