Dallas Restaurant & Bar

Lunching at Dallas yesterday and it the 1st time we are sitting at the 3rd floor (there was a function at the 2nd floor).  Nice decor a bit warm, maybe that becos we are sitting near to the balcony's door.

The staffs were very busy as all 3 levels are packed but still the staffs were prompt in attending to our request.

Foods ordered were well done, but serving is a bit slow (maybe that due to the crowd but there a need to be faster).

Chicken Tikka - perfectly blend with the mint sauce

Wagyu Burger - although need to add additional $6 but still worth the amount, the buns was crispy from outside and soft internally, the patty is tender.  Love the fries.  Care to share the recipe?

Cobb Salad - Very generous in the serving.  Very fresh.

 

Good food, good service and value for price!!!  Must go!  If couple who prefer quiet place, pls reserve 2nd or 3rd floor seating.  Trust me, you will love the food!  Just went last Friday and even entitle 20% early bird discount coz before we went before 7pm :-)

 

 

And it's spelled Fajitas. Absolutely gorgeous! I even had a talk with the owner, Jason and asked him how he managed such a wicked beef fajitas. He wouldn't tell me of course! LOL.
Oh they have a really nice website too. You should go see.
I think I've found a great place to hang out with my lads.

it was a pleasent surprise for me and my close friend. happen to chance upon this place n thought of trying out. however, after reading several reviews, i was half hearted. nevertheless i went ahead n make an reservation. i was rather surprised to have got a reply re: the confirmation of my booking via email within 10minutes. it was about 10minutes walk from clarke quay, rather accessible and easy to locate. upon reaching the restaurant, it was packed on the ourside and on level one. was rather disturbed by the heavy smell of cigarettes. level 2 (which i made an reservation for a window seat) was cosy n quiet. we had our own space to chill. service was prompt. food was up to expectations except for the grilled chicken penne pasta. it wasnt as ideal as how it was recommended. tasted more like a drier version of aglio olio. my friend was surprised by the bilingual birthday song and the cake served by the staff. on the whole, it was an enjoyable trip there n we've enjoyed our dinner. this a definately a place i would consider n recommend for couple's night out, or birthday celebration!

It was my friend's birthday. Having read all the nice reviews about this restuarant, I recommended this to my friend to celebrate her birthday.

She made a reservation 2 days before. Imagine our horror when we arrived, they told us that we did not make any reservations. The waiter who picked up my friend's call did not note down the reservation!

The waiters told us that they will try to get us a table upstairs. However, they took their own sweet time and did not inform us frequently, making us wait like fools and going up to ask if our table is ready.

In the end, they sat 8 girls in front of their bar, with small round tables, with not enough space to even place 2 plates. When we were walking up to their toilets, we found empty tables and before we left, the tables were still empty! They could have sat us there if their customers are coming late.

We ordered ribs, and the ribs were not fantastic. In fact, it tasted like cartel ribs but more expensive. The appetizers that came with the main course was a pathetic portion. Might as well not have it. Desserts were horrible as well, the soft brownie was hard and tasteless, cheesecake is tasteless as well.

Before sitting down, I asked one of the waitress if they have anything for the birthday as we were celebrating the birthday for one of our girlfriends. She told me they do have, but even when we left, we did not see anything special from them.

What made the dining experience worst was that one of the customers was smoking in the restaurant! I asked the waiter if he can asked the guy to stop smoking, the waiter actually told me that is the smoking area! Please note, taken from NEA, smoking is prohibited :

a) such part of the outdoor refreshment area of the discotheque, pub, bar, lounge or night club not exceeding 20% of the total floor area of that outdoor refreshment area; and

(b) any enclosed and independently ventilated room not exceeding 10% of the total indoor refreshment area of the discotheque, pub, bar, lounge or night club.

The area we were dining in was indoor and the area where the guy was found smoking was not enclosed, it was part of the restaurant where we were all dining in. In fact, he was sitting near the corridor and right behind him, there is a no smoking sign!

