Upscale new restaurant in Uptown Dallas does 3 Asian cuisines

An exciting pan-Asian restaurant from a well-regarded team just opened in Uptown Dallas: Called Feng Shui Asian Cuisine, it's in the McKinney & Olive building at 2355 Olive St. #150 where it is combining chef-driven Asian food in a fine-dining setting at reasonable prices.

Located in the same center as the Starbucks Reserve location, next door to Del Frisco's Grille, Feng Shui is a collaboration between two well-established hospitality veterans and chefs: Chef-CEO Fawn Zhao and Chef-General Manager Alan Ho.

The duo have extensive previous experience: Zhao, who grew up in Beijing, opened her first restaurant in 2003. She relocated to Dallas in 2009, working at restaurants such as Zenna Thai & Sushi, where she and Ho first met. Ho moved to Dallas from Taiwan in 1996, and has worked at restaurants such as Sakura Japanese, Chaucer’s Sushi & Bar, and Master Grill Brazilian Steakhouse.

Together, they previously founded Jia Modern Chinese in Highland Park (now closed), and its sibling Jia Asian Bistro which opened in Lakewood in 2022, with which they are no longer involved.

Feng Shui is their new venture, and a realization of Fawn's vision to offer traditional dishes from three distinct cultures in a warm, familial atmosphere.

"When I started out, I knew how to cook Chinese food. In 2003, I learned about sushi, and in 2011, I learned to cook Thai food. These are all my hobbies," she says.

With Feng Shui, they're also going for bold innovation and some of the dishes definitely sound interesting.

The dinner menu is broken into Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisines, with dishes such as hamachi, Wagyu beef tataki, unusual chicken eggrolls, and Thai-style beef jerky in sriracha sauce.

Get a taste of all three cuisines in the Three Cultures Sampler, with edamame, seaweed salad, spicy tuna & crab nacho, vegetarian spring roll, chicken dumpling, cucumber salad, tofu satay, pork rib, and heavenly beef — a big haul of food for $35.

One unusual standout is the Potato Stir Fry, featuring shredded potatoes, green bell pepper, and dried red pepper — a dish served cold.

"It's my home recipe," Zhao says. "You stir fry the potatoes with the red and green pepper — it's very pretty and satisfying. Right now a lot of people are vegetarian and vegan, and we make an effort to offer many vegetarian dishes on our menu."

Lunch includes classics like Kung Pao chicken, General Tso's chicken, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Beef With Broccoli, Pad Thai, or Thai Basil Fried Rice — all served with choice of two: daily soup, ginger salad, or fresh fruit cup. Prices range from $18 to $22.

A full bar includes sake, six champagnes, Japanese whisky, and specialty cocktails like a spicy Thai chili & basil margarita, priced from $18 to $20, plus a drink for two called Fuji Mountain with pineapple, cranberry, and five kinds of rum, yes five, for $32.

There's an especially robust selection of desserts, from green tea cheesecake to mochi ice cream to a bag of mini doughnuts with a slew of dipping sauce options including fruit jams, chocolate, caramel, or Thai peanut sauce, obviously the best choice.

And then there's "Chef Ethan's Special," a dessert featuring house-made lemon ice cream topped with dragon fruit that reveals a sweet family touch beneath all of the restaurant's polish.

"Ethan is the 14-year-old son of my partner — he said he wants to be a chef like me," Zhao says. "He created that dessert, and it's good!"