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For dinner, my fiance made reservations at Roy's, one of our favorites. We actually planned to have our Valentine's Day dinner at Abacus the following weekend to skip the crowds and prix fixe menus. But he still wanted to go somewhere nice on the actual Valentine's Day. I pretty much let him plan everything. :)
However, we weren't aware that Roy's was ONLY doing a V-Day Prix Fixe menu as well. We thought we were just gonna go for a normal dinner (but on Valentine's Day. haha) Are you still with me? :P
The place was packed but we were seated immediately. We opened the menu and realized we could only order from the special menu. Eeeeeks. That puts an extra dent on his wallet! The place was full from the time we got there to the time we left. It was a quite loud.. And there were actually quite a few families with little kids there. Not the most romantic setting, but oh well. We made the most of it.
He got the Signature Cocktail: Cucumber Ginger Mule Martini $10~ First time I'm going to say this about a drink...it wasn't strong enough. In the booze or the ginger aspect. He makes a much better one at home.
The special menu consists of a 4 course meal. You pick your choice of appetizer, a soup or salad, entree, and dessert. The price of the meal was indicated by the entree you select.
Appetizer:
He got the Chicken Fried Maine Lobster (truffled lobster gravy). Pretty small plate but yummy! The lobster pieces were big and cooked well. I liked the batter and the sauce was delicious.
Kim Chee Brussels Sprouts (house made pork belly). Brussels Sprouts...if I see them, I gotta get them. Also a pretty small plate, but it's part of a 4 course meal so that makes sense. It was quite heavy on the sauce, even though I liked the sauce. Therefore, a tad on the saltier side. I liked the crispy pork belly with it. I kept half of it to eat with my entree which turned out to be a great pairing!
Soup/Salad:
We both got the Chanterelle Mushroom Bisque (creme fraiche, toast point, truffle oil). It just sounded amazing. And it was pretty freaking delicious. It wasn't strained so you got all the pureed bits of mushroom thoughout the rich creamy bisque. I really liked the toast point on top. I wanted a few more. hehe. We both cleaned our bowls.
Entrees:
I got the Kalbi Grilled Bone-in Ribeye (wasabi mashed potatoes, green beans, Korean BBQ sauce) $78~
It was impressive when they put it in front of me. They thought it was his at first because his dish was so much smaller in comparison. I loved the Korean BBQ sauce. Slightly sweet and full of flavor. The wasabi mashed potatoes paired really well with the steak and sauce. And the ribeye was cooked a good med-rare. My only complaint is that my piece had a lot of gristle. It was hard to cut it with the steak knife and I felt like a lot of it went to waste because I couldn't cut it or chew it. :(
He got the Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast (fried cauliflower, pomegranate, kabocha squash puree) $70~
Such teeny little pieces of duck...and even smaller when put next to my steak. haha. But cooked really well. It was very moist and tender. I liked the cauliflower with the kabocha puree the best, lots of different textures. And the pomegranates added a nice colorful touch and some sweetness.
Dessert:
I chose the Belgian Chocolate Torte (raspberry sauce, seasonal berries, red velvet whipped cream).
It wasn't so much a "torte" to me...it seemed more like a really rich brownie. It was a pretty big piece too. The chocolate was dark and rich. The red velvet whipped cream was interesting! I've never had that before. It was a pretty bright red and actually tasted like red velvet. I took most of this dessert to go cuz I had to help him eat his. :P It was still good a few days in the fridge.
He really wanted Roy's Signature Molten Chocolate Souffle Cake +$5~
The waiter said that wasn't a problem. He would just subtract the value of the other dessert from our check and add in the cost of the souffle...which ended up being about $5 additional. Still one of my favorite cakes of all time. The inside was filled with molten, rich ganache. The outside was just lightly crispy but the cake is still super moist. And always need to pair it with the ice cream. Sometimes I want to ask them for more ice cream. haha. Since we couldn't take any of this to go, we finished it together.
It was a great meal (as always). More expensive that we expected... by double! O.O but oh well. You live and learn right? Next time we'll just stay in on actual V-Day. haha. We still had a good time though. The manager actually came to each table and gave us a $20 giftcard for dining with them on this special day. They just keep giving us reasons to go back!! haha.
