State Fair News

Fried taco cone wins 2019 State Fair of Texas Big Tex Choice Awards

Tacos won the day at the 2019 Annual Big Tex Choice Awards, aka the State Fair of Texas "fried food awards," crowned at a competition in the Tower Building at Fair Park on August 25.

Before an enthusiastic crowd of attendees who'd paid $125 each to be there, winners were crowned in three categories: Best Taste – Sweet, Best Taste – Savory, and Most Creative.

The winners were as follows:

Best Taste – Savory was won by Ruth's Stuffed Fried Taco Cone by Ruth Hauntz.

Its official name was Ruth's Stuffed Fried Mexi-Cone, and it was an entry from longtime vendor Ruth Hauntz. It featured barbacoa served in a tortilla shell curled like an ice cream cone, filled with black beans, and cilantro lime rice and topped with pico de gallo, queso fresco, and salsa verde.

Best Taste – Sweet went to Big Red Chicken Bread. This entry by Brent and Juan Reaves was a twist on chicken and waffles, with a fried chicken wing served on a doughnut frosted with Big Red-flavored frosting.

Most Creative went to an entry called Fla'Mango Tango. This sweet treat by the Garza Family had a fried mango pastry, drizzled with citrus glaze and whipped topping, and served with strawberry mango sorbet.

The winners were chosen by a panel of judges that included radio personalities Michelle Rodriguez (New Country 96.3) and Donovan Lewis (1310 The Ticket), politicians Mayor Eric Johnson and city council member Adam Bazaldua; F&B professionals Nick & Sam's chef Samir Dhurandhar, Café Momentum founder Chad Houser, Free Range Concepts founder Kyle Noonan, and Jose chef Anastacia Quinones-Pittman; and in a category of her own, reality-TV star LeeAnne Locken.

The State Fair of Texas starts its 24-day run at Fair Park on September 27. If you're attending, you'll probably want to consult our master list of every possible discount offered on the price of tickets.

Here's the rest of the finalists:

SAVORY

Calypso Island Shrimp Bowl by Stephen Alade
Tropical cabbage stir fry with carrots, kale, scallions, ginger, and red bell peppers, served on yellow tropical rice topped with shrimp and a sweet and spicy tropical glaze.

Fernie’s Fried Burnt End Burrito by Winter Family Concessions
Burrito with burnt ends, pepper jack cheese, cream cheese, bacon, Mexican blend cheese, and diced jalapeños is fried, then cut in half and served with panko-crusted onion rings dusted with barbecue seasoning.

Southern Fried Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Ball by Greg Parish
Fried ball filled with fettuccine Alfredo, Southern-fried chicken bites, and mozzarella cheese; garnished with Alfredo sauce and Parmesan cheese; and served with fried asparagus spears and a toasted garlic parmesan baguette.

Texas Cream Corn Casserole Fritters by Clint Probst
Cream corn casserole with a Texas twist: Cream corn, kernel corn, sour cream, cheddar cheese, cornbread mix, bacon, and diced jalapeños are formed into fritters and fried. Four to an order, served with a cream corn queso blanco dip.

SWEET

Deep Fried Bayou Fruit Bites by Terrence and Lisa Henderson
Fruit wedges are battered, deep fried, and coated in a secret sweet confection, then finished with whipped topping and caramel sauce, with choice of additional toppings that include candy, chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans, and assorted berries.

Peanut Butter Cup Snookie by Michelle Edwards
Peanut butter cup cookie with vanilla ice cream adorned with caramel and chocolate drizzle, whipped cream, and a cherry.

Quick Fried “Black Gold” Truffles by Glen and Sherri Kusak
Fried balls made from crushed thin chocolate cookies, cream cheese, and mini white chocolate chips, coated in a breading made from vanilla wafers, corn flakes, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

Fla'mango Tango, with a fried pastry and strawberry-mango sorbet, won for most creative.

State Fair of Texas

Fla'mango Tango, with a fried pastry and strawberry-mango sorbet, won for most creative.

state-fair awards

Noodling in

Chinese noodle spot Yo! Bowl expands to Plano with full-service restaurant

Photo courtesy of Yo! Bowl

Yo! Bowl revolves around a springy, chewy rice noodle from Taiwan called mifen.

A family-owned restaurant that introduced an under-the-radar Chinese noodle dish to North Texas is expanding to Plano: Yo! Bowl, known for its customizable rice noodle bowls and Southwest Chinese flavors, will open a second location at 4701 W. Park Blvd. #105 in mid-July, according to a release.

The noodle shop debuted in Carrollton in 2024 and built a following for its mifen, a springy, chewy rice noodle from Taiwan, also sometimes called mei fun. These noodles, still quite unfamiliar to American diners, can be found on some menus in Dallas, but Yo! Bowl is the rare all-mifen concept.

In China, mifen noodles are typically offered in self-serve bars, where customers choose their ingredients. In a nod to those origins, Yo! Bowl in Carrollton offers a build-it-yourself bowl but the ingredients are mixed behind the counter. They're available in a soup form, as well as a non-soup dry option, similar to a stir fry, in choice of spicy or non-spicy.

The noodles are cooked in 20 seconds, making this true fast food, given the speed in which customers get their orders. Bowls range from $11 to $13, depending on protein.

The new Plano restaurant will differ slightly from the original. While the Carrollton location relies primarily on self-order kiosks, the Plano outpost will offer full table service.

Owner Xinran Xu founded Yo! Bowl with the goal of introducing mifen to a broader audience. Born in China and raised in Japan, Xu drew on influences from both cultures when developing the restaurant.

"When we first opened, many customers had never heard of mifen before," Xu says in the release. "I wanted to introduce a dish that I grew up with and make it approachable for everyone. Whether someone likes spicy food, mild flavors, soup, or dry noodles, they can create a bowl that fits their own taste."

Crispy chicken at Yo! Bowl.Photo courtesy of Yo! Bowl

While mifen is the centerpiece, the menu also includes Japanese-inspired items reflecting Xu's background, including chicken katsu. Another customer favorite is the restaurant's homemade yogurt, she says, prepared from a family recipe passed down through generations.

Xu says the idea for expansion came from seeing how many customers were driving from Collin County to visit the Carrollton restaurant.

"We realized many of our regular customers were driving from Plano, Frisco, and other parts of Collin County," Xu said. "When the opportunity came to open a second location, Plano felt like the natural next step."

Xu says she hopes mifen can eventually achieve the same level of recognition in the U.S. as other Asian noodle dishes.

"Japanese ramen and Vietnamese pho have become part of mainstream American food culture," Xu says. "If one day Americans recognize mifen the same way they recognize ramen or pho, I would consider that a success."

To celebrate the opening, Yo! Bowl plans to offer a limited-time promotion with select noodle bowls priced at $9.95, according to the release. A soft opening will take place in mid-July, they say.

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Luciana Gomez contributed to this story.

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