Dumpling News

New Chinese restaurant with West Coast chef comes to little ol' Prosper

Of all the towns in North Texas, they picked Prosper.

Photo courtesy of Chinese Neighbor

A new Chinese restaurant with some West Coast star power has opened in, of all places, little old Prosper, Texas.

Called Chinese Neighbor, it's at 750 Richland Blvd., #90 and is from chef Bob Tam and his partners, who've settled on Prosper as their flagship location in North Texas.

Tam's currently executive chef and partner at a restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, called Bitter & Twisted. His background includes his role as sous chef at James Beard-nominated Betelnut restaurant in San Francisco. He was also head R&D Chef for the PF Chang’s China Bistro chain.

Chinese Neighbor will have an elevated menu of modern Chinese dishes, with signature items that include the Dumpling Burger, Rice-Rocket Salad, and Cheeseburger Egg Rolls.

A release says that Tam's inspiration for many of the items on his menu come from culinary icon Cecilia Chiang, whom he also credits for shaping his career.

His goal is to redefine the idea of Asian fast-casual with a fun, fresh, light-hearted menu and fine-dining quality at a lower price point, with the convenience of counter service.

His partners include Benny Sutanto and Daniel Lu, both of Alida Restaurant Supply. Lu says in a statement that their plan is to open additional locations over the next three years. "We are already actively looking for our second and third locations," he says.

The group is actively looking in the Plano-Frisco area for its next location and hopes to open number two by mid-2020.

On the Prosper location, the trio worked with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' Blue Star Land, LLP and Lincoln Property, and are bullish on the area.

"There are a relatively small number of dining options in the immediate area, and population rates are exploding," Sutanto says.

Tam notes that the city of Prosper is the fastest-growing city in North Texas, and that Chinese Neighbor will meet the community's appetite for casual, high-quality restaurants. They'll be open Monday-Saturday, closed on Sundays, but with lunch hours on weekdays.

"And I am excited to break through stereotypes and share the flavors and dishes I’ve grown up with," he says.

openings

Coming soon

Cuban-style burger chain Frita Batidos to make Texas debut in Dallas

Photo by Noah Fecks

Frita Batidos' signature burgers and milkshakes, along with crispy fried plantains.

An acclaimed Cuban-inspired burger restaurant from Michigan is making its Texas debut in in Dallas' buzzy McKinney-Knox neighborhood: Called Frita Batidos, it will open at 4620 McKinney Ave., just off the Katy Trail, on August 17, a release says.

Founded by chef Eve Aronoff Fernandez, Frita Batidos debuted in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 2010 and has since expanded to Detroit and Brooklyn. The Brooklyn location earned national attention after its signature Frita was named one of New York City's best burgers by The New York Times.

The restaurant serves Cuban-style street food and takes its name from two Cuban staples that are the focus of its menu: fritas, the island's signature burgers, and batidos, tropical fruit milkshakes.

Their fritas are served on a soft egg bun and topped with shoestring fries. Options include beef, housemade chorizo, chicken, black bean, and Gulf redfish, with toppings such as cilantro-lime salsa, avocado spread, tropical slaw, Muenster cheese, and a sunny-side-up egg.

Frita Baditos Frita, a Cuban-style burger.Photo by Noah Fecks

Their batidos are made with vanilla bean ice cream and fresh fruit in flavors such as coconut cream, passion fruit, fresh lime, hibiscus, chocolate español, and cajeta. Guests can also order a lighter version made with mango, pineapple, and crushed ice, or add a splash of dark rum to any shake.

Other menu highlights include crisped plantains with dipping sauces, loaded plantains topped with black beans and cheese, coconut-ginger rice layered with black beans and Muenster cheese, churros, cinnamon-sugar plantains, and rotating housemade paletas.

The beverage menu features cocktails such as a margarita, mojito, piña colada, daiquiri, sangria, and pisco hibiscus lemonade, along with housemade tropical sodas, fresh juices, and nonalcoholic versions of its cocktails.

"Frita Batidos emphasizes fresh, high-quality, locally sourced ingredients, served with care in a warm and welcoming atmosphere to create a community gathering place," the owners say in the release.

The Dallas restaurant occupies a bright, airy space designed by architect Neal Robinson, a longtime collaborator on the brand's restaurants. The dining room features communal picnic-style tables, outlets for guests who want to work while dining, and dominoes for customers to play. A mural by graffiti artist FEL3000ft emblazoned with the phrase "Por Que No?!" serves as the centerpiece.

Frita Baditos Badito, a tropical milkshake.Photo by Noah Fecks

Frita Batidos founder Aronoff Fernandez is a a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef who previously owned the acclaimed Ann Arbor, Michigan restaurant Eve and authored the cookbook Eve: Contemporary Cuisine/Methode Traditionelle. She founded Frita Baditos in 2010, she says, "grounded in the tenets of the Slow Food Movement, following the seasons, cooking from scratch, working with small, local purveyors and farmers and most importantly fostering warmth and conviviality around food."

Frita Batidos will be open Sunday-Wednesday from 11 am-10 pm and Thursday-Saturday from 11 am-11 pm.

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