Tyler TX Facebook

Follow Donny on Twitter

Username:
Password:
  Remember Me   Forgot password?  Register
0-9  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  

Find or Refer a Contractor in Tyler

Julian’s Asian Diner

August 10th, 2011

Julians Restaurant
 

Julian’s is an asian diner located in the Time Square shopping center in Tyler TX that has been in Tyler for seven years, changing management and remodeling once in October of 2009. Julians has been a popular Tyler dinner spot for years. The food is good, well cooked and with unique flavor  that distinguishes it from an average asian food restaurant. The food may be above average but that doesn’t apply to most other aspects of the restaurant.

The low lighting is nice and helps provide a calm atmosphere but it doesn’t completely distract from from the minimal lame wall decor or awkward arrangement in my opinion. However, the bar is pretty decent, it’s in a separate room entirely from the dining area and has an even darker sleeker feel than the restaurant. As of recently Julians has started doing drink specials with Texas Tuesdays and Monday Martinis for six dollars.

The good thing about the food though, is that in addition to be being flavorful and well made of good ingredients it is also not too expensive as long as you go at lunch or if you’re content with Julian’s exceptional fried rice a half order is only $5.50 and despite being a half it amounts to a decent meal.

But if you’re interested in something a little more substantial they have a very good honey seared chicken which is lightly battered and wok fired in a honey soy sauce with garlic. If you’re looking for s meal specifically healthy or even vegetarian then I suggest one of Julian’s health bowls such as the Apex Shrimp Bowl consisting of shrimp, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms and ginger or the Tofu bowl for the vegetarians.

Julians has good features, but it has not always had an excellent reputation for cleanliness, although it’s certainly not always the case. The service has been good as far as I’ve seen and the wait for food acceptable. However, the wait for a table can be long on certain nights so time your arrival well. The restaurant may not pull off the upscale look perfectly but the food is considered upscale for Tyler’s asian food scale which admittedly is not large.

Ate at Pancho Panda today, they have both Mexican and Chinese cuisine and a buffet

January 5th, 2011

Mexican Chinese buffet in Tyler Texas

Pancho Panda
3841 Hwy 64 West
Tyler, TX 75704
Phone: 903-593-9200
Hours of Business:
Monday – Sunday: 11:00am to 9:00pm

I am one of those people that is  little scared of gong into a buffet and if it weren’t for others in my family that enjoy the occasional buffet I would never go.

I think of things like sick people coughing into the food that are in the buffet line and stupid things like that but isn’t that why they have a plexiglass shield guard so that doesn’t happen?

Well Pancho Panda has the plexi glass guard to protect the buffet food and under that glass are both mexican food entrees and chinese food.

Thinking of the combination of Mexican food and Chinese food never wets my appetite but my brother wanted me to try this place out so me and a few other guys went in to give it a shot.

I was surprised to find out that the restaurant wasn’t half bad. The enchiladas, crunchy tacos and quesadillas all tasted pretty good.

I also tried some Chinese food. I got the bourbon chicken, an egg roll, and some fried rice. I was pleased with the Chinese food as well.

cream cheese won tonsFor desert I had some jello squares and cream cheese fried won tons. The fried won tons were ok bu they are the seafood kind. I was hoping it would just have cream cheese in them without the seafood but that is hardly ever the case.

Well anyway this place wasn’t half bad. I am ok with this place and I think if you are a buffet person you will want to give them a try.

Will I go back here by myself? Probably not, I am just not into buffets and probably never will be. When comparing buffets in Tyler Texas though this takes on of the top spots. Take this review for what it is worth coming from someone who normally does not choose a buffet restaurant as a place to eat at.

Basil Thai Cafe in Tyler

January 31st, 2010

Basil Thai Cafe

1700 S SE loop 323
Suite 102
Tyler
75701
Tel: 903 504 5999

In an unlikely location in a strip mall behind McDonalds and Burger King you will find a hidden treasure – Basil Thai – Tyler’s only authentic Thai eatery.

Basil Thai in Tyler TX

Basil Thai in Tyler TX

It is called a ‘cafe’ for a reason that is obvious when you walk in – this is no spot for a romantic meal for two. The ambiance is non-existent, it is brightly lit with fluorescent lights in the ceiling, there is a TV in one corner, you order from the counter and the customer is responsible for getting their own drinks and silverware. There is no alcohol served.

But if it is good Asian food you are looking for, and lots of it, this has to be near the top of the list. Basil Thai serves appetizers such as egg rolls and edamame, Thai soups, salads, noodle dishes, curries and lots of different rice dishes with shrimp, salmon, chicken or beef.

As we approached Basil Thai Cafe we were greeted by the most delicious smells. The place was very spartan as I have already described and it was quite cold but it is clean and the food is served on china plates and chopsticks are available which is a bonus. The staff are very friendly and helpful and the menu has descriptions of the ingredients used in each dish for those unfamiliar with Thai food.

The entrees we chose were all under $10 and for that price you get a really big plate of delicious food. The ingredients were fresh – even down to the pineapple and the freshly toasted cashews in the fried rice. The Jasmine rice and rice noodles were wonderful and the vegetables were also crisp and plentiful. Even the Thai tea was good. The owners and chefs are Thai themselves and so the food is very authentic. Two of our party had been to Thailand and found the same flavors we had experienced there represented in the dishes served here in Tyler. However, instead of using parts from the whole chicken as they do in Thailand, the chefs here cooked us only the best chicken breast – definitely a good adjustment to the traditional methods in my mind! We liked the idea of ‘spicy ratings’ for the curries – very accommodating for the Texas palate – you can choose one star, two or three. One star is described as a tingling sensation, two is a stimulating kick and three is a raging fire! I chose two stars which was really quite warm, perhaps the 3 stars should be reserved just for the true ethnically Thai consumers.

I think the reputation of Basil Thai is catching on – we had the last available table last Friday night and the turnover of customers was quite fast. I also noted that there were several families there. Fried rice and noodles are a good option for hungry children.

My overall impressions are that this is a good place for a good fast feed. It isn’t in itself an evening’s entertainment despite the slightly exotic food but is good if you are going somewhere afterwards. Alternatively you could order a take-out and have it at home. You can phone in an order any time. I think I will do that whenever I have a craving for a taste of the Orient!

P To The King

January 8th, 2010

Prepare yourself for an adventure into a foreign land, exotic smells, tastes and people await you in this Asian utopia of flavor. As you enter it is important not to let the dingy walls and ceilings discourage you. For the dinge is but a badge of honor, received through the service of the many customers who left that wonderful place with hearts content and stomachs full of what was probably chicken. No need to worry about difficulty ordering, it won’t be hindered by the language barrier, if anything it’s more like a language ferry, a ferry of charming grammatical mistakes and adorable accents ready to float you across the river of semantics and into the world of sesame chicken and fried rice.

In a hurry? Then feel free to try their world class drive through, but be prepared to wait in line at lunch time, Peking is pretty popular with the hospital lunch crowd. Yes, Tyler should be very proud to have this one of a kind restaurant, adorned with tapestries and golden cats it has a level of sophistication that’s absent from most other Tyler Texas restaurants and should you happen to feel unsafe swallowing such big pieces of food with those little sticks than look no further than the back door, where the thoughtful owners have given you instructions for rescuing your asphyxiating, chop stick impaired friends. So if Asian cuisine is what you want look no further than Peking restaurant. It’s way better than stupid Shoguns.