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Ahhhhh... I can't believe I haven't really blogged about Hopdoddy yet. I've done their fries and shakes but not their awesome burgers!
We were running around looking at venues this past Saturday and realized it was time for lunch! I suggested Hopdoddy and my fiance immediately said yes, let's go. We decided to go check out the new one in Addison since it's close to the next venue visit.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar
Village on the Parkway
5100 Belt Line Road #502
Dallas, TX 75254
(972) 387-2337
http://www.hopdoddy.com/
Price: $$
It's in the same shopping center as the new Whole Foods on Beltline and Montfort but those familiar with that area, also knows that's a pretty freaking huge shopping center. I hadn't been since all the new shops went in so I didn't exactly know where it was. It was a beautiful day so we just parked and started walking around. We walked all the way to Whole Foods and realized it wasn't there so I called the place. She told me they were on the complete opposite end of Whole Foods, by the AMC theater. I had no idea where the theater is either haha. But we just started walking to the other side.
Finally we found it! And there was a line... not really a surprise. But it was almost 2pm by then. The line wasn't too far out the door so we decided to wait. I wasn't hungry when we arrived but was close to starving when we got to the register. haha. It gave me plenty of time to decide what I wanted though. I couldn't decide between 3 options.
You order at the counter, but while in line, someone comes and assigns you a table number. We chose to sit outside cuz it was so nice! The Luther Lane location doesn't have any outdoor seating but the Addison one has lots! :) And then they bring your food to your table. And everyone's so friendly there! From the guy that's directing the line, to the girl at the register, and the guys that bring your food out to you.
I ended up with the Goodnight/Good Cause (Angus Beef, Tillamook Cheddar, Hickory BBQ Sauce, Caramelized Onions, Sliced Jalapenos & Sassy Sauce) $8.25~
And it was for a good cause (hence the name!). $1 from each sale is donated to Heroes for Children to help families affected by childhood cancer. Sassy sauce is their house blend of horseradish, mayo, and honey mustard. I really liked it! I asked for the BBQ sauce on the side which was a good move because it didn't really need it. I'm not a huge fan of bbq sauce so I thought I'd be cautious. Their burgers are LEGIT!! So freaking good. The meat was cooked perfectly. I love the slices of jalapenos, although I could've used more. I dipped my burger in sriracha for some added heat. hehe. I love the buns...buttery, soft, with a slight crispy edge. It held up the the meat and sauce inside very well! And their burgers are always so delicious yet not too greasy. I finished the whole thing and didn't feel heavy or stuffed. I wanted MORE!! :P
My fiance already knew what he was going to get. It's his absolute favorite! Ahi Tuna Burger (Sushi-Grade Tuna, Sprouts, Teriyaki, Honey Wasabi, Nori Chips, Pickled Ginger, Mayo) $12.25~
I have to say, this is one of the best burgers ever. And it doesn't even have beef!! And everyone I know that's tried it says it's their favorite. Isn't it beautiful? Other than the perfectly seared ahi tuna, my favorite is the nori chips, basically fried seaweed. There's so much flavor and texture in this burger. The ahi tuna is super fresh. He got the mayo on the side, which it doesn't even need mayo... the wasabi was plenty good. Totally worth the wait.
They gave out samples of the Chocolate Stout milkshake to the people in line so we decided to get shakes as well.
He got the Chocolate Stout Shake $5.50~ (left) He's the target market when people give out samples cuz he will buy what he just tried. haha. And this is yummy.
Nutella & Chocolate Pretzel Shake $5.50~ (right) Me, on the other hand, I try a sample of something and then I wanna get something else, so I can try another flavor. hehe. This is my favorite shake here. You got the salty sweet between the pretzel and chocolate. And NUTELLA!! Who doesn't like nutella? There's sooo much crushed pretzels in there, so much crunch. I love it. Use a spoon!! You get more stuff that way. And check out that glop of nutella on the side of my cup there... You know I scooped that up for my first bite! :P
One of my absolute favorite burger places in Dallas. I'm happy they have multiple locations now! Bring one to Rockwall please!! There's always a line, but it moves fairly fast and trust me, it's worth the wait.
