Kampong, or kampung, is Indonesian and Malaysian for “village.”
This modern spin on quaint, traditional dishes is just the ticket for your taste buds. A definite smiley-faced win for all!
You’ll sit down, get tended to immediately – possibly by the owner herself! She was wonderful, sweet, and had the best recommendations from the menu. She even made me something off menu!
You’ll find Kampong in a mid-sized strip mall area in Richardson, Texas – just a few minutes north of Dallas. Why Richardson? Well, both Mom and the Beau work in Richardson, wonderfully close to this Asian fusion establishment. Spring Break allowed me the opportunity to munch out here.
Kampong Asian Fusion 720 E Campbell Rd
Ste 430
Richardson, TX 75081
There are multiple businesses in the area, including ARGO Data, ID games, and C.H. Robinson. With so many built-in customers, this swanky establishment would surely experience chaos between 12-2pm. Oddly enough, that wasn’t the case when mom and I stopped by for a bit o’ lunch.
Yellow Curry with Pineapple
We sat and had our tickets in to the kitchen within 4 minutes. Speedy service on a 1 hour lunch limit – LOVE it!
The lunch menu is not ridiculously long, which I can appreciate. Show me too many foodie-loving options and my tummy can’t decide on a dish. Ugh.
Kampong has a great range! Sushi, Curry, Noodles, Rice dishes – yummo!
I was craving Pad See Ew, not a menu item. Instead, she offered a Malaysian version of my favorite noodle dish.
You’ll notice there is only a hint of green in this dish. It was savory, but lacked veggies. I asked for a side of broccoli and was happily met with an entire head of broccoli. So yes…we definitely had leftovers.
The dishes were quite large, especially for lunch portions.
Mom ordered her standard yellow chicken curry, with pineapple chunks.
Everything was delicious!
Mmmm!
We will most assuredly be back!
Grab a bite at Kampong. You’re sure to be impressed!
I keep seeing pinspirational messages. Subliminal hints from my subconscious to write more, run more, laugh more, cook more.
It’s almost as if someone is purposefully making me run across these peppy suggestions. Then this came along…
It’s genius, don’t you agree? (not to mention, super cute & nerdy! – Find it at domandhyo.com)
As it so happens, one of the beau’s besties (broskis, if you will) invited us to Jin’s Korean BBQ
3420 Ave K
Ste 200
Plano, TX75074
– a funky, yet modern twist on traditional Korean dishes.
It’s all you can eat for $30….and this joint is bumpin’!
This was definitely not expected…
The acoustics in here are lacking, so it felt like a night club, with all the lights on. Aca-awkward.
Yep, that’s one of the few things I would change.
The food was decent, but the atmosphere was not vibing well with me.
Once you get past the bright lights, big beef feel of the place – you can scour the menu and prepare to eat a veritable smorgasbord of Korean yumminess!
Excuse the plate, but check out the grill!
There are some dishes (like kimchi pancakes) that the kitchen cooks before having them sent to your table. Every table has a grill, with manual heat control, to cook the various meat dishes from the menu.
There are about 29 items to choose from and are paired with several vegetable sides (mostly pickled), which remain on the table and are periodically re-filled.
Hot TABLE!Veggie Fest!
Every plate comes with its own set of tongs, making you the awesome habachi chef! There’s not much room to flip anything around, lest you get pork juice on a neighbor or fellow restauranteur.
Which is exactly what may have happened here….
I’ve discovered that I am not a great fan of pickled dishes. A shame, according to my TJ (pictured above). He firmly believes everything is better with kimchi – and mybeau agrees. I just don’t get what all the cabbage fuss is about.
Thin Pork Belly – DELISH!
My favorite dishes were the savory bulgogi and the spicy hot wings.
Yep, they have hot wings. Sweet, with a subtle fire-alarm hot sauce that sneaks up on your taste buds and kicks them in the face!
Scrumptious!
What I learned –
Korean food, traditionally, does not carry several spices. Instead, the meat is served freshly sliced and ready to grill. It’s a serious departure from the slathering of sauces and overwhelming spices that many other cultures tend to use. So naturally, I found the lack of flavor odd. Not bad but, something was – quite literally – missing.
There was no salt or pepper available, nothing other than the pickled veggies to give my taste buds refuge.
We will likely visit these hot-plate tables again. If not for the food, at least the company. These tables are perfect for groups and entertainment. We had a barrel of laughs and then some more. Muahahaha!
DALLAS is gorgeous under snow and ice. But snow is better. The slick death on roads scares the Oreos out of me. Skidding on black ice is terrible. Ugh.
Early this morning, the weather was in the 70s. Then BAM! 22 degrees, feeling like 8.
Freezing temperatures were pushed aside as we bundled up and drifted to brunch. [Thankfully, I’m pretty pro at the penguin walk and did not have to slide around too much on the ice.]
We took the beau’s parents to Meso Maya and boy was it a hit!
