City News

Spotty address on Dallas' Ross Avenue welcomes new pink palace restaurant

The food seems like it'll be good.

Courtesy photo

An unusual restaurant and lounge has opened along the Ross Avenue corridor leading into downtown Dallas in a space with a spotty past. Called XOXO Dining Room, it's opening at 3121 Ross Ave., a location most previously occupied by Republic Ranch.

XOXO is a mishmash, encompassing a dining room with a pink color scheme, and a "speakeasy" cocktail lounge with DJs on weekends.

A release says that managing partner Maria Lagios is taking her cues from Sketch London, a tea room and lounge noted for its pink dining room. XOXO follows suit with an eye-catching pink exterior paint job and Barbie-pink seating inside. Each booth has "press for champagne" doorbells, a feature that should be mandatory at every restaurant and bar.

Lagios says she feels fortunate to still be able to open and share her vision with the Dallas community even during the COVID-19 pandemic when several other concepts in Dallas have had to shut their doors.

They have a name-brand chef: Zach Warner, a Culinary Institute of America graduate whose resume extends from New York to Nantucket to Phoenix; from WD-50 to Wylie Dufresne restaurant Alder. Most recently, he was executive chef at Up On Knox in Dallas.

His menu includes arancini with truffle, "Impossible" meatballs, and iceberg salad. Entrees include 44 Farms Filet Mignon, Crisped Chicken, Rack of Lamb, and Ricotta Gnocchi with English peas, oyster mushrooms, and black truffle.

Sides include Smoked Potato Mousse, a fancy mashed potatoes; and fries tossed with parmesan and truffle oil. Desserts include something called the cupcake wheel, infused with strawberry champagne.

Mr.X is the speakeasy. To find the entrance, you need to do some kind of texting routine on your cellphone. Vintage phones are part of the lounge's decorative theme, and there's entertainment such as burlesque dancers, aerial artists, and live music. Edgy.

Prior to the ill-fated Republic Ranch, which got shut down by the city for pretending to be a restaurant when it was really a bar, this location was a catering operation called Victoria Hall, and has flipped back and forth over the years between caterer and restaurant.

XOXO was on the brink of opening in March but that got postponed by COVID-19. And with the pandemic, they'll observe limited hours: Thursday-Saturday from 6 pm-to midnight, with plans to extend the hours in July.

henderson-avenue openings

Now open

Taiwanese restaurant in Frisco brings soup dumplings to 2nd DFW location

Photo courtesy of Kitchen Master

Kitchen Master's menu spans traditional dumplings, fresh sashimi, prime cuts, and house noodles.

A Taiwanese restaurant known for its handmade soup dumplings has debuted in Southlake: Kitchen Master is now open at 3311 E. State Hwy. 114, in the space previously occupied by Mughlai Fine Indian Cuisine, which closed in 2024.

The first restaurant opened in Frisco in 2020, followed by locations in Tamsui, Taiwan, and Suwanee, Georgia.

Kitchen Master is owned by Ian Peng, a Taiwanese entrepreneur who moved to the U.S. when he was 8 years old. He comes from a family of restaurant owners in Taipei and grew up working in the kitchen before moving on to Japanese restaurants and eventually launching his own concept.

While the original Frisco location focused on authentic Taiwanese cuisine, the Southlake restaurant expands into broader Pan-Asian influences, along with a deep selection of Japanese dishes inspired by Peng’s background.

Highlights of the Southlake menu include:

Mala Berkshire pork house soup dumplings
Szechuan Berkshire pork wontons infused with Chinese spices
Lamb chops with homemade chimichurri and lemongrass aioli
Hamachi crudo with strawberry vinaigrette and yuzu juice

There’s also a nigiri tasting sampler, described as a mini omakase experience featuring chef-selected fish and toppings.

Most entrees are priced under $30, while noodle and rice dishes stay under $20. The restaurant also features a raw bar with traditional sushi rolls starting at $10 and signature rolls at $16. For lunch during the week, an assortment of stir-fry options is available for around $15, each served with soup and a rice bowl.

“Our focus is on the best ingredients we can use," Peng says. "We elevated our menu with prime cuts and better meats that result in a more flavorful and delicate dish."

A full bar serves cocktails made with premium spirits, with an emphasis on artful presentation. A happy hour menu will launch soon, they say.

Craft cocktails at Kitchen Master feature house-made syrups, fresh garnishes, and premium spirits.Photo courtesy of Kitchen Master

Spanning 9,000 square feet, the Southlake location includes a raw bar, dedicated cocktail bar, spacious main dining room, and patio.

“For our new restaurants in Georgia and Taiwan, we introduced a more modern look and a relaxed eating environment, and we’ve brought that same vision to Southlake,” Peng says.

Hours are 11am-9 pm Tuesday-Thursday and 11 am-11 pm Friday-Saturday. It is closed Sunday and Monday.

While the restaurant is already open for service, they are planning a grand opening event in September, they say.

asian cuisine openings southlake