Preview of BITE by Chef Eddy T

Last week, I was invited to a preview of a new restaurant with a “globally inspired” menu called BITE  by Dallas chef Eddy T. In the space previously known as Kin Kin Urban Thai, the tenacious chef closed down the fledgling Thai restaurant which struggled and reopened as BITE.

Without having known what the previous space used to look like, I was pleasantly surprised at the spaciousness of the restaurant. It’s rectangular shaped offered two separate dining rooms and a beautiful large bar in the center.

For tonight’s preview, I invited a good friend to join me. I was in need of some girl time too and the best way to do that is with food and cocktails.

We started off with two cocktails and an array of appetizers.

After getting settled in and taking in the surroundings, the server dangerously welcomed me to order whatever I wanted, as much as I wanted. Like, I said. Dangerous. Liz and I may be little, but we know how to put away food. We attempted to show some restraint as we perused the menu. Fortunately, the portion sizes were as restaurant name suggested, enough for a few bites.

The beef carpaccio was delicious. The slices were paper thin and savory. I thought the crostini and the green salad in the middle were more of a distraction. More carpaccio please.

The lobster bisque didn’t have the usual thick, creamy, and buttery flavors you’d expect. It was light on flavor and the broth watery. Craving a little more pow from the bisque.

For the sea diver scallop, I felt like there was too much going on the plate. The scallop was actually cooked perfectly and it was delicious and buttery. I clumsily tasted all the other components along with the thick slice of apple wood bacon trying to appreciate all the flavor profiles. This Asian take of the a bacon wrapped scallop didn’t exactly wow me.

Eddy’s Signature lamb pops were probably my favorite starter. It reminds me of a traditional bbq pork skewer dish my Laos family makes on Sundays or at large family gatherings. This rendition of that comfort food was done beautifully and I appreciated the bang of flavor from the lamb and even the turmeric marinated onions on top. Definitely a yummy starter.

Liz ordered the braised short rib and this was such a huge portion. It came with polenta, roasted tomatoes in a balsamic demi glace. We both thought the outer portion of the rib was delicious, but as we made our way to the center, it lost out on flavor and became dry, chewy meat. The roasted tomatoes were fantastic, however the polenta also lacked flavor.

I ordered the duck breast which was cooked perfectly and is an example of a dish Chef Eddy added some Asian flair to. Loved the beluga lentils that helped cut the sweetness in the duck. Wasn’t too excited about the seasonal vegetable slaw underneath though, but enjoyed the entree nonetheless. The portion size was pretty decent.

And finally to end the night, we struggled on which desserts to order. The list of desserts looked so appealing. We finally decided on the panna cotta and the apple cobbler.

The panna cotta’s presentation was stunning. It was a lemon grass panna cotta with black sesame sponge cake and berries. I really enjoyed this dessert. The hint of lemongrass was very light and done wonderfully. The sponge cake had a pungent smell and  was airy, light and sweet. All the components were yummy together and individually. It was the perfect choice.

This was Chef Eddy’s version of apple cobbler and we both weren’t sure how we felt. In our minds, we expected a thicker slice of pie or sorts, but this personal sized cobbler in a small skillet was not what we expected. The crust was pretty thick and we crave more of the soft apple filling. The ice cream was perfect and we both wanted more if it atop.

It was certainly a delicious night sampling quite a few of the globally inspired menu and getting to know Chef Eddy T through his cooking. I enjoyed seeing an Asian element to some of the dishes as well that reminded me of my mom’s home cooking (she actually grew up in Laos and Thailand. Half my family is Laos).

It’s cool to see the chef break out of his usual mold of Asian cuisine into something different and I’m curious to see how the new restaurant does and how Dallasites will respond to a new date night spot.

Address: 3211 Oaklawn Ave, Dallas TX (next to Green Papaya)

Price Range: $$

Parking: Limited parking lot. Valet on Hall St. side of the restaurant