Three Z Azian Cuizine - Z-licious

Three Z Azian Cuizine



Three Z Azian Cuizine is a relative newcomer to the Tyler Food scene.  It is located in the Times Square shopping center.  The front isn't much to look at as it is your run of the mill strip mall front.  Inside, they have carved out a nice space that feels like a great neighborhood bistro.  The decor is modern and clean with a decent dining area. 

The spread:  Their menu is pan Asian with some Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese inspired dishes.  They have a few starters to try including lettuce wraps, wontons, spring rolls and edamame.  They have soups and sandwiches to include Pho (vietnamese noodle and meat soup), coconut chicken soup, and Banh mi (vietnamese sandwiches).  They also have fried rice with various meats.  The entrees include a choice of protein (beef, chicken, tofu, shrimp) with various different styles of sauces/ingredients - Mongolian, yellow curry, sweet and sour, etc.  When I went they also had an off menu rice bun with different kinds of meat.

The verdict:  I have only been once, but I will return again many times.  The off the menu rice bun with meat was one of the best dishes I have had, certainly in Tyler, and probably in my dining life.  It was great, their was a honey chicken, a slow roasted beef short rib (I think) tucked inside a rice bun with fresh veggies.  It was a new culinary experience for me and just lovely.  It was familiar, as its structure is akin to a taco, but it was a new spin with the asian flavors and perfectly cooked/executed.  I also had some Pho which was also good, although I thought that the broth could have been a little more robust.  Overall, the service was very good and the food was quite memorable and the prices were reasonable.

Edible Tyler Roses: 5 out of 5, this is a great new place, where the people care about food and their customers.  Give it a try.

Vietnamese Pho Restaurant - This place is Pho real

Vietnamese Pho Restaurant



This is a small, family owned Vietnamese place just off of 64 and the loop, across the street from the Walmart.  It is in a strip center without a whole lot of curb appeal.  Walking inside reminded me of your typical Vietnamese place in Houston, minimal decor, plenty of seats, and clean.  I have been wanting to try this place for a while because I love a good bowl of Pho and am alwayas looking for a good 'real' ethnic place (of which there are few and far between in Tyler).

The spread: Well they obviously sell Pho, which is a vietnamese rice noodle soup.  It comes in a big bowl of savory beef broth with rice noodles and your choice of meet (go for the combo - meatballs, flank steak and brisket) and with fresh basil and bean sprouts.  You also put in hoisin sauce and sriracha to your liking.  They offer various appetizers from egg rolls to spring rolls with your choice of meat, as well as salads and other (as far as I can tell) authentic Vietnamese items.  They also have a good selection of vegetarian items.  They also offer vermicelli and rice entrees that all look authentic.  This is a menu I am excited about discovering.  Many of the items I have never tried, and certainly are offered no where else in Tyler.

The verdict:  Well I only tried the spring rolls with roast pork and the special Pho soup, but I was very impressed and can't wait to go back and try some of the more esoteric items on the menu.  If you care about food and are looking for a different, authentic eating experience, then give this unassuming little place a try.  The spring rolls were terrific and fresh.  The Pho had a great base broth with fresh basil and bean sprouts and tasty, well seasoned meat.  If you've never had Pho, this would be a great place to give it a try.  I was a little scared when I first sat down because I was the only person there at lunch, but please go out and support this true gem in Tyler.

Edible Tyler Roses:  5 out of 5;  Do I recommend this place?  Pho sho!

Graciela's Cuisine - Asian/mexican fusion?

Graciela's Cuisine




Graciela's is a newcomer to Tyler and is located just south of 5th on Broadway.  They are located in a space previously occupied by a former catering/restaurant place whose name I can't recall.  We were driving by and saw several employees waving at us to come in and give it a try.

The spread:  Well I was a little confused by the menu.  It seems to be some sort of fusion between traditional Mexican food (not Tex-mex) and American Chinese food.  The menu ranges from various types of fried rice to moles, enchiladas, and soups.  They have quesadillas and a spicy guacamole amongst other items on the appetizers menu.

The verdict:  Well again, this is one of those places that I want to like, but falls short.  The waitstaff was really trying hard, but didn't fully understand the menu.  The food took a LONG time to come out for lunch.  The spicy guacamole was at a very high heat level and the enchiladas my wife tried were nearly inedible they were so spicy.  I also tried the consume and it was basically a beef broth with some vegetables and rice, it was very nice and light.  The rice and beans were a little bland for me, but I think they were in line with the traditional Mexican taste profile.  My overall impression is that the kitchen and concept are not fully developed - passionate and young, but still immature.  The location is going to be hard to overcome, but there is a lot of passion and hard work going into this endevour.

Edible Tyler Roses: 3 out of 5, The food is average to good, there is a lot of room for growth.

Juls - New location, better than ever?