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Surprise! We went to Roy's again. haha. Definitely one of our favorite places in Dallas. My bf told me he had made a reservation there for dinner on the 4th because he had a project that's ending and he wanted to celebrate. Naturally I said yea sure! And I was glad that his project was gonna be done... he had been so stressed lately. :( We always go to Roy's for special occasions. They always make us feel special and of course the food is fantastic. But little did I know.. his project wasn't a work thing like I assumed. After dinner we went home and watched July 4th fireworks on his roof where he proceeded to propose! What what?? The "project" wasn't work related at all, it was his months of planning the surprise proposal and getting the ring! Awww. So... SURPRISE to me! haha. What a sneaky guy. :P And of course I said "yes!" :D He's such a sweetie. hehe.
He said the plan had to include good food and Roy's holds sentimental value in both of us so it was perfect.
Roy's Hawaiian Fusion
2840 Dallas Parkway
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 473-6263
http://www.roysrestaurant.com/locations/tx/plano
Price: $$$$
We had an earlier reservation since we wanted to get back in time for the fireworks. And I saw that they had extended their happy hour (Aloha Hour) times as well as the menu. I suggested going a little earlier and trying some of the appetizers at the bar.
It's been awhile since I've been to happy hour at Roy's but from what I remember, their wagyu sliders are pretty awesome.
I chose the Crispy Pork & Steamed Buns (green apple slaw, red dragon sauce) $6~
Very good. The buns were steamed nicely and so fluffy. The pork was crispy and had a ton of flavor with the sauce. I loved the addition of the apple in the slaw. Never had that in a steamed bun before. It added sweetness and a freshness and a crunch. I would totally get these again.
He picked the Tempura-Crusted Ahi Roll (spicy togarashi miso butter sauce) $6~
There was too much rice to other stuff ratio. We wondered if it's because it's a happy hour item. But I liked the way they did the tempura. It seemed more liked breadcrumbs instead of an actual tempura batter. But it was nice and crunchy. And the miso butter sauce was good. Just needed more tuna!
They also have a list of cocktails on special for $6. He ordered a Mai Tai.
We finished right in time for our reservation. We were seated immediately. As we were sitting down, we told the hostess that we were so happy to hear that they put the classic version of the Misoyaki Butterfish back on the menu. She agreed that it should've never been off the menu! It was definitely a highlight to our week when we found out. :) Our waiter was super friendly and quickly greeted us, and he was fantastic throughout the night.
We pretty much knew what we wanted going in. And since we had some food at the bar already we didn't order too much.
Lakanilau Roll (Wagyu beef, snow crab, tempura asparagus, avocado sesame miso, truffled greens) $16.90~
We tried this for the first time last visit to Roy's. Love it! I love the flavor of the beef with the truffle. Sure beats the tuna roll during hh! haha. It doesn't even need any additional soy sauce, it already has so much flavor.
Misoyaki Butterfish (Alaskan black cod, baby bok choy, Furikake rice) $34.60~
They brought back the Classic preparation of the butterfish!! About time! The Classic is the one with the bright green wasabi cream sauce. One of my favorite dishes of all time. He called ahead to pre-order it when he made the reservation. But then we found out they brought it back! Apparently enough people have complained/requested it that corporate knew they made a mistake. And according to our waiter, Plano is special cuz we got it back on the menu first! :D We asked them if they could split it since we were sharing. They have a $5.99 split plate charge, but we went ahead and did it since basically each person gets their own rice, bok choy, and most importantly... the wasabi cream sauce! The half portion was actually perfect. I mean, I can totally stuff more in my face, but my stomach might not be able to hold it all. haha. The fish was cooked to perfection. Melts in your mouth! Hence the name. The sauce is divine. I can just bathe in it. :P
Baby Greens Salad (shaved carrot, grape tomato, Japanese Yuzu honey emulsion) $9.90~
I wanted some veggies to supplement the dinner. In hindsight, we could've done without it. But it was good. Very light, fresh, wasn't overly dressed or filling.
