Tofu and noodles from Mai's
In our March issue, food writer Emily Toman highlights East Dallas staple Mai’s, a Vietnamese place that’s been in business for 28 years. How’s that? Because it’s so good. The most popular dish is a steaming bowl of shrimp, chicken and veggies on rice topped with coconut curry sauce for just under $10. And the owner claims it’s good for us too. Emily’s three runners up include Nandina (some of the best sushi in East Dallas), Bangkok City (can’t go wrong) and Betty’s Best Around (I’ve been loving that place since high school). More about all four here. I know there are myriad mentionable Asian places in East Dallas, but I have to give a shout out to my favorite lunchtime spot, Vietnam, 4302 Bryan. It is the only place where I make an exception to my “no buffet” rule. Every time I go in for lunch, about once a month, the buffet has something new — plenty of seafood, pork, tofu and veggie options, plus interesting side items (deep fried boiled eggs, for example), soups and desserts. The menu contains the really good stuff — pho and vermicelli dishes and Vietnamese sandwiches.