The plating could use some help, but the overall flavor of this dish was definitely above average. We may have to chat about the amount of toppings though…
Great job this time around ladies and gents! Truly. Four out of five stars. The few lacking areas of our meal were missing potatoes in my Huevos Borrachos (need that starch to balance out the chorizo) and the faux pas with the coffee. It leaned toward the bland side and was not consistent. Some brews were a few shades above water. The food was so tasty and piping hot today. Oh! The Mexican toast was quite yummy. Must admit, I was pretty impressed.
The service was great and the atmosphere was welcoming, toasty & just delicious!
Mostly – Bravo, Meso Maya! I love the improvement and look forward to what tweaks you’ll be making next. Bring on the tasting!
I got duped into thinking we were heading to Meso Maya, but we landed at the window here – right behind Meso Maya.
Now, I judge a Mexican food establishment on several factors, but my main three are:
1. Chips & Salsa
2. Tacos
3. Authenticity of the flavors
Since this fitchick is trying to shed the unruly pounds that managed to suck themselves back on my sassy self, I decided to munch a salad. The menu stated “mixed greens, choose the meat.” Ok. Awesome.
NO.
Not awesome.
We had to order and pay for chips and a few ounces of salsa. No joke, here. These chips are made in-house at Meso Maya (Delish? Totes!) but…they’re FREE. As all chips & salsa should be at Latin-food restaurants. Seriously, what are they trying to play at here?
Strike one.
Apparently, mixed greens means shredded ice berg lettuce. Certainly not this kitchen cook’s favorite. I chose bistek (steak, according to the window menu) and ended up with a sloppy salad in a dog bowl. The bistek was chewy, mostly fat and kinda burned. The steamed rice added to the bowl pushed it further into life support and the black beans, surely there to stick to the roof of my mouth…were nothing to alert the media over. Definitely not ok.
Strike two.
According to the beau, the tacos were ok. But they’re not great.
For $40, the 8 corn tortillas with slim fillings (plus my pathetic salad) were not worth this moo-lah.
Overpriced Mexican food, we’re pretty used to that in DFW – so I can’t strike them out here. They’re on par with other sub-par locations. I’ve gotta give them that. They know their market. Too bad they can’t reach a wider demographic.
I was quite disappointed with this Meso Maya sibling.
“Total bummer” might begin to describe it.
Hoping for a turn-around at this taco joint,
CerebellumChef
This somewhat pint-sized establishment packs a big punch, when the chef is on his game.
It’s not too tiny, an occupancy of nearly 125 – including the adorable open-air atrium.
Truly, not sure how we missed it before.
Mid-size menu with a variety of Latin options
It’s located off the frontage road, right next to El Fenix [a review for another time, avoid all but the original], across from The Perot. This block has 3 restaurants on it – Meso Maya, El Fenix & La Ventana…a trio of Latin fusion.
Meso Maya may be a hidden gem. We’ve been twice, last week and today, and – both times – the restaurant was considerably empty. There is no lack of service, as there are several waiters and an eager hostess ready to sit you the moment she sees you. Super friendly. Like her bunches!
We sat and placed drink orders all around. The coffee was nothing special, but they do serve the milk/creamer in a super cute mini-milk bottle, about three inches tall. Sadly, that doesn’t make up for the average cup o’ joe.
Their brunch menu boasts $2 mimosas, bloody marys and sangrias.
We tried all three. The mimosa and bloody mary need some serious help. The orange juice is bitter and so is the champagne, leaving nothing for the palate to enjoy except the tingly sensation. I tried my first BM here last week and was less-than pleased. It’s a tinged-blood orange color, much like rusty water – which is exactly what it tastes like.
Sangria wins, hands down!
Now, I’m not new to having alcohol with my brunch, but after trying several drinks at multiple locations, I decided that maybe it isn’t for me. I can’t be fancy and eat my eggs with wine, beer or champagne. They get lost in the flavor of the alcohol and then I’m pissed-off because my brunch is flavorless. Eww, right?
[On another note, if your dish can’t stand up to a little ol’ liquor, maybe it wasn’t as wonderful as I thought.]
The beau cleared things up for me here. He said “the sangria and mimosa are for pre-gaming. You drink them with the chips and salsa, then move onto your dish when it comes out. Leave the alcohol alone. It’s delicious.”
Well, he may have a point. I’ll test his theory another time.
Take my advice, steer clear of the cheap drinks here. You’ll thank me for it later.
You can however, proceed to shove copious amounts the their house-made chips and salsa down your eager gullet.
Ooo-la-la!
Note to you – if you are at a Mexican restaurant and their chips and salsa are bad…it’s highly likely that your dish will be any better. These chips, my friends, are wonderful. They are not greasy, perfectly crispy and “mouth-sized,” as they take a tortilla and slice it multiple times.
This salsa is glorious. Tomatoes, salt, pepper, poblanos, onions and just the right salt/pepper ratio.