Needless to say, it was a fantastic dinner. He did good by choosing the perfect restaurant. AND surprising me later on the rooftop. haha. And I guess in the future posts I have to refer to him as my "fiancée"! And thanks to Roy's for another great meal. :)
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This past weekend, my bf's parents came to visit so we decided to celebrate an early Father's Day as well as my bf's birthday (which was this Tuesday). My bf wanted to go to Artin's Grill. I had told him I wanted to take him there for his bday last year, but we ended up doing dim sum. So this year he really wanted to go check it out.
Artin's Grill
5840 Legacy Cir.
Plano, TX 75024
(469) 366-3660
www.artinsgrill.com
Price: $$$$
I reserved a table on Opentable.com with no issues. This place has been on my list for a while considering I live about 5 minutes from the Shops at Legacy, but just never got the time to go.
We arrived about 10 minutes late but didn't have any trouble and was seated immediately. The restaurant was nicer than I expected. Dark wood decor, mood lighting, but still modern. Our waiter was really friendly and immediately asked about the birthday and Father's Day celebration. I had included the info in the notes section when I made the online reservation. I was happy that the restaurant actually paid close attention to it. And our waiter continued throughout the night to make both of them feel special on their special day. :) Bonus points for our waiter!
My bf got the Mango Mojito (Bacardi Mango Fushion Rum, shaken with muddled mint, Mango and simple syrup, floated with soda, mint sprig, berry garnish) $10~ It looked really good and he said it was. I'm allergic to mango so I'll take his word for it. He ordered a second one when the entrees came.
Our waiter told us about their specials and then took our orders.
We got the Spinach Artichoke Dip (with spiced crostini) $10~ to start.
It was bubbling when it was served. Mmmmm! The dip was great! Cheesy, lots of spinach, and I loved the toasted breadcrumbs on top. The spiced crostinis were a bit salty, but still was good overall with the dip.
Time for the entrees.
My bf got the Sashimi Grade Ahi Tuna (pan seared, sesame crusted Sashimi grade Ahi tuna, Asian slaw) $31~
This is the main reason we are at this particular restaurant. Ahi tuna is pretty much his favorite thing. (And also the reason why I wanted to bring him here last year!) It was a beautiful plate. The deep color of the tuna with the slaw and the duo of sauces on the side. He was impressed with the portion size of the tuna. It was really fresh and paired really well with the wasabi cream sauce. He asked for more sauce too. The slaw was refreshing and a good compliment to the tuna. He loved it. It was exactly what he was looking forward to. Success! I'm always happy when I make a good recommendation. hehe. :)
Scottish Salmon (simply grilled, pecan currant cous cous, lemon beurre blanc) $26~
His mom ordered this. The salmon was cooked well, but I thought the star was the cous cous. It was so light yet flavorful. I loved the combo of the pecan and currant. It was pretty tasty.
Redfish Pontchartrain (blackened redfish, crab, shrimp, roasted garlic mashers, cajun cream sauce) $32~
His dad chose this dish. It was pretty impressive looking. Layers of different kinds of seafood. The sauce was rich and smoky. Really bold flavors.
I got the Braised Beef Short Ribs (mushroom mac & cheese, cabernet jus, haricot verts) $27~
The waiter said this was his favorite dish on the menu. And it was delicious. I love braised meat and they did it well. It was tender, juicy and full of flavor. I also loved the mac and cheese and onion strings with it. I love it when restaurants use Cavatappi pasta in mac and cheese. The shape is fun and has good texture. I'm really glad I got this dish, I definitely recommend it.
Wild Mushroom Medley $8~ We got this side dish. It was good but I felt it was a bit excessive since the entrees were all pretty big. The potatoes were a bit underdone in my opinion but everything else was great.
Our waiter was great through the entire meal. He was fun to talk to, very attentive and made an effort to make my bf and his dad feel special. :) They all commented that the service was top notch.
As the meal came to an end, our waiter came out with a Warm Chocolate Brownie Sundae (vanilla ice cream, toasted almonds, caramel sauce, berries) $7.50~
He also put a candle on it for my bf's birthday. I was almost as surprised as my bf was! I never even asked them to do this so it was extremely thoughtful of the restaurant to bring him a complimentary birthday treat. The brownie was gooey on the inside and had a nice crust on the outside. It was a very good ending to a fantastic meal.
