An Asian restaurant with sterling credentials has debuted in old downtown Plano. Called Curry Tei & Bar, it's located at 1001 14th St. #100, in a former ramen shop, where it's serving Japanese curry, yakitori skewers, noodles, and rice bowls.

The concept comes to Collin County courtesy of Michelle Vi Pepping, who also owns Okaeri Cafe, the buzzy restaurant she opened in Richardson in 2021.

"After opening Okaeri Cafe, we saw how much our guests connected with Japanese comfort food and the feeling of enjoying something warm, familiar, and comforting," Pepping says. "Curry Tei gives us the opportunity to focus more deeply on some of our favorite Japanese comfort foods, especially house-made curry and crispy katsu, while also offering a broader dining experience with shareable dishes and a full bar featuring sake, Japanese whisky, and handcrafted cocktails.

"We wanted Curry Tei to feel like a natural extension of what we started with Okaeri — still warm, welcoming, and approachable, but with a more social, evening-friendly atmosphere where guests can come for a comforting meal, drinks with friends, or both," she says.

The restaurant, which has quickly become a foodie darling, is casual and comfortable, with a patio at the entrance, a convenient short walk from the Downtown Plano DART Rail station.

"We chose downtown Plano because we love the character and sense of community in the area," she says. "We wanted a location where we could become part of the community rather than simply be another restaurant. Downtown Plano has a welcoming, walkable feel that complements what we envisioned for Curry Tei — a cozy neighborhood spot where people can stop in for Japanese comfort food, enjoy drinks with friends, and hopefully become regulars over time."

She describes the menu at Curry Tei as "Japanese comfort food," featuring curry, the rich spicy stew that originated in India. The Japanese version has earned its status as a national comfort food thanks to its thick texture, bolstered by the presence of cooked carrots, potatoes, and onions.

Curry Tei's curry can be ordered over rice or udon noodles, then topped with choice of 10 proteins: tonkatsu fried pork cutlet, katsu fried chicken cutlet, tofu katsu fried tofu cutlet, shrimp katsu, karaage fried chicken, Japanese sausage, fried potato croquette, sliced beef, hamburger patty, or gyoza dumplings. Prices range from $15 to $17.

Their bowls and noodles run the gamut from chicken teriyaki over rice to chilled green tea soba noodles with vegetable tempura. Starters include edamame, dumplings, and karaage fried chicken.

The menu also includes two signature dishes from Okaeri: okonomiyaki pancakes, the authentic Japanese dish made with shredded cabbage, scallions, and meat or seafood, and bento boxes, an Okaeri trademark.

The bento boxes are generously portioned, featuring steamed rice plus some of the toppings offered with Japanese curry, such as karaage fried chicken and so on. The bento boxes also include two sides. Choices include potato salad, pasta salad, seaweed salad, or garden salad. They're regularly priced from $16-$18, but at lunch on weekdays, they're only $12.

There is a full bar with creative Asian cocktails such as the matcha sour, with rum, matcha, yuzu, and pineapple, described as "tea forward," and a wasabi margarita, with tequila, lime, triple sec, and wasabi for a little jolt of heat. Rounding out the beverage favorites is an extensive selection of sake including a sake flight, matcha lattes, and loads of intriguing teas.

"Whether someone grew up eating Japanese food or is trying it for the first time, we want our food to be approachable, comforting, and something they’ll want to come back for," she says.