If you think Dallas dining is only about burgers and chicken-fried steak, you’ve got some eat-search to do. Look in the right corners in Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs such as Carrollton, Irving and Richardson and you’ll find vibrant restaurant communities serving non-American food.
Here’s a look at a few of the better-known ethnic restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth. Please share your favorites with us on Twitter at @guidelive and @nbcdfw.
Afrah (Richardson and Irving): Afrah is among Dallas' most lauded non-American restaurants; Dallas Morning News restaurant critic Leslie Brenner praised the Lebanese bakery and restaurant years ago. She loved the hummus, eggplant salad, tabouli and chicken-onion kebabs, among other dishes. Read her story about several great restaurants heating up the Richardson dining scene. Afrah has now expanded to two restaurants, in Richardson and Irving. Find details here.
Chennai Café (Frisco): Traditional South Indian cuisine is the thing here. Stop into this popular Frisco restaurant for dishes such as podi idli (rice cakes with chutney powder) and puzhi kozohambu ("tangy vegetable stew"). Enjoy oven-baked bread called naan along with your meal. Find details here.
Russian Banya Family Spa and Cafe (Carrollton): Plan to stay all day. A banya is a sauna, and families come to the Russian Banya in Carrollton to relax, rejuvenate and eat. (A word about the relaxing part: Some of the "relaxing" pools run at a cool 40 degrees. They promise it's good for your skin.) Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods America visited the Russian Banya in 2014. For mealtime, the Russian Banya serves Eastern European food like borscht with beef (a sour soup) and herring under a fur coat (pickled fish with vegetables). Find details here.
Kalachandji's (Dallas): This is food that's good for the body and soul, as chefs here produce an all-vegetarian menu in a kitchen located inside a operating Hare Krishna temple. They cook traditional Indian dishes such as dal (soup) and curries. Get the buffet at lunch or dinner and you'll be able to try a good variety. Find details here.
Bambu Thai-Asian Cuisine (Richardson): Fans of Thai food should check out Bambu, a restaurant Brenner named as one of her 12 favorite restaurants. "I've quite simply never had a lunch or dinner there that didn't wow me — and I dine there frequently," she said. The chef whips up flavors from the Isan region of Thailand. Find details here.
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Other restaurants worth checking out are Koryo Kalbi Korean BBQ, Desta Ethiopian Restaurant and Seoul Garden, all in Dallas, and Everest Indian Himalayan Restaurant and Grill serving Nepalese food in Irving. Did we miss your favorite? Tweet us.
If you’re more interested in cooking at home, take a thrilling jaunt through Asian supermarket H Mart, with locations in Plano and Carrollton. (Or, take a look at our article titled “6 Asian grocery stores youneed to visit, like, today" for a list of Asian supermarkets all over D-FW.) Near the new H Mart in Carrollton, stop into 85°C Bakery Cafe, which still has lines out the door even though it's been open for months. This bakery is a dream for those with a sweet tooth and has been called the "Starbucks of Taiwan." Fans of Italian food should shop at Jimmy's Food Store, a market and sandwich shop in Dallas. Grab homemade pasta and sauce and you'll be able to whip up an authentic Italian meal in no time.
