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Making Soba Noodles at Tei-An: Master Chef Akila Inouye Visits Dallas

From the reporter’s notebook of Sir Andrew Chalk.

Noodles are an important part of Japanese cuisine. So important in fact that the Japanese have academies to teach the correct hand making and preparation of them. Yesterday, Akila Inouye, Master Chef of Tsukiji Soba Academy in Tokyo, visited Tei-An restaurant at One Arts Plaza to give a demonstration of the technique of making soba noodles. His visit to the US encompasses only New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas. The reason for Dallas’ place on the exclusive list is that Tei-An owner Teiichi Sakurai is a student of the master. When he sold his previous restaurants, Tei-Tei Robata Bar and Teppo Yakitori and Sushi Bar, he took time off before opening Tei-An to take a five week noodle course at the academy in Tokyo.

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Samar by Stephan Pyles Opens Tonight: Preview Dinner Report

“In the restaurant reviewing system, poor dining offenses are considered especially heinous. In Dallas, Texas, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad, known as the SideDish Victims Unit. These are their stories.”

Last night, Detective Andrew Chalk busted into a preview dinner at Samar by Stephan Pyles. He files this report:

Samar by Stephan Pyles opens tonight. This is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated new restaurants of the year. Yesterday, the restaurant held a preview to finalize the kitchen and service procedures and we were there. It is quite an experience.

Jumping now… (more…)

Mini-Review: Hoppin’ John at Peggy Sue Barbecue in Dallas

The first time I had a bowl of Hoppin’ John was a zillion years ago in South Carolina. Now I get my fix at Peggy Sue Barbecue. Say what you want about the ribs (love ‘em), brisket, and onion rings, but this dish, made with black-eyed peas, medium grained rice, bacon, diced onion and garlic, gringo peppers, and juicy smoke-flavored pulled pork and caramelized red onion is smashing. Simply smashing.

Samar by Stephan Pyles in Dallas: VIP Grand Opening Party

Samar’s creators paid huge attention to design. The following video is a tour of the restaurant with Stephan Pyles. (Pardon the sound; the place was packed.)

We sent Andrew Chalk to cover the semi-soft opening of Samar by Stephan Pyles. Here is his report. You want chandeliers? Stephan Pyles bought some chandeliers for Samar. Go Andrew:

Samar by Stephan Pyles held its invite-only preview party on Saturday and, judging by the turnout, reservations to this new eatery are going to be hard to get. (The official opening day is still TBD but planned for “early October.”)

Saturday, close to 1,000 of Stephan’s closest friends piled into the restaurant, the patio, and a specially rented spillover area. Despite the crowd, the staff coped with the rush like a well-oiled machine. Even the periodic guest-dropping-a-glass-in-a-crowded-bar problem was immediately met with a staffer who cordoned off the area while another cleaned it clean up. The kitchen and wait staff dispatched appetizers with that frictionless regularity which makes you wonder if the servers aren’t on roller skates.

The centerpiece of any restaurant is the food. Pyles installed Vijay Sadhu, formerly of Bukhara Grille and Clay Pit, as head chef because he wanted Indian cuisine to be one of the inspirations at Samar.The other influences on the menu come from Spain and the area loosely defined as the Eastern Mediterranean (mainly Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey). Here is chef Sadhu describing some of the appetizers.

Chef Sadhu showed the crowd his ambitious stuff—all of the food was prepared perfectly. As he showed at his earlier positions, Vijay Sadhu is an expert and combining flavors and bringing them out in his dishes. Here is a short list of what was served: Red Lentiles Kofte (Turkish), Kebbeh with Golden beets tzatziki sauce, Chicken kebab stuffed with spiced gound lamb served with Spice tomato jam and crispy okra, Saffron Paneer tikka with spiced vermicelli and cumin scented asparagus, Chocolate Samosa with rose jam, and Papadam cones stuffed with Mung sprouts

Guests were offered either a specially created martini that apparently involved pomegranate juice (and had a fruity approachability that made it deceptively easy to imbibe) or one of a number of respectable wines.This food, by the way, is wine-friendly.

Outside, the patio was put to good use. Belly dancers entertained the crowd that, coincidentally, became progressively less and less reserved.

Hookah pipes were available to complete one’s sense transportation from the corner of Ross and Olive to some exotic country.

Dallas Observer 2009 Best of Dallas® Food List: What do You Think?

Please don’t sue me for using your cover art.

I’m stuck at home in my little glass house. I see a few pebbles on the floor and I think I will toss them.

