20 May 11–17, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents D aniel Alvarenga is a first-generation college student and at 17 is about to graduate from the Dallas College cu- linary program. Recently he worked at Bits and Bites, an annual event that pairs chefs with Dallas College culinary students for one night of service. Alvarenga was paired with the executive chef at Knife Steakhouse at The Highland hotel, Marco Lopez. After the event, chef Lopez invited Alva- renga and his father to dinner at Knife. Lo- pez wanted to give the student a glimpse. Knife’s chef, John Tesar, whose restaurant in Orlando, Knife and Spoon, was awarded a Michelin Star, is a long-time supporter of Dallas College. Needless to say, everything at Knife Dallas sings: Lopez wanted Alva- renga to see how great it can be. Alvarenga and his father had an Iberico bacon tasting board, cacio e pepe, truffle ta- gliatelle and a 45-day dry-aged rib-eye. When asked about the open invitation to the restaurant, Lopez takes a second to respond. “Honestly, I saw myself in Alvarenga 18 years ago. He has a chance to do what I couldn’t,” says Lopez, who arrived in the country with his parents as an undocumented immigrant. For almost two decades he worked his way up the ladder both in the kitchen and to citizenship through pure grit. It was impor- tant to Lopez that Alvarenga get a real taste and sense of what he’s working for. “He has a bright future in this industry,” Lopez says. ▼ FIRST LOOK SWIRLS AND LATTES MIRUKU CREAMERY, A FAMILY- OWNED JAPANESE SOFT SERVE SHOP IN MCKINNEY, SELLS A UNIQUELY CREAMY SOFT SERVE. BY ANISHA HOLLA I f enjoying a cup of perfectly swirled, melt-in-your-mouth soft serve isn’t cause for happiness, we’re not sure what is. Miruku, which translates to milk from Japanese, might just be the perfect name for this ultra-creamy milk-based soft-serve spot in downtown McKinney. Kham and Yim Phommahaxay opened this shop in fall 2021 and have been serving organic, locally sourced soft serve and beverages since then. Miruku offers a rotating menu, which means you can visit as much as you want without getting bored. When we stopped by, Miruku’s seasonal flavors included choco- late, matcha and the classic Miruku Milk. Vegans, they didn’t forget you, either. A rotating nondairy option makes it easy to enjoy the Japanese soft serve experience without the milk. You can order their soft serve in a cup ($5.25) or a house-baked waffle cone ($5.50). Add sauces, compotes and crunchy toppings if you’re feeling creative. We par- ticularly enjoyed the croffle — an Asian deli- cacy made of flaky croissant dough pressed into the shape of a waffle. High-stacked soft-serve sundaes add to the diverse menu. Try Miruku’s specialty Day- dream sundae ($7.25), which comes with the signature Miruku Milk ice cream sitting in a blue cloud of cotton candy. It’s topped with rainbow cereal and a rolled chocolate wafer to add extra celestialness to the creation. This one’s tricky to eat; we had to chew our way through the cotton candy first to get to the ice cream. But a messy dessert is a small price to pay for the high-quality soft serve here. Other sundaes include the Chocolate Madness, the Berry Berry and affogato sun- daes. It’s a sugar lover’s dream. Miruku offers many beverage options that enticed us just as much as the ice cream. The signature Dalgona cafe latte ($5.25) comes either hot or iced, depending on pref- erence. It’s made with a lightly sweetened Dalgona coffee base topped with a layer of sweet whipped milk foam. The latte is a sat- isfying balance of bitter, creamy and sweet all at once. What’s even better is the toffee- like honeycomb candy that comes crumbled on top. We found ourselves craving another order even before we finished the first. Other beverage options include hot choc- olate, espressos and matcha lattes. You can customize your drink with different kinds of milk and syrups, but we recommend stick- ing with house recipes here. The original Miruku milk, sourced from Terell, Texas, adds a unique dimension of creamy texture. Miruku Creamery + Cafe, 207 N. Kentucky St., McKinney. Sunday & Monday, noon – 7 p.m.; Wednesday & Thursday, noon – 8 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, noon – 9 p.m.; closed Tuesday. ▼ OPENING POUR SOME SUGAR ON IT MEXICAN SUGAR’S THIRD LOCATION IS SET TO OPEN IN MAY. BY NICOLLE LANE T his month Mexican Sugar will open its third location, this one in the heart of Uptown at 2355 Olive St. in the McKinney & Olive complex. It will sit at the opposite end from Del Frisco’s, with Star- bucks and the new Leela’s Wine Bar, among others, in between. Mexican Sugar is a pan-Latin restaurant offering dishes made from scratch and pre- pared with authentic ingredients and tradi- tional cooking methods. The restaurant opened in 2013 in Plano and in 2020 added a location in Las Colinas. The menu focuses on Mexico City cuisine. The restaurant’s two-story, 12,000-square- foot space will provide seating for 400 mar- garita-sipping guests. The upstairs patio will offer a view of the American Airlines Center and the Hotel Crescent Court. Mexican Sugar will offer an experiential Agave Library for tequila enthusiasts, with more than 150 tequilas and mezcals comple- menting the food menu. Highlights include handcrafted margaritas, agave-tasting flights and a selection of wines. We recently mentioned Mexican Sugar in our list of the best margaritas in Dallas. Especially noteworthy is the hibiscus mar- garita ($11), made with hibiscus-infused wa- ter, Espolon Blanco tequila, simple syrup, lime and Mandarine Napoleon. The food menu includes appetizers, soups and greens, fajitas, tacos, enchiladas and platos fuertes. The tuna crudo is a marinated tuna with radish, cucumber, onion, árbol chile fry, crispy yuca and lime. Striped bass is pan- roasted with hearts of palm citrus salad and a pasilla-sherry emulsion. A slow-roasted, bone- in pork chop is chili-brined and served with an orange-agave butter, cilantro-lime rice, roasted carrots and cauliflower. Mexican Sugar does not have a set open- ing date, but as soon as it’s available we’ll let you know. ▼ EAT HERE OTHER THAN THAT, HOW’S THE FOOD? IN GRANBURY, LEGEND HAS IT YOU CAN GRAB A BURGER WHERE JOHN WILKES BOOTH TENDED BAR. BY NICK REYNOLDS W anna grab breakfast or lunch where notorious assassin John Wilkes Booth moonlighted as a bartender? Well, allegedly. The Square Café in Granbury claims you can do just that. You probably already know Booth’s story, but in case you need a refresher: On a mid- April night in 1865 at Ford’s Theatre in Wash- ington, D.C., Booth placed his loaded derringer pistol at the back of President Anisha Holla Chocolate Madness at Miruku Creamery Appetite from p18 12817 Preston Road, Suite 105 • 972-392-0190 indiapalacedallas.com Join us for Mother’s Day Sunday lunch buffet!