Juls



Juls is, from what I understand, a rebirth and reconfiguration of the old Julian's over in Times Square. The place is located off of 155 past Grande, pretty close to Fresh.  It is very impressive from the outside and has two sections, one side is "Juls cafe" and one is apparently just "Juls"?  Apparently Juls has an Asian themed menu and Juls cafe is concentrating on healthy food, but it is still a little unclear to me.  Althought, I am not sure of the intent of the business owners, the buildings structure and the business undertaking are impressive.  The building is very modern and has interesting nooks and crannies that make the dining experience unique.

The spread:  My wife and I ventured to Juls.  They have an extensive drink menu with some very unique draft selections - a couple of which I have never seen on draft (Delerium Tremens).  The food menu is a somewhat pan-asian themed with a variety of appetizers (edamame, pot stickers, lettuce wraps, wings, guacamole, etc), sushi/sashimi, salads, "woks" - really just stir fry, Pho (vietnamese noodle soup), fried rice, new american (ranging from shrimp and grits to korean fried chicken legs) and a variety of burgers/sandwiches (to include Banh mi - vietnamese sandwiches).

The verdict:  The menu seemed a little unfocused to me and that it was designed to try to make everyone happy, but the food I tried was very good.  We started with some pot stickers, followed by some sort of spicy tuna/crab roll, beef Pho, grilled pork Banh mi, and the Mongolian stir fry.  The steamed pot stickers were excellent, the filling just had this background herb that was just making beautiful music on my taste buds.  My only criticism is that I would have like some sort of dipping sauce to help with the initial blandness of the dumpling dough.  The spicy tuna/crab roll was excellent, it had a great sushi flavor with a very well balanced sauce and heat level.  The beef Pho was pretty good, my problem is that I have been in some of the best Pho places in Chinatown in Houston and this Pho wasn't as good, but it is still worth a try.  The broth is solid, but I would have liked to have seen more traditional offerings (tendon, meatball, etc).  The Banh mi was also good, but not great.  The bread to meat ratio was a little skewed on the side of the bread and the heat level was nearly unbearable (perhaps this was my error) - again I have had some of the best Banh mi in Houston and my standards are very high, their Banh me is good, it just isn't great.  The Mongolian stir fry was also very good, great balanced flavor that my wife really enjoyed.  The service was also excellent, very attentive and quite helpful in navigating the ambitious menu.  I very much enjoyed the eclectic draft beer selection and will be back to try more of their beers.  The noise level was a little high, but that was because there was some sort of group Christmas party happening nearby.  I think Juls would be a great special occasion place for a date night.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5.  Ambitious menu, great service, good to very good food.

Soju: Sushi Bar and Asian Bistro - My first Tyler sushi experience

Soju: Sushi Bar and Asian Bistro
http://www.tylersushi.com/



Soju is a Sushi/Asian restaurant located off Old Jacksonville Highway just south of Grande.  It is beautiful from the outside with vibrant colors and interesting architecture.  My wife and I rolled up at around 6:00pm and almost turned around because there were so few cars in the parking lot and we have learned over the years that if a well established place is dead during peak hours, there is always a reason.  Fortunately, as the night progressed, the place filled up to a respectable level by the end of the evening, so our initial concerns weren't warranted.

The spread:  The place looks as hip on the inside as the outside, with plenty of modern flair and various local artists works on the walls.  Most of the art really wasn't my thing, but I appreciate the effort and maybe someone else loves it.  The menu is extensive with a large drink and sushi menu.  They also have an ambitious Asian themed entrees ranging from Pad Thai, noodle bowls, rice bowls, various beef, seafood and chicken stir fries/preparations.  They really are pan Asian, ranging from traditionally Japanese to Chinese to Thai style dishes. 

The verdict:  We sat down and were handed a dirty drink menu (a sign of neglect) and my first impression of the waiter was unfavorable, so we decided to just order drinks and appetizers to see if it was worth staying.  I ordered a mojito and a spicy tuna roll and my wife got the pot stickers.  The mojito was wonderful with lots of fragments of fresh mint.  The spicy tuna roll was large and aggressively spicy - which is a surprise for Tyler.  The pot stickers were also delicious with a well spiced pork filling and a savory dipping sauce, so we went ahead with our order.  We got the shrimp and vegetable tempura, pad thai and mongolian beef.  The tempura was also excellent (crunchy outside with tender inside) with two well prepared dipping sauces.  The pad thai was very large and pretty good, but lacked any real heat.  The mongolian beef was excellently spiced with a tasty brown sauce.  Also, my misgivings about our waiter were misplaced and he turned out to be an excellent server.  Overall a very pleasant experience.

Edible Tyler Roses:  4 out of 5, not perfect, but very good.

Basil Thai Cafe - best thai food in town?