I just scanned through the Dallas Observer’s 2009 Best of Dallas® Food list. It reminds me of that Who song. What is it, Kirk? Something about the new boss and the old boss? YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Bomp, bomp, bomp. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Dave Fairies, I have a quick question: Does the Observer repeat “Bests” if, when the next year rolls around, no one else  fills the category as “Better®?” (That’s mine, dude.)  This is a serious question and I ask it because I have to deal with the beast of ‘Bests” and understand the difficulty at uncovering them. So, Mr. Fairies, do you roll over “Bests” from year to year by moving them into different categories or because they are the “Best” of their original category? Let’s go through the list together and see. Jump with me. It’s not far. (more…)

Re: Greek Food Festival in Dallas Starts on Friday

Once again, SideDishers have proved to be a tough—and, dare I say, slightly over-critical—crowd. I read the comments about the Greek Food Festival. I mean, it’s not like Holy Trinity is a restaurant, people! It’s a church! The food and pastry is made by volunteers who toil away for weeks in preparation for this, the biggest church fundraiser of the year. I suggest that you try to feed thousands of people at a time, and see how well you do. IJS. The festival is meant to be a celebration of Greek culture and food–not the most amazing culinary experience of your life. Is the fenekia as good as my my nouna’s? No. Is the baklava as good as mine? Of course not. (Then again, neither my nouna nor I has attempted to make thousands of pastries. I bet even ours would suffer in those kinds of quantities.) But will you have a good time–either on a date, with friends, or with your kids? Most certainly. Perhaps your “reviews” are best reserved for a real dining establishment.

P.S. Yes, I’ve been known to attend Holy Trinity from time to time. But I’m not coming to the defense of my people for personal reasons. I’m defending the hundreds of volunteers who are just trying to serve their community and do a good thing for the church. How can you find fault with that?

Is there a Decent Gai in Dallas?

Nancy is away and so like a fat little gnome, I’m seizing her keyboard, making stupid puns and trying to quench my own food cravings.

About a year ago, I started to read the book, the United States of Arugula, the first sentence of which included a reference to author David Kamp having a “rapturous food memory” of some “Cantonese lobster dish unveiled from beneath a dome in some dimly lit place with a name like Jade Pagoda.”

I never made it all the way through the book, but the sentence stays with me to this day. It has conjured a craving that I can’t seem to quence in Dallas. Mainly it is this: I want to revisit the ’70s and relive a “rapturous food memory,” by having a waiter in some dimly lit place with a name like Won Ton, Lotus Garden or Lai Lai (actual names of Chinese restaurants from my youth in Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale) unveil a plate of Wor Su Gai.

Or, as you may know it: Almond Fried Chicken.

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How to Have a Happy New Year’s Meal in Dallas, if You Celebrate According to the Jewish Calendar

Nancy has officially dubbed me the Rabbi of SideDish and thus assigned me to write about all things of the Yiddish/Jewish variety, so, if you have no interest in the following: Gefilte fish, chopped liver or tzimmes (a wonderful stewed mixture of fruits and vegetables that should never ever meet), feel free to skip to the next post, however.

If though, you are a working Jewish mom or just a Jewish Princess who is worried about what to do for the upcoming High Holidays, listen, take a load off. We’ve just been handed the T.J.’s Market catering menu for the High Holidays and all we’ve got to say is “Oy Vey, that Caren Alexis is going to be one tired Yiddisha Momma.”

Just listen to what they will do if you want them to make home-made Gefilte Fish (which, for some reason, I never caught on any of my many fishing expeditions): They will grind fresh fish (Pike, Lake Trout, Snapper, Buffalo, Carp, Tillapia, Haddock, Cod or Salmon). They will chop you some liver. They will give you the horseradish (red for you wimps, the pure white stuff for the strong-sinused among you). They’ve got glazed chicken breasts and brisket (and I’m assuming we’re not talking about any of that lean stuff with the barbecue sauce all over it; we’re talking tender, soft, with a bissel of fat and some oniony-soup broth gravy). They’ve got Nova Lox. The menu also has some baked brie stuffed with fruit and nuts. I’m not sure how that got on there, but it’s there nonetheless.

So, if you are planning for the High Holidays or just want to ring in the Jewish New Year (Happy 5770 everybody!) the right way, check out the menu here. Call the Alexis clan. And wish them a L’Shanna Tovah (which, in the language of my people, is the wish for a happy, healthy New Year).

Paul From Jimmy’s Food Store: You Want Olive Oil? I’ve Got Olive Oil.

Paul DiCarlo of Jimmy’s Food Store in Dallas was buying wine from “2 Italian Dudes that came by to sell some Sagrantino from Umbria.” Short story shorter, they ended up making a deal to import Borgese Olive Oil, a “great finishing oil” that is “perfect for your next burrata.” Wise guy. Paul says there is always a bottle open in the store and it sells for $15.99 Jump for details of upcoming wine tastings. (more…)

SideDish TableTalk: Three Jews, Zinsky’s Deli in Dallas, Six Opinions

We hope to start an occasional feature here on SideDish in which one of us adventurous eaters endeavors to discuss a restaurant experience with either some dinner companions or a couple of Dishers who might have expertise in the area.

