Pho News

Prime rib pho so hard to resist at this sharp coffee shop north of Dallas

This coffee and pho shop is pretty darn sharp.

Photo courtesy of Saltlight

You may not ordinarily think of coffee and pho in the same sentence — but you might after a visit to Saltlight Station, a new coffee shop in Allen at 1501 S. Greenville Ave., featuring coffee beverages and Vietnamese food, including a pho made with prime rib.

Saltlight — an abbreviation of "salt of the earth, light of the world," from the Sermon on the Mount — is a joint project between Nhatha Nol-Mantia, an entrepreneurial young woman who oversees the coffee shop; and chef Robert Kealiinohomoku, who oversees the restaurant.

Fans of cooking shows might recognize chef Kealiinohomoku, a former chef at the Four Seasons in Maui who has appeared on The Food Network twice, on celebrity chef Ming Tsai's East Meets West show, and with chef Wolfgang Puck showcasing Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.

Kealiinohomoku has been friends with Nol-Mantia and her husband for a decade. When the opportunity arose to open a restaurant, he willingly moved from Hawaii to Allen to help them get the restaurant off the ground.

"I'm from Maui, I was raised on that island," Kealiinohomoku says. "But we always talked about opening a restaurant, and the path opened for us to come here. Hopefully we are able to put Saltlight on the map with food food and service."

The menu features five pho options, all using top ingredients, no MSG. There is a "Texan" pho with a combination of thinly-sliced rib eye, brisket, and house-made beef meatballs; shrimp pho with vegetables; char-grilled chicken; and char-grilled tofu and vegetables in vegetable broth. For $1 extra, you can get a spicy lemongrass broth.

The prime rib pho has been a major draw; they also do a prime rib banh mi. "We use a high grade of meat, and we don't slow roast it," he says. "I put on a garlic and herb crust which I call a 'mud.' It's a savory marinade. The meat marinates for two days, and then we roast it for 90 minutes. I cook it on a high heat to sear in the juices and get it to a nice medium rare. Everybody raves about that prime rib."

There are summer rolls; banh mi sandwiches with choice of pork, chicken, or tofu; a noodle salad; a rice bowl; and an unusual fried rice with bacon and shrimp.

The coffee bar includes nitro cold brew, iced lattes, and Vietnamese iced coffee; and a small selection of boba tea drinks with flavors such as mango and lychee.

Nol-Mantia says she always wanted to open a coffee shop, even to the point of drawing up a business plan while she was still in college. "And then I began to make noodles at home because my husband gets headaches from MSG and I wanted to make him an alternative," she says. "Everyone liked my recipes so much that my family encouraged me to open a place."

They took over what had been a gas station which was vacant for many years. The space is now a tasteful yet cheerful study in white with red and black accents, including a polished red counter and chic red leatherette chairs.

"It was pretty run down and quite a project to renovate," she says. "But the area we're in doesn't have too many options for places to go. If you want to meet someone, all you have in the vicinity is a McDonald's. I thought it would be nice to have a place to hang out."

In preparation for a grand opening event, Saltlight will close down for a week, from February 26-March 3, with the opening party to take place March 4-6. Meanwhile, the locals have already given their thumbs up.

"I'm joyful that the local community and neighbors have dropped by," she says. "I appreciate Allen residents, they're so supportive of independent businesses. But it's also a great thing to go from seeing your neighbors and now there's this place where you talk to them, too. That's been the best part."

openings

Restaurant News Roundup Time

Exclusive Prime rib and fancy lunches lead this Dallas restaurant news

Mirador

Time for another roundup of restaurant news around Dallas, and there's plenty to chew on: From new lunch and dinner menus to holiday-flavored beers. Even bigger news— the McRib is back, for those who have been anxiously awaiting its return.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Insomnia Cookies, known for serving warm cookies all day and night, has opened its first store in Grand Prairie, at 2810 S. SH-161, with in-store, pickup, and delivery. From the Classic Chocolate Chunk cookie to favorites like Snickerdoodle and Confetti Deluxe, Cookies & Ice Cream flavors, brookies, brownies, and blondies, a full slate of vegan options, and a rotating limited-edition menu, the brand’s offerings satisfy every sweet tooth. This is their 26th store in Texas and 308th location nationwide.