Basil Thai Cafe
http://basilthaicafe.com/

Pad Thai

Thai egg rolls

Basil Thai is a little mom and pop place just off of the loop and 5th street.  It is located in a non-descript strip mall that is mostly hidden from the street.  The restaurant decor is a little lacking, oh there are various thai/asian themed decorations along the wall, but the floor is laminate, the tables and chairs are cheap and you place your order at the counter to be brought out to you. 

The spread: The menu is definitely Thai cuisine.  You can choose from various appetizers to include egg rolls, thai egg rolls, pot stickers, Tom Yum Goong (traditional spicy soup), etc.  The entrees range from fried rice (to include spicy Thai variety), Pad Thai, a variety of noodle dishes, curry dishes, spicy basil meat dishes and a few other Thai stir fry dishes.  You can choose chicken, shrimp and beef in many of the different dishes.  They also have some sweet dessert dishes.  I have tried the regular egg rolls, Thai egg rolls, Kra Paw (spicy stir fry), fried rice and yellow curry.

The verdict: The highlight of the night was the pan fried dumpling (pot stickers), they were crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and were accompanied by a delicious dipping sauce.  Both the Thai egg rolls and regular egg rolls were good and cooked well, they just lacked any bold flavors to stick out on their own.  The fried rice was also very good.  Unfortunately, the dishes I was the most excited about were the most disappointing.  First of all, the chicken used in the Kra paw, the curry, the Pad Thai and the fried rice was all the same - precooked white chicken meat.  The Pad Thai was just ok, they had a little too much sweetness in their sauce for me and there was no spice to it (as indicated on the menu).  There were two stars indicating a "stimulating kick" on the curry and Kra paw, but both barely registered on the ole heat meter for me.  I would put the heat level somewhere between mild Pace picante sauce and medium.  I was expecting some real heat.  The curry was just okay, and just tasted a little watered down.  The Kra paw was also just ok, it was almost as though they were dumbing down the spices for the Tyler palate. 

Edible Tyler Roses: 3.5 out of 5, Because this is the only Thai place in town, I recommend checking it out, but it is mediocre Thai food (still the best in Tyler) and one of the few places you can get almost 'authentic' ethnic food.

Genghis Grill - ew...dat's gross

Genghis Grill
http://www.genghisgrill.com/



Genghis Grill is a chain restaurant that offers "mongolian stir fry".  The basic concept is that you choose your stir fry ingredients, then hand your bowl off to the cook, who cooks your food on a large grill.  There was a place in Webster, south of Houston called Hans Mongolian BBQ, that was a favorite of my wife and I, so we thought we'd give Genghis Grill a try.

The spread: They offer a variety of raw meats to choose from:  chicken, beef, pork and seafood.  They also have a large selection of different kinds of veggies to add in:  celery, onion, bamboo shoots, carrots, mushrooms, baby corn, tomatoes, cabbage, squash, garlic.  You can even throw in an egg.  They also offer many different kinds of sauces and seasonings to make your bowl your own creation.

The verdict:  I love the concept.  But Genghis didn't work for us for two reasons.  The first of which is that it is nearly impossible to do with younger children.  The second was that when I walked over to peruse the ingredients while we were getting settled in, there was a STRONG rotting fishy odor coming from the raw meat section.  There is no way that I am going to eat ANYTHING that smells like that.  We walked out, not willing to risk sickness.

Edible Tyler Roses: 0 out of 5.  Maybe they had a bad day, but if your ingredients smell rotten, you are failing.

Cheng's China Bistro

Cheng's China Bistro



Cheng's is a relatively new comer to Tyler.  They opened up in a large restaurant space just north of the loop and troup.  The decor is your typical Chinese food place with Chinese decorations as well as a large bar up front that grows popular right around 5pm.  The owners seem to always be there and are super friendly and helpful.

The spread:  They have your typical American Chinese food menu.  Appetizers range from lettuce wraps, pot stickers, egg rolls, BBQ spareribs (yummy), and various soups (egg drop, wonton, etc).  Their entrees are also somewhat predictable: fried rice, lo mein, egg foo young, pork dishes, chicken dishes, beef dishes and seafood dishes.  They also offer hot plates which is basically stir fry dumped into a fajita sizzling plate.

The verdict:  There is nothing ground breaking in the culinary world happening at Cheng's.  The menu is definitely Americanized and familiar, however, the food is solid and reasonably priced.  My wife prefers Cheng's to Liang's, so this is usually what we pick up from Cheng's when we get Chinese.  The service has been great and they are very family friendly.  I also like the fact that the staff is willing to work with you.  I wanted to try to recreate a dish from an authentic Chinese place down in Houston, so I asked the waiter to switch out rice for noodles and crack an egg over one of their sizzling plates.  It didn't turn out quite like I wanted, but it was good and they went out of their way to accomodate, so I give them a lot of credit for that.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, I put them on par with Liang's as the best Chinese in Tyler.

