News You Can Eat

Find sweet summer dishes and fruity cocktails at Dallas restaurants

Blackberry cobbler makes a persuasive argument to stop by Cotton Patch Cafe.

Cotton Patch Cafe

It's the end of June, and we've collated another collection of cabbage about Dallas restaurants, chefs, new dishes, new drinks, even a local company on reality TV.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Komodo, the buzzy Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant and lounge will begin serving weekend "brunch" on Sunday July 9, which will thereafter be served SaturdaySunday from 12-4 pm. Dishes include Texas Quail & Waffles, Crab Cake Benedict with yuzu hollandaise and crispy leek, Hong Kong style French Toast, Japanese Pancakes with strawberry yuzu compote & vanilla cream syrup, dumplings, and dim sum, plus cocktails and live DJs.

Shake Shack has opened a new location in McKinney which is the first in DFW to feature a drive-thru. Said drive-thru features a digital menu board, a two-lane ordering system, and a separate pick-up window.

Bowlrito, the bowls concept at Oomi Kitchen the digital kitchen on Ross Avenue, has five limited-edition dishes for summer: Mongo Beef & Peppers on white rice, Bang Bang Chicken bowl or Bang Bang Shrimp bowl on white rice, Baja Shrimp Bowl on ginger jasmine rice, baja fried shrimp, spicy peanut cucumber salad, and El Cubano Bowl with poblano green rice, al pastor pork, manchego cheese, roasted ham, manchego cheese, avocado, cilantro, pickled red onions & garlic mojo.

The Douglas neighborhood bar and grill in Snider Plaza is bringing back of two fan-favorite pastas for July: The Cheesy 21 Layer Lasagna, with béchamel, tomato basil sauce, mozzarella, and parmigiano reggiano, seared and served on a bed of tomato or bolognese sauce topped with béchamel, grated parmesan, and fines herbs Brisket Bolognese; and fettuccine pasta with Wagyu brisket, bolognese sauce caramelized sunchoke, and ricotta agnolotti dal plin with salsa macha. The pasta specials are available on Tuesdays only during dinner.

Kenny’s East Coast Pizza in Plano now offers weekend brunch Saturday-Sunday from 11 am-2 pm. Dishes include Grand Marnier French Toast, traditional benedict, Cheesesteak Benedict (replacing ham with Philly cheesesteak, duh), Italian Breakfast Scramble with Italian sausage and rosemary Parmesan potatoes, Chicken & Belgian Waffles, and two pizzas: Italian Breakfast Pizza with pesto, spinach, roasted tomatoes, mozzarella and sunny side eggs; The Bacon Egg & Cheese Pizza with creamy Alfredo, mozzarella, cheddar, bacon, and eggs. Plus cocktails and $5 Mimosa or Bloody Marys.

Tiff’s Treats has created a “Tiff’s Remix” package, a rare collection of six seasonal flavors: one each of Lemon Sugar Cookie, Pumpkin Spice Cookie, Red Velvet Cookie, Rocky Road Cookie, Salted Caramel Cookie, and Triple Chocolate Cookie. It'll be available June 21-August 31 in-store or for local delivery.

BJ’s Restaurants has new menu items: Hickory Brisket Nachos Big Twist Pretzel with BJ’s Beer Cheese, Buffalo Stampede Chicken Pasta, Chicken Tortilla Pasta and four new margarta flavors: White Peach Boba-Rita, Spicy Mango Margarita with jalapeños and a Tajin rim, Watermelon Margarita, and BJ’s Grand Patrón Margarita features a mini bottle of Grand Marnier topping off the glass. A new Cheeseburger Pizza is available for takeout only. They're also bringing back the Peanut Butter S’mores Pizookie, a warm Ghirardelli triple chocolate cookie piled with peanut butter, toasted marshmallows, and finished with rich vanilla bean ice cream.

Newk's Eatery has four new menu items fors summer: Green Goddess Salad: All-natural chicken with romaine, bacon, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, avocado, green onions and tossed in green goddess dressing. Watermelon Feta Salad (with Chicken): All-natural chicken on a mix of romaine and arugula, along with cucumbers, watermelon, blueberries, feta, green onions and tossed in a Sherry Vinaigrette. Chicken Avo Club Sandwich: All-natural chicken, bacon, avocado, cheddar cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato on Parisian bread. Lemon Cake: Fluffy cake layered with a sweet and tart iced lemon glaze.

Mountain Mike’s Pizza, the California-based pizza chain known for curly pepperonis and 20-inch pizzas, has a new limited-time menu item: “BBQ at the Ranch” Pizza, with chicken, bacon, diced onion, tomato, BBQ sauce, green onion, ranch dressing, . It's available Available July 1 through August 31 at the Lewisville location at 4740 TX-121 #900. The chain is opening two more locations in the DFW area, both listed as Coming Soon: Melissa at 3031 Washington Dr., and Fort Worth at 3488 TX-114.

El Pollo Loco has a new entrée for summer: Double Chicken Chopped Salads, featuring fire-grilled chicken, avocado, pepitas, queso fresco, spinach, lettuce, super greens and pico de gallo. Street Corn Double Chicken Chopped Salad has chicken corn, cilantro, queso fresco, lettuce, super greens, chili lime seasoning and pico de gallo.

