Taco News

Ex-chef at Dallas' French Room opens enchilada joint up by Richardson

Lada is a restaurant specializing in enchiladas and other Tex-Mex dishes.

Photo courtesy of Lada

A new restaurant is coming to Dallas that's centered on enchiladas. Called Lada Restaurant, it's a fast-casual eatery near Richardson from chef Michael Ehlert, who was previously at The French Room and Mirador.

According to a release, it'll open at 6859 Arapaho Rd., #601, at Hillcrest Road, in mid-November.

Ehlert says in a statement that he's into enchiladas, which is a good thing since he's about to be making a lot of them, or so he surely hopes.

"The opportunity to create a new restaurant concept and build Lada's menu around a traditional Tex-Mex dish is one that I'm excited to be a part of," Ehlert says.

His enchiladas will feature distinctive and inspired ingredient combinations which it took him more than two years of experimentation to devise.

Tortillas will be made in-house from heirloom blue corn grown and milled in Texas. There will also be traditional Tex-Mex comfort food, local beers, wine, Micheladas, and "aquas frescas."

The menu has six enchilada options:

beer-braised chicken which has a cutesy name: "Tipsy Chicken"
mahi with queso fresco and mild chipotle sauce - don't want it too spicy
steak with cheddar cheese and cider glaze
a cheese enchilada with ricotta, cheddar, tomato, and avocado
carnitas with butternut squash, Oaxaca cheese, and mustard greens
shiitake mushroom with Swiss chard, Oaxaca cheese, arugula, and tomatillo sauce

There are three tacos, all $5:

cod with cabbage
shrimp with jalapeno honey
caulifower with almond cilantro pesto and raisin salsa

The cod taco also has a cutesy name: "Hook, Line, & Tempura." Bet you an exorbitant fee that Ehlert hired a "menu consultant." If he did, he didn't get his money's worth, because the name of the restaurant is screaming for an apostrophe: 'Lada. That'll be $250.

Lada also has tortilla soup, and three entree-style salads, $11 each: kale-quinoa salad, black rice salad, and arugula-carrot salad. For the quality of the ingredients, the prices are pretty good.

The restaurant has a 2,500-square-foot interior space and a 1,000-square-foot patio, and was designed by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture and FÖDA — you can tell they're artistic because of the umlaut.

That team has created what the release calls an authentic brand experience that includes a hand-woven tapestry menu board and an earthy, home-like look and feel.

This is not the first restaurant dedicated to enchiladas to open in Dallas: Back in 2011, veteran restaurateur Monica Greene opened a place in Oak Cliff called BEE: Best Enchiladas Ever, which now that you mention it, also had a cutesy name. It lasted a year.

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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