As everyone in Dallas knows brunch is kind of a big deal to Dallasites. Patrons flock on Saturday and Sunday mornings to restaurants serving brunch. If there is a patio and nice weather, you might as well forget about sitting on the coveted patio, at least not without extreme amounts of patience. Which is why last Sunday after church I was surprised on a nice day to find a brunch spot to dine with an opening on the patio. Not only was patio seating available, the food was delicious. The name of this hidden gem suprisingly was Malai Kitchen in West Village.
We started with some fresh spring rolls stuffed with fresh vegetables, which made me feel better about my indulgent entree selection, Thai Eggs Benedict. The spring rolls were subpar. The only intriguing factor was the neon yellow and fuchsia bean sprouts. Either there is a new type of bean sprouts that my Central Market does not carry or I suspect there was some food coloring foul play. Nonetheless, they weren't anything spectacular or worthy of reordering. The Benedict was delicious, hot biscuits infused with coconut topped with spinach, Thai basil, shrimp and a poached egg which were all slightly hidden beneath a Thai Chili Hollandaise. My boyfriend went with what we assumed to be a more traditional choice, the Bangkok Scramble. The scramble arrived to the table and appeared to be an open-face green omelet. Yes, I did say green. At first I suspected a tactic to promote a recent opening of a movie based on a Dr. Seuss book. However, upon tasting the scramble we realized green curry had been mixed in with the eggs. As curry lovers we found the surprise delightful and elevated the scramble to exceed expectations. If I'm not craving the Asian influenced brunch dishes, I am sure I will long to sit on the patio enjoying a cool breeze and watch people walking by.
As we were paying the bill, we inquired if brunch was always this calm. The waitress didn’t directly answer, but instead said Malai Kitchen was mentioned as a top brunch spot in Dallas in a recent issue of D Magazine. My boyfriend and I immediately looked at each other and sighed, with spring approaching and a D Magazine accolade the crowds were soon to come and the serenity of this brunch would only be a memory.
Happy Hour Specials: $5 specialty cocktails, $5 select wine, $3 select beer Monday - Friday 4:00pm to 7:00pm and all day Sunday
If dining for dinner I recommend the Pad Kee Mow or the Iron Pot Chicken Curry. Sitting at the bar is a great experience and the bartenders are the friendly type that can easily be befriended as a confident for any desiring regulars. But creating my own Cheers scenario will have to be put on hold as I am on a mission to eat through Dallas! -SJ
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