Chef News

Dallas Mexican restaurant Tulum comes back from COVID-19 swinging

Salmon with molcajete sauce and roasted vegetables, now at Tulum.

Photo courtesy of Tulum

Dallas restaurant Tulum, known for its upscale traditional Mexican food, has reopened following the COVID-19 closure with a splash: Namely, a new menu by José Meza, the acclaimed chef who previously worked at Jalisco Norte.

Tulum reopens at the Shops of Highland Park at 4216 Oak Lawn Ave. on November 4, following an eight-month closure, in a direction that's unique. While many restaurants are turning to comfort food, Tulum is going upscale and creative with seasonal ingredients and innovative combinations — just the thing if you've had it up to here with Nashville hot chicken and are craving a chef-driven experience.

Highlights include Yucatan pork cochinita pibil-style, and flat-iron steak that they cook sous vide-style for 72 hours, served with charred eggplant purée and Brussels sprouts. A separate happy hour menu features Mexican-inspired bites and specially-priced cocktails, such as the Meza margarita made with a coconut essence.

Meza says the menu is based in tradition and heritage. A native of Mexico, his career began in his teens when he worked at Michelin three-starred restaurant Martin Berasategui in San Sebastian, Spain. He cooked at Moxi at the Hotel Matilda, San Miguel de Allende; the St. Regis Punta Mita; and Ramona at Hotel Nizuc in Cancun. He also interned at Noma, the world-famous gastronomic mecca in Copenhagen.

"My mission is to exemplify just how memorable Mexican cuisine can be," he says. "Dishes can be completely different, but when you close your eyes, you immediately recognize their heritage."

The menu includes:

"Sikil pak," a Creole spin on a Mayan pumpkinseed dip with heirloom corn tostada
Avocado purée, like a super creamy guacamole with roasted ginger, radish, and pumpkin seeds
Aguachile scallops, featuring raw scallops in a coconut-lemon grass aguachile with jicama
Vegan tartar, made from roasted beets, eggplant, dried tomato, sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and capers
Caesar salad, a grilled Romaine heart with smoked anchovy salt, parmesan cheese, and garlic chips
Octopus in a zarandeado sauce with black bean purée, kohlrabi slaw, and toreado (blistered) onion
Red snapper with green pipian sauce, topped with "shredded" broccoli

Desserts are notable including a sweet plantain tamale and an unusual ice cream sandwich with coconut cookies enclosing a filling of sweet corn ice cream.

Cocktails include an extra smoky Familia de agave margarita and "pasiflora 75," their version of a French 75 featuring a purple passionflower.

Tulum debuted in 2018 in the space formerly occupied by Madrina as an homage to Tulum, Mexico by restaurateur Mike Karns, head of Local Favorite (El Fenix, Snuffer's Restaurant & Bar, Village Burger Bar, Meso Maya, Taqueria La Ventana), who said that he and his wife Valerie loved to visit there. Very much a passion project.

In March 2020, Karns acquired Jalisco Norte, an upscale Mexican restaurant also on Oak Lawn Avenue that was founded by restaurateur Tim McEneny, who brought Meza to Dallas to serve as chef. One week later, COVID-19 shut everything down. Meza stayed with the restaurant and is now giving Tulum a twirl.

They're open for dinner Tuesday-Sunday, and reservations are recommended by calling 972-677-9747.

"At the end of the day, it's about doing what I love and letting people enjoy it," Meza says.

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Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's hospitality group Yela Concepts led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting - we wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis,” says Yaser in a statement.

Mak went to college to sudy biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

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