HoneyBaked Ham has a new Prime Rib item exclusive to Dallas. The Prime Rib averages $26 per pound, with sizes ranging from 3-8 pounds. It serves 6-16 people, depending on the size. There are limited quantities available at each store. It's available at all 10 Dallas locations.

Greenville Avenue Pizza Company is introducing the zesty chicken bacon ranch pizza, the latest from their seasonal pizza lineup. The pizza features a creamy ranch base, grilled chicken, bacon, tender artichokes, fresh spinach, garlic, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and topped with a sprinkle of lemon pepper seasoning. The pizza is available for $8.50 a slice, $21-$23 for a 12-inch pizza, and $26 for a 16-inch pizza. It’s available through February 2 at both Greenville Avenue and Peavy Road locations.

Mirador has launched a weekday three-course prix-fixe lunch menu for $30. It starts with a choice of two deviled eggs with caviar and chives, whipped ricotta toast, cup of tomato soup, or salad; second course includes choice of dishes like chicken paillard with Swiss chard, preserved orange sofrito, and aged parmesan; and a farro bowl with cauliflower green goddess, cherries, Marcona almonds. For the third course, there’s a to-go cookie. Available Tuesday through Friday from 11 am - 3 pm.

Broken Yolk Cafe in McKinney has two limited-time items: carrot cake waffle, a cinnamon spice cake batter waffle with shredded carrots and raisins, finished with candied pecans, powdered sugar and cream cheese icing starting at $9; and snickerdoodle latte, combining espresso, cinnamon bun and cookie butter syrup, vanilla cream, milk, and cinnamon sugar, available hot or iced for $6. Available through January 6.

Truluck’s has three new holiday items featuring cake and cocktails. For dessert, there’s chocolate peppermint cake made with layers of chocolate cake, frosted with peppermint cream cheese icing, topped with crushed candy and Godiva chocolate sauce; $14 per slice, $10 per petite slice, and $70 whole cake. Cocktails are $17.50 and feature Holiday Nog, a spiced cocktail with Bourbon and Bourbon cream; and Nutcracker Rum Punch, a rum ball balanced with honey and fruit. Available at Dallas, Plano, and Southlake locations until the end of December.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Plano has launched new holiday items, including a Japanese A5 Wagyu experience served rare with a sizzling hot stone tableside accompanied by miso glaze, grated horseradish and black lava salt. There’s a new $140 Season of Opulence filet and lobster four-course menu; and holiday weekend lunch starting at $28, featuring choice of steak frites, cabernet filet, or barbecue salmon fillet. Also, there's a new $94 caviar service featuring Hackleback caviar served with blinis, capers, chives, sour cream, egg, and shallots. Available through January 6.

Jinya Ramen Bar has brought back The Red Garnet and curry rice croquettes for a limited time. The Red Garnet is a red vegetable broth featuring pork chashu, spinach, green onion, kikurage, white onion and topped with chili garlic sauce, served with thick noodles for $18. The croquettes are lightly fried, seasoned rice balls stuffed with white cheddar cheese that start at $8. Available until February 28 at all Dallas locations.