Peking House - Meh

Peking House



Peking House is a Chinese food place, just south of the Medical center off of Beckham and 5th.  For some reason it took me a long time to give this place a try.  They have a drive through, so I pulled up and placed my order.  Overall a very convenient way to pick up some Chinese grub on the way home.

The spread:  Their menu is your typical American Chinese restaurant.  Egg rolls, fried rice, lo mein, various combinations of beef and chicken with different veggies and sauces.  I tried some egg rolls, lo mein, fried rice, and kung pao chicken.

The verdict:  Below average.  The food was prepared relatively quickly and the service was friendly enough.  The food was just under-seasoned and relatively bland.  Especially when there are two competing Chinese food places within a mile or two (Cheng's and Liang's), this place falls flat.  If you were absolutely crunched for time, or just didn't want to get out of your car to pick up your food, then this place would suffice in a pinch.  I would say that the quality is better than that of Ming's down in south Tyler.

Edible Tyler Roses:  2 out of 5.

Wasabi's

Wasabi Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar
http://www.wasabityler.com/

5617 S. Donnybrook

Tyler, TX 75703

Wasabi is a place tucked just off Broadway/69 behind Lowes/Circuit City.  When I walked into the place it looked great.  Modern design, cool looking bar, nice layout, looked clean.  I think they are trying really hard to be a sushi bar that attracts the young, hip crowd.

The spread:  They offer a nice selection of different kinds of sushi (rolls, nigiri, sashimi, etc).  They also offer more traditional Chinese style food as well: egg rolls, stir fry, noodles, fried rice etc.  I tried the wonton soup, egg rolls, lo mein, madarin kung pao, and pot stickers.  I picked up and the service was a little slow for the time of day and the crowd (I think there were 2 people at the bar).

The verdict:  Well, the entire meal was nearly inedible.  The egg rolls I ordered were actually spring rolls that were cold and underseasoned.  The lo mein was hot, but underseasoned and bland.  The pot stickers were luke-warm and underseasoned.  The Kung Pao tasted a little off, was luke warm and underseasoned/bland.  The wonton soup was STONE cold from the fridge, they must have forgot to put it in the microwave.  I am not sure if meal was just a bad night or if that is just what they will put out on their Chinese side of the menu.  Perhaps they do sushi better, but there is no way I am eating raw fish at a place that doesn't know how to cook.  I could not have been more displease with wasting my money on the food.

Edible Tyler Roses:  1 out of 5.  Only reason they get one is that their sushi might be edible.

Liang's Chinese Restaurant

Liang's Chinese Restaurant
1828 E Southeast Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75701




My wife and I have been searching for some decent Chinese food in Tyler, and I decided to Liang's a try. The restaurant is on the loop, just west of Troup in the Alberston's parking lot. The location is a little odd, however, the restaurant is beautifully decorated on the interior. We have eaten there a few times now and every time the owner is there being a perfect host.

The spread: We have had the sweet and sour pork, pepper steak, chicken with peanuts (kung pao), pork fried rice, Peking shrimp and the egg drop and wonton soups.

The verdict: After the first bite of soup, my wife declared, this is the second best egg drop soup I have ever had! (She is infatuated with an egg drop soup with corn from a Chinese place in Conroe, TX). After digging into the chicken with peanuts and pork fried rice, we looked up at one another with a smile on our faces. We both knew we had found our local Chinese restaurant. The pepper steak and sweet and sour pork were also very solid. The only disappointment for me was the Peking shrimp. The owner promised me it was the best thing on the menu. The shrimp are battered in a light batter then tossed in a Peking sauce that is a little sweet and a little spicy. It was just okay for me, as it was a little rich. It was a lot of shrimp though! The portions are good and the prices are fair (10 bucks or so for a main, 7 bucks for fried rice).

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5.

Ming's Cafe

Ming's Cafe

5707 S Broadway Ave

Tyler, TX 75703-4350


 

This is a little Chinese food place just north of Grande on Broadway/69. The outside looks pretty beat up with a dark green color scheme and dark windows. I have never stepped inside to take a look, but I have stopped through the 'drive through' to pick up some grub.

The spread: I usually get the kung pao chicken, beef fried rice, wonton soup and eggdrop soup. The service is usually quick (sometimes a little too quick for the food to be freshly prepared).

The verdict: Oh man, I want to like this place more than I actually like it. It is super convenient, however, the food really falls flat. Sometimes the kung pao chicken is so hot it is inedible by my wife, and the beef they use in the beef fried rice is old and chewy. These people just don't care about their food. The pricing is a little high for the quality. The best thing about this place is the convenience.

Edible Tyler Roses: 2 out of 5