13 December 4 - 10, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Have Sum of This Plano is getting two new restaurants, one a major expansion. BY AAREN PRODY P lano had a big week. Our only question? Will the line at the new Kirin Court location be lon- ger than the lines for any depart- ment stores’ Black Friday deals? We’d bet on it. Kirin Court Rolls into New Location Kirin Court has been bursting at its seams for years. This massive Chinese restaurant has been a neighborhood (regional, per- haps) staple for dim sum. Owner Michael Chan is finally opened a second location in Plano at 1301 Custer Road. The new location is near Won BBQ, a touch west of Wu Wei Din Chinese. The res- taurant will have a soft opening on Tuesday, Nov. 25, and a grand opening on Saturday, Nov. 29, complete with a lion dance at 11 a.m. Don’t be fooled, though. The original Ki- rin Court can seat hundreds of guests, and there are still lines out the door on week- ends. This second location is allegedly larger than the original, but be prepared to throw some elbows for their dumplings, which are rolled through the dining room on carts. Luckily, now there is room for even more people to join Kirin Court’s loyal following of its 100-plus-item menu. Always Room for Tacos and Tequila Assembly Park (6185 Assembly Park Blvd.) is a new mixed-use development off of U.S. Highway 75 and Spring Creek in Plano, where Blender Brands’ trio of openings is now complete. First was Cliff Coffee, second was Assembly Ice House, and finally, Tacoro Tacos & Tequila, a casual spot serving ele- vated Mexican street food and cocktails. Tacoro is serving a robust menu: table- side guac, savory ceviche and queso blanco are featured for appetizers. Enchiladas, po- zole verde and quesabirria have modern takes, just like the taco plates that come with your choice of birria, carnitas, barbacoa or al pastor. To go with all the carne, they’ve created signature cocktails with Tacoro’s curated se- lection of agave. Smoky mezcal, peach, hot honey and Tajin make the Amor Prohibido and the Tacoro Colada blends white rum, coconut and a house piña reduction. Local artist Michael McPheeters spray- painted vibrant and detailed murals all over the walls, calling them visual fairytales of ro- mance, adventure and tacos. When you stop in to marvel at them, you can also visit the other Blender Brands’ concepts, Cliff Coffee and the ice house, as they’re all connected via the development space. ▼ TELEVISION NOT SO HELLISH GORDON RAMSAY’S VS. NORTH TEXAS BAKERS. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS T he Great British Bake Off doesn’t have a monopoly on the home baking scene. Next Level Chef has a new holi- day spinoff, Next Level Baker. The Fox show is hosted by Gordon Ramsay, Carla Hall and Candace Nelson. The show will pit some professional bakers against home bakers, which could be interesting. Two bakers from North Texas are on the show. The show features pro and semi-pro bak- ers competing to create a next-level winter wonderland and nostalgic chocolate treats. After the first elimination round, the re- maining contestants make boozy holiday party bakes. Eventually, one baker wins the title of first-ever Next Level Baker. Maricsa Trejo is the co-owner of La Ca- sita Bakeshop in Dallas, one of our favorite options for a croissant or churro cruffin. La Casita has several locations around North Texas, including Richardson, Rowlett, Up- town and inside the Half Price Books moth- ership on Northwest Highway, a cafe that transforms into La Tiki Paisa in the evenings (a tiki lounge, with a full dinner menu). This will be Trejo’s third time in the spot- light. She previously competed on Hallow- een Baking Championship, where she got bumped early after an idea didn’t puff out. She’s also appeared on Chopped. Trejo posted on her social media that she was shocked to be picked for Gordon Ramsay’s first dessert show. In addition to Trejo, Rowlett-based baker Nikita “Nikki” Jackson, owner of Absolutely Edible Cakes, also competes. Based on her latest social media post, she might be our fa- vorite new baker. Jackson shared that she traveled to Ireland for the show. A trip to Ireland to bake desserts sounds kind of dreamy. Jackson’s big menu item, the Sweet Po- tato Thang, is a modern twist on the tradi- tional pie with a graham cracker crust and is available on the culinary shipping site Gold- belly. The holiday event series will premiere on Dec 4, with new episodes launching on Thursdays at 8 p.m. The Fox show will be available to stream on Hulu. ▼ OPENINGS OUI OUI RENOWNED BAKERY MAMAN IS NOW OPEN. BY AAREN PRODY M aman — “mother” in French — is a New York City-based French bak- ery that just opened its first location in Texas, taking over the old Trova Wine + Market space in the Plaza at Preston Center. It’s another beloved NYC transplant, but don’t get it twisted, we may have landed a winner. The concept opened its doors in Soho, New York City in 2014. Within the last de- cade, it expanded to 50 locations across mul- tiple states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania, Wash- ington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, as well as in Canada. Now, Texas. The cafe is known for its fresh, seasonal and savory menu items, baked goods and vintage décor inspired by the South of France. It also has curated lifestyle prod- ucts and a hit collaboration with Martha Stewart. Inside, there is a signature French pro- vincial aesthetic that Maman co-founders Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte brought to life with vintage furniture, warm woods, imported tiles and seasonal florals. Our cafe features Texas bluebonnets by the Floratorium, a company that creates con- ceptual silk flower installations that mimic natural beauty. Most Maman locations sport the same menu, but with subtle variations depending on the location. There are four menu items that will be exclusive to the Dallas location. Exclusive to Dallas The first is a magnolia sweet tea fizz, a cold- steep magnolia bud tea made with Topo Chico, sweetened with local wildflower honey syrup and served with a lemon wedge and fresh mint. OK, yum. The cheesy brisket croissant roll features Texas smoked brisket, sharp cheddar cheese, wholegrain mustard and other herbs stuffed into the pastry. The Lone Star cinnamon bun is a classic cinnamon roll topped with a crunchy pastry star. Last is the salted caramel pecan pie roll, a buttery pastry that is swirled with salted caramel, vanilla and toasted maple pecans. Dallas will also serve the Maman x Mar- tha Stewart holiday collection: peppermint hot chocolate, peanut brittle, pastries and other creations, which are all wildly popular at other Maman locations. A full espresso and tea menu comple- ments all the pastries and made-to-order sa- vory items. Enjoy them on the cafe’s outdoor sidewalk, inside, or in the semi-private event space. They also do contactless to-go, pick- up or delivery with the Maman app. We will try it out soon and report back quickly. Maman is now open at 4004 Villanova St., Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday - Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish Alison McLean Kirin Court is known in the Dallas area for its dim sum. It now has a Plano location. @LightlyWindy Maman Bakery has several items exclusive to Dallas.