Fish City Grill and Half Shells are both offering three chalkboard specials throughout the month. Dishes feature $15 FishWich, with beer-battered haddock fish; $17 chimichurri shrimp tacos; and$24 horseradish Arctic char, served with a Creole mustard cream, buttermilk mashed potatoes and sugar snap peas. The specials are available at all 12 DFW locations and run through December 31.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria is bringing back its Fire & Spice seasonal menu. New winter dishes include the pepperoni diavolo pizza; the bridge board, an assortment of Italian meats and cheeses, with walnuts, dried cranberries, and oven-roasted Brussels sprouts drizzled with hot honey, served with sliced bread; and white chocolate cheesecake. Cocktails feature the desert pear margarita and Vino’rita, a classic margarita topped with a festive pour of Mille Gradi Sangiovese. Prices range from $7 for the white chocolate cheesecake to $32 for an 18-inch pepperoni diavolo. Available through March 3.

Carrabba's Italian Grill has launched two new full-sized cakes: cannoli cream cake, a vanilla cake with layers of cannoli filling, pistachios, and chocolate sauce with a chocolate chip crust for $64; and strawberry cheesecake, a New York-style cheesecake topped with strawberry puree for $51. Place orders 48 hours prior to pick up or delivery. Available through January 13.

Moxies, the Canadian pub in Uptown, is rolling out limited-time festive cocktails. There are three new drinks, including the Old Fashion Christmas Cocktail with High West Bourbon, cranberry simple syrup, and orange bitters; Peppermint Mocha Martini with a combination of Cafe Borghetti, Ketel One vodka, and peppermint syrup; and Winter Aperol Spritz, with Aperol, Ruffino Prosecco, and Moxies' cranberry syrup. Cocktails are available through January 1.

Dairy Queen has brought back their chicken and dumplings, featuring chicken, gravy, and fluffy dumplings. It comes in three sizes: 12-ounce, 16-ounce, and 32-ounce, available for dine-in, drive thru, and takeout. Chicken and dumplings are available at locations across Dallas-Fort Worth through the end of February.

Rita’s Frozen Custard has two limited-time frozen treats: Peppermint Cold Brew Frozen Coffee with vanilla Italian Ice, frozen custard, cold brew coffee, and a hint of peppermint, topped with whipped cream and crushed peppermint topping; and Peppermint Milkshake with a blend of Vanilla Frozen Custard and crushed peppermint, topped with whipped cream and crushed peppermint topping.

McDonald's brought back its famous McRib on December 3. To celebrate the return, they even launched half-gallon jugs of McRib sauce for those who can't get enough, which is already sold out. The McRib is available through the McDonald's app, in-restaurant and through the drive-thru.

Red Lobster has launched a new menu featuring seven new dishes including Lobster Pappardelle Pasta, Lemon Basil Mahi, bacon Wrapped Scallops, lobster bisque, Parmesan-Crusted Chicken, and Roasted Asparagus, plus the return of fan favorites Popcorn Shrimp and Hush Puppies.

Cinnaholic has launched two holiday rolls flavors and menu items. Holiday rolls feature Nutcracker Sweet, topped with crème brulee frosting, a trio of Bavarian candied almonds, walnuts, and pecans, and dusted with powdered sugar for $6;and Oh Fudge, topped with chocolate frosting, fudgy cookie dough, chocolate bark, homemade chocolate sauce, and holiday sprinkles for $7. Other items include $5 CinnaBites, $4 hot cocoa, and $33 wreath cake, with cinnamon rolls shaped into a wreath. Available through January 6.

Shiner, the Texas-based beer, has a festive brew called Shiner Holiday Cheer with flavor from Texas peaches and pecans for $11 for a six-bottle pack and $19 for a 12-bottle pack. Plus, the 12-pack Home for the Holidays collection goes for $15 and features two new flavors: FM 966, a sweet and spicy ale; and s’more, a dark ale brewed with chocolate & marshmallow with hints of graham cracker and vanilla. Both are available through the end of December.

Yelp featured two Dallas restaurants on this year's 25 Best New Restaurants of 2024 list. Wicked Butcher, the downtown steakhouse, and Casa Pollastro, the Brazilian restaurant in Far North Dallas, both made the cut at no. 6 and 20 respectively. They were two of only four Texas restaurants on the list.