For the first installment of SideDish TableTalk, I knew just where to go to round up a couple of fellow Chosen People to talk about Zinsky’s Delicatessen. What follows is the transcript of that conversation (or, if you prefer, complaint fest). We all seem to like Zinsky’s very much, but that doesn’t stop myself, “The Pastrami Kid,” and “Harry” from finding something to kvetch about. Below we discuss important Deli issues such as the one-handed sandwich, kasha knishes, and bagels. You don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate this, but it helps.

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Greenville Avenue In Dallas: Restaurant Memory Lane

Yesterday, an old gal could not remember the name of a restaurant on Greenville Ave. But you guys freakin’ nailed it–DiPalma’s. Thanks to you, the reader is out of therapy and back at work today. However, there are a few other questions and memories floating around my inbox.

Memory:  I still have DiPalma’s recipe for chicken lasagna and remember their lemon sauced pasta — it was a great place…

Question: We used to live within spitting distance of Il Sorrento (Hillcrest and Northwest Highway) and went there for all celebrations and we miss it terribly. Do you know of another old world Italian restaurant that perhaps reminds you of Il Sorrento that we can claim as ours so we can relive our youth of smoky piano bars, palm readers, and eating way too much Gorgonzola gnocchi?

Money question: What is the name of that great hamburger place that was also on Greeneville at the same time as DiPalmas? They served breakfast too.

Answers: 1) Share the recipe for chicken lasagna. 2) The last palm reader I witnessed was at Patry’s on W. Lovers Lane. 3) There are no more smoky rooms in Dallas and almost every “marinara sauce” Italian restaurant in Dallas tastes like Il Sorrento. (With the exception of table side Caesar salad and the roaming bread guys with the silver hot boxes.)

However, I do know the burger place—Little Gus’, the original Greek “cheeseburger cheeseburger” spot frequented by an eclectic mix of artists, trial lawyers, judges, politicians, journalists, musicians, and carpenters. It was a great spot run by cousins Pete Lucas and Tony Mantzuranis.  I dug into my nostalgic t-shirt drawer and present this picture for your approval.

Update: SideDish Supper Club

The menu has been approved and the wine pairings (two levels) are almost done. Hopefully, we’ll get it together in time to release full details early next week. I will tell you this: you will never find a meal like this in Dallas ever again unless something drastic happens and one category of our dining scene does a complete about-face.

If you want to be the first to know, add your e-mail address to the list under the SideDish Supper Club icon to the right. (No need to repeat if you’ve already done so.) The details will go to that list first. The restaurant is small and it will sell out fast. The evening, September 17th, will be peachy.

Five Sixty In Dallas Drops Brunch, Adds Omakase-style Sushi Menu

Master Sushi Chef Hiroyuki “Fuji” Fujino is going for a big time sushi push at Five Sixty. He is launching six-course and nine-course omakase tasting menus at the Five Sixty’s sushi bar and robata grill. The restaurant has added six new seats to the sushi bar and will be offering special 6-course ($60) and 9-course ($90) tasting menus. Reservations will be a must. 214-741-5560.

Indian Mangoes In Dallas?

Wow, lots of Indian food e-mails today. After I finished my last post, I opened an e-mail with an attachment to Sandip Roy talking about Indian mangoes.  They’ve been banned from the U.S. for twenty years, but now some varieties are being exported. A co-worker spotted them at “his local Indian grocer” for $20 a box. He’s not in right now, but I asked him for the name of the store and how many were in the box. Considering I paid over $5.00 for 4 Gala apples at Albertson’s, $20 for 6 or 8 mangoes sounds like a bargain. Not the best I’ve ever had, but still a bargain.

Co-Worker Loves Zense Thai in Irving

She claims Zense Thai is a “gem tucked away in a Valley Ranch strip shopping center.” She thinks it’s a chain but she doesn’t care because “the service isn’t brilliant but the food is.” E tu? (Buddhalicious? I don’t know about that.)

What to Try the Russian Banya Family Spa and Café in Carrollton?

Has anyone visited The Russian Banya Family Spa and Cafe  in Carrollton?
It’s unique concept for Dallas, a family-and-friends spa with steam and sauna rooms and a restaurant, but it’s part of everyday-ish culture in Russia. It’s not about seeing or being seen, it’s about celebrating relaxation. The food menu includes a short list of Russian-style dishes such as cold beet soup, blintzes, and lamb kebabs. The spa offers venik massage—the traditional therapeutic rubdown using a bundle of birch leaves.

I have two discount coupons for day passes if you want to give it a try and report back. Lemme know.