City of Ate from p13 D crab market is that the U.S. is no longer get- ting crabs from Russia following the coun- try’s invasion of Ukraine. IntraFish reports about Russian crab har- vesters that “significant volumes of crab catches are stocked up in the warehouses not able to reach markets,” as they attempt to pivot their inventory to Asian markets. A spokesperson for Central Market, Jackson Mabrie, says that the stores obtain products through direct sourcing and will have an “adequate supply of Alaskan crab throughout the holiday season.” As for price, Mabrie says it fluctuates, and the market de- termines the price at the time of catch. Deadline reported this week that Deadli- est Catch, the docu-series that follows a fleet of fishing boats as they trap crustaceans on the floor of the Bering Sea, will still be filmed this year — the show’s 19th season. “The true people who are harmed in this are the families whose entire livelihoods are the crabbing industry,” Alexis says. ▼ FIRST LOOK THE ELEPHANT AT THE BAR E DIGITAL MARKETING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE INTERESTED CANDIDATES PLEASE SEND YOUR COVER LETTER AND RESUME TO CHARLIE.DONDLINGER@ DALLASOBSERVER.COM 14 14 Vietnamese cocktail at Elephant East. Lauren Drewes Daniels PAN-ASIAN FOOD AT ELEPHANT EAST IS HARD TO FORGET. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS lephant East in the Harwood District opened about a year ago, a pan-Asian flair folded into Harwood Hospitality Group’s large portfolio of amenities in this sprawling neighborhood just north of down- town. This pan-Asian restaurant is just off McKinnon Street, near Harwood Arms, a British-inspired pub and a soon-to-open pizza and martini joint, Poco Fiasco. The whole Harwood area is a bit like the districts in the Hunger Games, but the exact opposite. If we get to some post-apocalyptical circumstance where we have to choose, do whatever you can to get in this district. There’s the comfortable cafe, Magnolia Sous Le Point, just around the corner. And a block over is an outdoor adult play yard with sand volleyball and bocce ball called Harwood Grove. On the other side, Dolce Riviera channels the Italian Riveria, Happiest Hour is a behemoth indoor and outdoor restaurant and bar with footlong fried cheese sticks. Mercat Bistro, Saint Ann and Te Deseo round out the portfolio. We’d yet to make it out to Elephant East, mainly because reservations are recom- mended and that level of planning can take the pomp out of the weekend. After adulting all week, who likes to feel so committed? However, on the way to a Stars game, with a private event at Harwood Grove and Har- wood Arms packing the place, we grabbed two seats at the bar. Here’s a theory: the bar is the best seat in the house, and this goes for just about any place. The view is better, and you can chat with a bartender about dishes or drinks. The service is usually quicker and more accessi- ble when needed, but also a bit less doting, which can also be good. Plus, you rarely need reservations for seats at the bar (Lucia being a notable exception here). The bartender suggested we start with the Bang Bang Shrimp ($18), lightly fried in a tempura batter with a bright and punchy sauce with a touch of citrus and spicy chil- ies. At first, the mound of slaw under the shrimp seemed like a guise to make the bowl seem fuller, but that slaw is dressed in the same sauce with chilies and is a surprising delight. After working through most of it with chopsticks, we finished it off with spoons to get every last strand. Next, we had the lightly-fried soft-shell crabs ($26), covered in a spicy black bean sauce. It came with that same crisp napa slaw, which here was blessed with an umami-rich spicy black bean sauce and a sweet chili sauce to create a brilliant menagerie of flavors. We alternated between popping whole pinchers in our mouths to big bites of slaw, then a bit of both, and finally using our teeth to tear into the meat of the crab. That’s a bar move, not at all for a dimly lit corner table. Speaking of tables, an important note here: There are six or so tables in the middle of the dining room, but along one side are curved, plush booths that are great for dates. On the other side are semi-private, ornate wooden booths that look like a fun spot for four or five diners. We still like the horse- shoe marble bar the most, though. We also ordered steamed buns, which come three to an order for $14. These big buns are stuffed with saucy cubes of char siu braised pork. These were filling and had that perfectly odd, yet amazing, fluffy dense tex- ture of steamed buns. Finally, we ended our pan-Asian soirée with a Vietnamese Espresso Martini ($17). It cost more than many of the starters on the menu, but if you’re a big fan of Dallas’ quint- essential drink, then splurge here. Elephant East uses an instant Vietnamese espresso powder, which the bartender said is special ordered. This gives it a bit more of a chicory flavor, but if there ever was a bow on a meal, the espresso martini here is it. As with many places around downtown, parking can be a bear. But, all Harwood properties have complimentary valet (just tip). There’s a valet stand just in front of Ele- phant East. Elephant East, 2850 N. Harwood St., No. 120. 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday; 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday; 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Monday and Tuesday. 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