I will never come back to this restaurant again, given the service and the food. My girlfriends will never come back again as well.

All in all, dining experience here was HORRIBLE!

Decided to head to Dallas for my boyf birthday since I read up so much good reviews on this place…

The place was easy to find. Probably one of the most happening place boat quay. It’s just located beside Harry’s. The bar is below and you can see people chilling around there. Told the staff we made a reservation and we were brought up to level 2 to get seated.

First impression when I enter 2nd floor was “wow”… We were given a big table(for 4, instead of 2). The lighting was quite dim so I thought pretty romantic. Place was really cozy and I like it a lot. And the view outside was nice.. Facing towards VCH.

Heard so much reviews about the ribs. So I ordered 1/2 rack of Berry Ribs to try. My boyf ordered Dallas Fajitas & we also ordered the Dallas Platter to share.

For the Dallas Platter, I really like the cheese quesadillas!! Im a great fan of cheese and I totally love it because it’s super cheesy and it really smells nice. I thought the calamari was a little over-fried? My boyf didn’t even know that he was eating calamari. The chicken wing taste just nice. They also have 3 different sauces for you to dip. And yes, I love the cheese sauce. Goes very well with the cheese quesadillas.

Dallas Fajitas is something I would recommend. Again, there are 4 different sauces given, together with the tortillas and the beef slices. The beef was very very good!!!! It was juicy and once you bite on it, the smell starts to spread and it was shiok! It taste better with the sauces and tortillas! But it was a little wasteful if you eat with the tortillas because you can’t really taste the original taste of the beef. My boyf didn’t want to waste the beef slices so he ate it really slowly.

The berry ribs were so-so. I thought it was a little too over-rated. There wasn’t much sauce over the ribs. I expected the ribs to be sweet but it was almost tasteless… I thought I was just eating normal oven-baked ribs. Not very well marinated… Thought it’s supposed to be the signature dish? Oh well, maybe I should try the Fiery Ribs next time… But my boyf love the fatty part of the ribs because they tasted really soft.

Everything was good until the billing time… Thought there was a 20% for UOB cards but when we asked the waitress, she told us there was only a 15% discount… Totally got the information wrong… Even the webpage say there is a 20% discount!!!! So we decided to use Citibank card instead which got 20%. Went back home and found out that the discount was given wrongly? There should be a 20% discount for all a-la carte food menu so I email Dallas if the starters is categorized under a-la carte and I was told YES…. So I continue to write in and I was then told that 20% is only available to main course?!!??!?! But I was too lazy to bother anymore, so eventually I give up!!!

Overall, it was a so-so dining experience. I really love the ambience over at Dallas. It was very romantic, great for couples. Food portion was also generous. Great for me as im a big eater. I couldn’t mind going back but I wish the staff could be well-informed about the promotions etc. Quite disappointed that the staff weren’t well-trained..

Hope the next time I visit, it would be better.

When I first heard that Dallas was a pub cum restaurant located at Boat Quay, my first thoughts were - a hole in the wall at toutsville? Yikes. I must admit that I don't really have that great an impression of the rather lacklustre cousin of Clarke Quay. When you put these two places side by side to compare, BQ somehow comes across as boorish and dull as compared to the shiny dazzling CQ.

I was however pleasantly surprised when I entered Dallas. The restaurant was classy, with a capital C. The pub downstairs was bright and beckoning for a drink before dinner and the 2nd floor was intimate without being intimidating. Y'know what I mean? Comfortable without being stifling or straining. That sort of versatility offers it as a good place for a quiet dinner for two or a cheery group dinner.

We were in the latter category, which gave us good reasons to try a variety of dishes on the menu. An all-rounder starter was the Dallas Platter, which allowed us to sample an assortment of its BBQ wings, calamari, chicken and cheese quesedillas. The wings were well-made and flavourful and the calamari had a nice crisp crunch. It was a prelude to the wonderful mains that were coming up.

The Dallas Fajitas was a DIY dish of beef slices that you can wrap in warm tortillas and embellish with thick guacamole, tangy salsa or caramelised onions.