Cotton Patch Cafe has launched fiery summer LTO menu items available now through Wednesday, July 12: a Firecracker burger with pepperjack cheese, caramelized onion, jalapeno, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, & sriracha sauce; Firecracker Sandwich, a chicken version of the same thing; and seasonal cobbler in blackberry or blueberry.

Bar None in Lake Highlands is open for Friday lunch and has two $5.95 lunch specials: a cheeseburger or a grilled cheese sandwich, with fries, chips, or slaw.

Thirsty Lion Gastropub has a new summer dessert: Hot Fudge Sundae with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge sauce, candied walnuts, whipped cream, and Bordeaux cherry. Sounds about right. At four locations in Grandscape, Preston Hollow, Irving, and Euless.

Mi Dia From Scratch has an AMAZING new Margarita of the Month: The Watermelon Margarita, with Casa del Sol Tequila Blanco, fresh watermelon, orange & lemon juice, and organic agave nectar, with a kick from the ancho salt rim. Sweet, salty, and spicy, served through July at Plano: 3310 Dallas Pkwy., Grapevine: 1295 South Main St., and Flower Mound: 2601 West Windsor Dr.

Capital Grille launches its annual summer wine tasting event, The Generous Pour where customers can sample world-class wines for $35 and the purchase of dinner, from two famous winemakers: Wine Enthusiast 2019 Winemaker of the Year Dave Phinney of Orin Swift Cellars and 2022 Winemaker of the Year Nicole Hitchcock of J Vineyards & Winery. Available through September 3, this year’s lineup includes Department 66 “Fragile” Rosé /France and six California wines including Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir from J Vineyards, 8 Years in the Desert Red Wine, Abstract Red Wine, and Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

Fairmont Dallas has appointed James Phillips as its new Executive Chef. Phillips previously served at Omni Dallas and was nominated for Chef of the Year in CultureMap Dallas' 2022 Tastemakers Awards.

Smokey John's Bar-B-Que & Home Cooking, a vendor at the State Fair of Texas, will appear on the A&E series Best in Chow. The episode featuring Smokey John's is set to air Saturday, July 15th, at 10:30 a.m. CST, and will feature owners and brothers Brent and Juan Reaves showcasing one of their sweet State Fair dishes—The Ultimate Brookie Monster.

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Asian Food News

Taste of Malaysia restaurant brings rare Asian cuisine to Dallas area

Taste of Malaysia

A new restaurant has debuted in Coppell with a cuisine that's relatively rare in Dallas. Called Taste of Malaysia, it's now open at 3001 Olympus Blvd #130, at the Sound at Cypress Waters, between an Ari's Italian market and a Kilwin's ice cream shop, where it's serving authentic Malaysian dishes and flavors — adding another option to Dallas' burgeoning Asian restaurant scene.

A neighbor to Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia, Malaysia has been described as having some of the best street food in Southeast Asia, boasting a mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous flavors. Signature dishes include satays — skewered meats — plus vividly spiced soups and rice dishes.

The country's national dish is nasi lemak, a beloved comfort food originally devised as a breakfast staple, featuring fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk with pandan leaves, sometimes enhanced with boiled egg and sliced cucumber and ikan bilis, i.e. anchovies.

Coming in at a close second is laksa, a spicy noodle soup made with rice noodles or egg noodles in a broth flavored with aromatic spices, shrimp paste, and coconut milk or tamarind.

These are the dishes that natives of Malaysia and fans of Malaysian food crave, says Shiva Nair, part of the team, along with his wife, Vsruti "Vish" Nair, that opened Taste of Malaysia.

Shiva has more than 20 years in the hospitality business including managing hotels and running other restaurants.

"There are a lot of Malaysians here in Dallas-Fort Worth but not many Malaysian restaurants," Shiva says. "That's what gave us the idea to open this."

Their menu features seven varieties of nasi lemak — including vegetable curry, chicken curry, slow cooked beef, slow-cooked chicken, fried chicken, fish, and spicy shrimp — all made with coconut rice, peanuts, boiled egg, and cucumber.

They also have fried rice, noodle dishes, satay chicken skewers, spring rolls, a samosa-style pastry with potatoes and vegetables called karipap, and a chicken "kutlet" — a breaded patty with minced chicken enclosed in a crunchy crust.

All of their meat is halal, meaning that the animals are raised and butchered in accordance with Islamic guidelines — a growing trend in Dallas-Fort Worth.

There's a full bar and the ultimate lure for timid diners: a lunchtime buffet, $18 on weekdays and $20 on weekends, with 15 to 20 dishes, with chicken, shrimp, fish, and vegetarian and vegan options, which are plentiful in Malaysian cuisine.

"We serve the buffet only at lunch, so that those who are unfamiliar with the cuisine can sample every dish," Shiva says.

"We saw an opportunity to bring Malaysian flavors to North Texas, a region hungry for authentic, halal-certified Asian food with real spicing and real heritage," he says.

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