Dumpling News

Addison restaurant starring soup dumplings spins off buzzy Fort Worth sibling

Colorful dumplings on the menu at Teddy Wong's.

fortworth.culturemap.com

Fort Worth is getting an exciting new dumpling spot from a team of high-profile collaborators, including a name familiar to Dallas diners. Called Teddy Wong's Dumplings & Wine, it'll be a Chinese restaurant with a stellar selection of dumplings and Chinese classics, opening in Fort Worth's Near Southside, at 812 W. Rosedale St.

Target opening date is early May.

Teddy Wong's is from Patrick Ru, who opened Bushi Bushi in Addison in 2021 as a dim sum place with a focus on dumplings. A perfectionist at his craft, he who previously owned restaurants in New York before moving to Dallas in 2020.

For his Fort Worth debut, he's partnered with a high-powered team that includes Fort Worth chef Stefon Rishel and hospitality veteran Jeffrey Yarbrough, owner of bigInk Commercial Real Estate.

Yarbrough has decades of experience in restaurants, bars, and nightlife, including co-founding Club Clearview/Art Bar in Deep Ellum.

In 1998, he partnered with Dallas chef Annie Wong (once dubbed "the mother of Thai food"), in a pan-Asian restaurant on Greenville Avenue in Dallas called Liberty Noodles that was well ahead of its time.

For Yarbrough, who took care of Annie until she died in 2007, this offered an opportunity to rekindle a like-minded collaboration.

"Patrick had that entrepeneurial spirit and wanted to expand, and I felt like what he was doing was even cooler than what he realized," Yarbrough says. "He also wanted to find a chef partner, and I've known Stefon for years. Stefon and I drove to Addison, and he started eating this Peking duck. He and Patrick made a real connection."

But it's the dumplings that will be the thing.

They'll have a variety of options: veggie, chicken, seafood, both steamed and pan-fried, six pieces for $8 to $10, and then soup dumplings, which have become a big bestseller at Bushi Bushi. (Soup dumplings, aka xiao long bao, are a big foodie trend. They're not actually filled with soup but with ingredients that melt and form a broth; they're staples of a traditional Chinese dim sum brunch.)

Peking duck and BBQ pork will also be signatures.

Adjacent to the restaurant will be a second concept called Bushi Bushi Market, which will sell grab-and-go dumplings plus bottles of beer and wine. It'll be a cool cosmopolitan spot featuring a chef's communal table for large groups and single diners.

As for the name, there is no Teddy Wong, at least not in real life.

"He's in my head," Yarbrough says. "I miss Annie, it's my channeling her spirit into this imaginary guy, this mythical cool character, a hip Asian cowboy with a passion for food and wine."

trends openings

Escargot News

New all-day French bistro in downtown Rockwall is all from scratch

Facebook

Belle View Bistro Rockwall

An all-day French bistro has made its debut in Rockwall: Called Belle Vie Bistro, it’s a new mom-and-pop in the charming historic downtown district, at 112 E. Rusk St., the former home of The Fatted Calf restaurant, where it opened its doors on November 12.

Belle Vie is from Luis and Iliana Marquez, a hard-working couple who also own Los Marquez, a popular taco--themed food-truck-turned-restaurant in Rockwall they first debuted in 2019. In May, the couple took over the former Fat Chicken space to open a brick and mortar location of Los Marquez, where they serve well-made Mexican food like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, but also burgers & fries. They open for breakfast with breakfast tacos, and run a daily lunch special, often creative, always popular, such as birria ramen with choice of beef or lamb for $11.

But the couple had a bigger vision of creating a place where chef Luis could stretch and showcase his skills.

"Luis has a lot of culinary experience, and it’s something that he’s been putting aside,” Iliana says. “We were just waiting on the perfect time to bring this to life.”

"This is something exciting and new for us, it’s something that we always wanted to make,” Luis says.

Like Los Marquez, Belle Vie is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving classics like French onion soup, moules frites, escargot, and duck confit. There are also comforting and American dishes like spinach-artichoke dip, crab cakes, and fish & chips.

Lunch features Cobb salad, a French dip, and chicken & Brie panini, while an extended breakfast -- which runs from 7 am to 4 pm — includes pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict, beignets French toast, and crepes, plus pastries and breads made from scratch.

Mural on the wall at Belle Vie Bistro RockwallFacebook

The bakery counter is a delight, with eclairs, croissants, scones, fruit tarts, and cake slices in flavors like carrot cake and white chocolate raspberry. There's also a serious coffee program with espresso drinks such as lattes.

"We pride ourselves on making everything from scratch," the duo says. "Our bread—whether for sandwiches, paninis, hamburgers or anything listed on our menu is made fresh just for us by our incredibly talented pastry chef and baker. The same care goes into our pastries and desserts ensuring every bite is special and crafted with love."

The dining room is warm and cozy with dark wood chairs and plush booths and a full-wall mural depicting a street in Paris. They also have a full bar, with cocktails and beer on tap. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $9 for a Belgian waffle during breakfast to $45 for prime ribeye at dinner.

For now, they're not taking reservations — it's first come, first serve.

openings