City of Ate from p15 apart with each bite. But it was topped with a generous amount of roasted garlic aioli, fried cauliflower and sprinkled with some cumin. Each burger is $17.50 and comes with fries. Soda is $6 each ($6!). We didn’t get to try Linda’s Wine Train Sangria — maybe next time. It makes for a really expensive family evening out, so if you don’t have to bring extras, don’t. Just you and Bob’s Burg- ers would do just great. (In the usual audio recording to discourage cell phone use be- fore the movie at Alamo Drafthouse, Bob himself asks if his kids get kicked out for be- ing too loud do parents have to leave too. The answer was no.) The Bob’s Burgers Movie is playing at Al- amo Drafthosue theaters in Richardson, The Cedars, Lake Highlands and Denton. ▼ FIRST LOOK SHIBA INU NUGGETS? Contemporary Indian Food O OPEN FOR LUNCH & DINNER 12817 Preston Road, Suite 105 972-392-0190 indiapalacedallas.com JAPANESE COMFORT FOOD AT OKAERI CAFE. BY HANK VAUGHN kaeri Cafe is a Japanese spot in Richardson that strives to serve what it calls Japanese comfort food, which is fitting for a place whose name de- rives from okaeriansai, which translates to “welcome Home.” Owner Michelle Vi Pep- ping had the concept in the works for over two years and was just ready to go public when the pandemic hit. By the end of Sep- tember 2020, they were finally able to do some pop-ups and now have a full-fledged physical location to serve up their take on a cozy coffee and tea shop with a menu of Jap- anese-inspired dishes. Some of the specialty hot teas are loose-leaf varieties that include sench, jo- jicha, jasmine, oolong, matcha genmaicha and yuzu kukicha at $15 for an attractive glass pot’s worth of brewed tea. Coffees include latte, cappuccino, cold brew, Americano, etc., as well, but we settled for a single cup of oolong, brewed from a tea- bag. With that out of the way, we moved on to the comfy eats. Visitors can dine in one of their chairless booths if they’re willing to remove their shoes and sit on a pillow during the meal. These were popu- lar choices and never remained empty for very long. It was a moot point for us, how- ever, in that at this stage in life eating whilst sitting on a pillow on the floor has lost some of its bohemian appeal. Plus, no one wants to hear the creaking of joints. We opted for a table. Having no children in our party didn’t OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 4434 Harry Hines (near Market Center) Near Medical/Design District 214-521-0992 • OriginalMarketDiner.com 16 2 stop us from ordering the Katsu Nuggets from the kids’ menu, because who doesn’t like rice molds in the shape and likeness of a shiba inu? They are served with breaded chicken Katsu Nuggets, seasonal vegetables and spring mix salad. The presentation didn’t disappoint; it was a cute and happy- looking plate staring back at us. Not bad tasting, either, but we were here for the doggies. Next, a Katsu Hotto Doggu — a hot dog lightly breaded in panko and fried, then topped with shredded cabbage, tonkatsu sauce and Japanese mayo. It was a lot, and large, but it was flavorful. It wasn’t clear if courtesy Curry Up Now one was supposed to pick it up and eat it in the traditional hot dog manner or attack it with a knife and fork. We chose the latter because we’re dainty that way. Other hotto doggu options include kimchi, tofu, and okonomi, which is topped with bonito flakes, nori, furikake flakes, Japanese mayo and ketchup. Maybe next time. An order of omurice followed, a tradi- tional Japanese fried rice dish topped with swirled omelet and served with special house-made demi-glace. They refer to the thin omelet that encompasses the rice as a tornado due to the swirl of egg evident in the presentation. Evidently, this recipe was the result of thousands of eggs worth of re- search, and it would appear that such dedi- cation pays dividends. During the meal, we also sampled some hibiscus matcha lemonade and matcha ginger beer, both of which were bright and fresh, but a little matcha can go a long way, so take that into account.Dessert was a slice of matcha cheesecake, which had a fluffy souffle texture and was less sweet than the traditional version found at Min- dy’s. Evidently, this is baked by TinTin Japanese Cheesecake, a local bakery based in Plano. This was just enough to round out our lunch, and at this point, we were ready to say goodbye to all things matcha … at least a bit. Okaeri Café, 312 N. Greenville Ave. Suite 100 (Richardson) 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday. ▼ OPENINGS CURRY UP NOW C SAN FRANCISCO-BASED INDIAN FUSION SPOT TO OPEN IN THE GRANDSCAPE.BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS urry Up Now started out in San Fran- cisco as a food truck and will soon extend its creative take on Indian dishes to North Texas. Curry Up Now was founded in 2009 by husband and wife Akash and Rana Kapoor. Their Instragrammable food and menu gained notice, in part, for using elements of Mexican and French dishes and applying them to Indian dishes. Katol bagh thali: saag paneer, daal lentils with a choice of ghee makhni butter chicken or paneer with turmeric rice, mini samosa and kulcha naan For instance, one of their most popular items is their tikka masala burrito, a large tortilla stuffed with rice, chana garbanzo masala and sliced onions with a choice of protein ($13). Other options include saag paneer, ghee makhni, vegan and lamb burritos. Sexy Fries are a twist on poutine fries, here made with sweet potatoes and topped with tikka masala. Naughty Naan is flatbread is topped with cheese, cara- melized onions, shaved jalapeños and tikka masala. Eater San Francisco anointed Curry Up Now as one of the best Indian restaurants in the city last year. They were also featured on Netflix’s Ugly Delicious. “Our location is across from the stage at Grandscape, which makes for the perfect spot to enjoy dinner and drinks before or af- ter events,” local franchise owner Veer Modi said in a press release. “Our menu isn’t your typical Indian fare, we capture a unique blend of traditional Indian and street foods that provide a fun and memorable dining ex- perience.” The Street Snack section of the menu in- cludes tacos with pico kachumber, cilantro honey, and a protein on a corn tortilla ($11). Cheesy Holy Moly fried raviolis are served with a tikka masala dip ($9). Bun samosa ($9) is a sandwich from the streets of Naini- tal, India, made with a samosa. Curry Up Now also serves a thali plat- ter (photo at top), which are various In- dian dishes served in small bowls on a platter along with naan and rice. Theirs comes with saag paneer, daal lentils with a choice of ghee makhni butter chicken or paneer with turmeric rice, mini samosa and kulcha naan. The menu is designed to cater to vegetar- ian, vegan, gluten-free and Halal diets. The restaurant will also have a bar, Mortar and Pestle, with a full menu of wines, craft beer and fancy globally-inspired cocktails. Curry Up Now is expected to open “early summer 2022” at 5752 Grandscape Blvd. JUNE 9–15, 2022 DALLAS OBSERVER CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS dallasobserver.com MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014 DALLAS OBSERVER | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | MOVIES | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | SCHUTZE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS | dallasobserver.com