I don't know why it took me this long to make it to Artin's Grill, but I'm so glad I got to go for 2 special occasions. I couldn't have asked for a better evening. Spot on service, delicious food, and great company. :) I will definitely be back. And I recommend this place for any occasion!
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We had our 1 year anniversary at the beginning of February!:) He took me to Roy's where we've done several special occasions... so it's definitely got sentimental value.
Roy's Hawaiian Fusion
2840 Dallas Pkwy.
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 473-6263
http://www.roysrestaurant.com/locations/tx/plano.asp
Price: $$$-$$$$
We had to wait a little for our table which made him a little antsy but once we were seated, they've decorated it with confetti and a personalized sign with our names on it. Roy's always does a good job for special occasions. From the hostess to the waiters/waitresses all know it's a special occasion and congratulate you.
He had gotten a Mai Tai at the bar which was yummy. I decided to wait until we're seated to get a drink. I decided to try the Coconut Frappe (Don Q Coco Rum with coconut milk and coconut water)
Sounded good and it's under 150 calories! It was pretty. I liked the sprinkle of spice on the top of the white foam. It was delicious. Just sweet enough, kind of pina colada-ish but better! He liked it too so he got one later.
Our waiter was super awesome. Very knowledgeable and friendly. We actually had several conversations about their menu and other food related topics.
We started with some Sugar Snap Peas (togarashi, miso, bonito) $6.95~ Love sugar snap peas. These were cooked well. Still had the bright crisp crunch and the bonito on top added the umami factor to the dish.
My bf had called ahead for this. Misoyaki Butterfish (with wasabi ginger cream sauce) $33.95~
Since they changed the recipe over 6 months ago, you have to order at least 24 hours in advance for this version so they can acquire the proper ingredients. Why they changed it? We still don't understand. Our waiter didn't either since it was their top selling dish. But my bf called numerous times during the week to make sure we were going to get it since it's one of my favorite dishes of all time. How sweet! :) And it was perfect. The fish was melt in your mouth buttery. The miso glaze with the wasabi ginger cream sauce was sublime. I can just drink that sauce or eat it with a tub of rice and be happy. Haha. The butterfish is always good. But that sauce is what makes it a magical dish. Anyone who's had it will tell you that I'm not exaggerating!
My bf ordered the Winter Prix Fixe Menu $36.95~ Everything on it sounded delicious.
We started with the Spicy Lobster Bisque (Thai aromatics, coconut milk and Maine lobster; poured tableside).
I always like it when they pour the soup at the table. Makes it more special! :P It had a ton of flavor with a kick of spice. There was also a plump lobster claw at the bottom of the bowl. A good start to the prix fixe!
Pork Osso Bucco (crispy kimchee brussels sprouts, fingerling potatoes, orange macadamia nuts). Braised pork? Sounds awesome! It was fork tender and moist. And surprisingly wasn't too heavy of a dish. I wished there was more Brussels sprouts since I love them!
Butterscotch and Miso Budino (black sesame cake, macadamia nuts, sweet and sour pineapple).
Such an interesting dessert! I'd say it is one of the best "non-chocolate souffle" desserts at Roy's that I've liked. I liked the presentation in the jar. It has so many flavors. You get the saltiness from the caramel and you can definitely taste the miso. But then the caramel is also sweet along with the budino, which is basically like a thick pudding. The consistency was luscious and creamy. It had every possible flavor. The pineapple on top added the tartness. The black sesame cake was my favorite part. I love black sesame but I rarely find black sesame desserts here that reminds me of what I've had in Asia. This was full of black sesame flavor! Well done!
Of course I got the Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle (with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce).
Awww.. they wrote Happy Anniversary on the plate. :) They've changed it up a little. They now serve it in a little ramekin instead of taking it out of the mold. I asked the waiter why and he said that they come out more consistently this way and it's also bigger! Sold! Bigger, for the same price? Hells yea! It was hot and molten-y (yes, that's a word), and a perfect ending to a spectacular evening.
My bf double checked and triple checked to make sure everything at the restaurant would be good. The waiter was super nice and helpful. We had a great anniversary thanks to the people at Roy's. Be sure to consider them for your next special occasion. And don't forget to order the butterfish ahead of time!!!
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