It’s nothing short of addictive – consider yourself warned!
If you eat too many of these, you’ll be hating yourself (calorie-wise) and wishing you hadn’t when your chosen dish finally makes it to you.
I think these chips are so damn good, because of how insanely long it takes to receive your food. Chief complaint.
We ordered an appetizer, to stave off the hunger. It looks wonderful, but was a total flop.
The coagulated cheese received was beyond difficult to cut through and the spinach, though a cute pop of color, was lifeless. No flavor. The chorizo and sauteed mushrooms were an afterthought. The real show-stopper here was the amount of oil in this mozzarella party. So gross. Not even the yummy tortillas could save this queso.
Queso Fundido
When our food finally came, about 35 minutes later, everything looked scrumptious. Sadly, it was a serious Monet effect.
My dish was the Huevos Borrachos – cubed potatoes, diced poblanos, mozzarella and chorizo scrambled up in fluffy eggs. Its sidekicks? White rice and black beans. Neither of which you could go wrong with here, except that this dish was also leaning more toward cold than warm. Semi-cold eggs are quite disgusting. Don’t believe me? Make some, then let them sit for about fifteen minutes. Enjoy the grossness. I warned you.
“Monet” – looks great, tastes average.
Last week I tried this same dish and loved it. Today it was a semi-cold disaster. Maybe the chef was different today? Please bring the other one back, if that’s the case.
We also tried Los Benedicts – which are, unfortunately, nothing to write home about. My favorite part of this dish was the perfectly poached egg that sat atop the brisket basket. The brisket was a bit slimey and too stringy. The amount of sauce is negligible, which I prefer, but whatever it was marinated in needs to be tossed out!
Chipotle Hollandaise…Imposter!
This Benedictine tragedy appeared on our table. The chipotle is barely discernible in the hollandaise, considerable masked by the less-than barbeque it underneath it. The biscuit was toasty, which made for a nice texture difference – the only good thing this dish had going for it. Poor guy.
We were terribly full, the chips did their work here. Delectable corn chip treats. YUM!
Planning on leaving, the waiter stepped in and asked if we’d like dessert. Horrible person!
He suggested the chocolate cake, and I went weak at the knees. Of course we ordered it!
Just unzip your pants now…
What a glorious combination of chocolate torte, delicate strawberries and vanilla-corn ice cream.
Yes, I said vanilla-corn. Try it once – the addition is not nearly as gross as you might think. The corn kernels add a unique crunch and texture to the ice cream, but I could have done without the corn taste.
This cakey goodness was soft and gooey. Just the right amount of thick chocolate sauce, but not too fudgey. There was no overwhelming chocolate taste here. Balanced by the vanilla ice cream, the souffle-like cake practically melts on your tongue. Cheers, to the pastry chef!
We clearly hated this…
  Overall, I give Meso Maya a 6 out of 10. Their made tortillas and chips are a gift from chef genius. Just wonderful. However, their dishes are not consistently great – which is quite unfortunate. The service is above average, though the length of time it takes to receive your main course is much too long. especially for a slow Sunday morning.
Their chocolate cake is worth a dessert run, but their dishes need work.
McKinney Ave Chicken sausage, Broccoli & Onions all enveloped in a scrumptious scramble
I got to ring in my favorite month with none other than my Mama Bear!
We’ve had a long-standing Sunday Brunch date for the past few years just to catch up on weekly adventures and so I could vent about whatever wickedness my professors were throwing my way. -.o
We do our best to keep the date, but sometimes things get in the way.
This holiday season, I am thankful for such a wonderful year. This totes includes you, my wonderful readers! Thank you for sticking with me on my fitventures. Much love to you!
My family spent Thanksgiving in my neck of the woods this year and I luurved every. single. second. When the giggles, mini-munckins and hugs drove away, I was left all alone. this meant two things
1. I had plenty of peace & quiet to study for the GRE on Tuesday
2. There was an overstock of turkey but not nearly enough pancakes.
– Enter Mom.
She whisked me away to Breadwinners this morning for brunchy business.
I enjoyed the McKinney Ave. Mom munched on the Chicken Fajitas.
Which, oddly enough…weren’t really fajitas. They looked much more like chicken breast pieces. Nonetheless, she raved about it. Unfortunately, we both forgot that we usually share our dishes with the beaus, so we had lots of leftovers.
Chicken Fajitas
Sadly, the tortillas were sorely undercooked on Mom’s plate.
The McKinney avenue really surprised me though! I normally don’t like chicken sausage, but this dish swayed me completely! It was wonderful!
If you’re in the Dallas area, you’ve got to check this location out in Uptown!
A solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Now, lesson plans for my students and picking up the beau at the airport. He comes home today! YAY!
This week…adventures in getting rid of holiday weight.
Be sure to check in for some yummy recipes and several laughs (possible even snorts)!
