Thai Food News

Arlington's acclaimed Asian restaurant takes taste of Thai to Plano

Here's a little taste of Thai for you.

Photo courtesy of Taste of Thai

A little taste of Thai is making its way to Plano, with a new restaurant called Taste of Thai Plano. The restaurant will open at 3205 Alma Dr. at the intersection of Parker Road, in a space previously occupied by the once beloved Asian restaurant Hong Kong Express, which closed in early 2018.

The original Taste of Thai Arlington has been wowing diners with Asian fusion dishes from its berth on Arkansas Lane off 360 for more than a decade. More than one Yelper calls it the best Thai food they've ever had. Its menu is a cool combination of traditional Asian items like papaya salad and chicken satay, with dishes that represent fun and original inventions.

There are vegetarian Thai crispy spring rolls — but there are also cheese rolls, which combines an unusual filling of vegetables with cream cheese.

There's edamame and gyoza pot stickers. But there's also a popular hot item called the chicken volcano, consisting of a crisp breaded chicken cutlet on a bed of lettuce, topped with house-made Thai sweet chili sauce, a strange-but-refreshing combination of fried, fresh, and spicy hot.

There are Thai corn patties, the crunchy corn fritters laden with corn kernels and served with a chili dipping sauce; they coat theirs in a panko crumb coating. There's tom yum and tom kha, the classic Thai soups.

And yet also chicken wings, with a choice of sauce from four options: sweet and sour, teriyaki, spicy, or sweet chili.

Like most Asian cuisines, Taste of Thai is very veg-friendly, such as their battered and fried tofu, served with either fresh ginger in tempura sauce or else sweet chili sauce topped with crushed peanuts.

A sampler platter looks hard to resist. For $13.95, you get two each of their most popular appetizers including shrimp in blanket, corn patties, fried tofu, spring rolls, cheese rolls, and crab angel.

They also dedicate an unusual amount of attention to dessert, with offerings such as house-made doughnuts with a creme brulee sauce, and sticky rice with mango and coconut ice cream.

According to a spokesperson for the restaurant, owners Nina and Michael Lentini weren't actively seeking another location but seized the opportunity when the space became available. "They decided after seeing the potential of that location," he said.

The restaurant will open on the weekend of August 10-12.

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RIP Al

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat dies at 69 after ALS battle

Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, RIP

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, founder of the acclaimed local steakhouse Al Biernat's, passed away on November 13, following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease; he was 69.

Biernat was one of Dallas' all-time great hospitality figures, dating back to his days at The Palm steakhouse, for whom he worked in Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas.

Biernat founded his namesake restaurant in 1998 on Oak Lawn Avenue, where his standard of excellence and doting charm made it a destination for special occasions, Park Cities swells, and celebrities in town.

His sense of hospitality had little competition in Dallas. He was a charming and personable host who genuinely liked people, and it didn't matter whether you were Conan O'Brien, David Crosby, or one of the other high-profile diners that visited his restaurants — or else just a regular schlub: He had a knack for making everyone feel special and remembered.

Biernat was born on August 20, 1955 and grew up in Michigan, then lived in Colorado, New York, Los Angeles, and Houston, before moving to Dallas to work at The Palm in the West End, where his dynamic presence gave the restaurant an incomparable vitality; it closed in 2017.

He opened Al Biernat's at 4217 Oak Lawn Ave. in 1998, followed by a second location in North Dallas at 5251 Spring Valley Rd. in 2017.

He began to experience ALS symptoms in May 2023, was diagnosed in December, and revealed his condition in February 2024. The revelation was met with an outpouring of sympathy and well wishes from the hospitality industry — a sign of the high regard in which he was held.

The average life expectancy for people with ALS is two to five years after diagnosis. Symptoms can begin in the muscles that control speech and swallowing, or in the hands, arms, legs, or feet. He began to have difficulty communicating in September, and spent his last days in a hospice.

On September 18, he broached the topic of dying, before ending on a note of gratitude to friends and family.

"Having Bulbar ALS I am realistic about my future," he said. "Friends and family have asked me if I’m afraid of dying, and this is what I say to them. Because of the salvation of Jesus, I will be rejoicing in my spirit to see him in all of his glory. Since we are all flesh, soul, and spirit, only my flesh is being left behind. But don’t get me wrong, I have a blessed life in this world, with a loving wife, and a beautiful family and many wonderful and caring friends. I am grateful!"

Both Al Biernat's locations will continue to remain open under the management of Biernat's nephew Brad Fuller, as they have for nearly the past two years.

Biernat is survived by Fuller, as well as his wife Jeannie and three daughters: Angelica Saylor, Kaitlin Biernat Connell, and Jess Biernat, plus five grandsons and two granddaughters. . According to family members, details regarding a celebration of his life will be announced soon.

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