I don't really remember much about the roasted crispy chicken, which means it's probably normal but not spectacular. The chunky fries were good though, sharp crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

The sausages and creamy mash potato was drenched in a savoury onion gravy, which thankfully enhanced their taste, and not engulfed them.

My fav dish for that night was unexpectedly and surprisingly the roast chicken and penne pasta. The pasta was done al dente and would put any good Italian restaurant to shame! With a good smattering of chilli, garlic and Parmesan cheese shavings, the penne managed to absorb the smooth olive oil and glistens in it. It definitely ranks right up there for me.

We couldn't leave without trying their very popular Baby Black Berry ribs and I'm glad we had it. The meat was so soft and tender that it fell off the bone with an easy swig of the knife. It was evenly marinated in a sweet BBQ sauce and braised to perfection. My only qualm? It could do with less sweetness to allow the hearty flavour of the meat to come through.

We were there to celebrate three of our girlfriends' birthdays. Yay to Dallas for giving the birthday girls desserts and even offering to sing a birthday song for them! That is what I call customer service!

I can't go without admitting that Dallas has single-handedly boosted my impression of BQ. With its generous portions and delicious offerings, it is D-place to go for hearty Tex-Mex style food. I definitely don't mind stepping into BQ territory again for a taste of Dallas.

For more pics, refer to http://wildrocketing.blogspot.com/2009/11/tex-mex.html

Went there to celebrate boyfriend's birthday. Prior to that, made a reservation with a lady name Jacylyn through several emails. She was patient enough. =)

I felt that the bar was quite nice actually. but since we are dining, we proceed to the second level. The stairs railing paint was coming out ald. Guess the management should do something about it. My hand gained some rusts from there thou. They checked for my reservation again at level 2 and had to set the table. It was alright because we were happy that time and it doesn’t irritate us even if it was about 10mins wait.

The dining area is comfortable, could be a romantic or noisy place depending on the crowd. There were about 3 groups of at least 6 guest for each group and it was practically 'Vibrant'. Would be even better if we sat by the window. The TV which was screening soccer matches kept boyfriend entertained as well. He was basically trilled when he saw the TV, guess it was more attractive than me!

The menu was extensive, boyfriend wanted to order the set dinner but because I know that Dallas will be giving us complimentary cake, I convince him to order ala Carte. We ordered the Dallas Platter for 2 $14 and Baby back ribs (Full rack)$28. The platter came first. Would grade it 8/10 because one of the wings were burnt. The calamari was tender and juicy but not crispy enough. Chicken n nachos wrap was great, no complaints for it!

Baby back ribs was a bit dry but overall still acceptable 7/10. The huge portion of wedges made us full to the max! The water was being refilled timely; the waitress was nice and sweet. Very young, I would comment. When they cleared the plates, we had to wait a bit long before the cake was served. Boyfriend didn’t know the surprise and kept rushing me to leave. I had to use my camera to make him stay! haha! Then the cake came, they were nice to sing the birthday songs to boyfriend. Strawberry sauce on cheesecake! Boyfriend's Fave! Although there were 3 birthdays going on that day, and all served the same cheesecake and sing the same birthday song, the gesture was being appreciated. =)

The bill came up to $40. Very cheap for birthday dinner! haha! (20% disc for Ala carte and 10% for set dinner) Overall it was a nice sweet birthday date for boyfriend. He enjoyed it so that was enough for me. I guess its just what you are looking for, the food, the Ambience, the value or the service. They didn’t score full in all aspects but well enough for an enjoyable dining experience! Thank you Dallas! =)

*Camera lost focus and failed in the mission, sry for unclear photos!

Decided to come by Dallas Restaurant for our dinner just before Ennio Marchette’s performance at the Victoria Concert Hall a hop, skip and jump away from Boat Quay. We were led by the waitress up onto the 2nd floor to dine in the comfort of the air-conditioned indoors away from the humid weather at the al fresco riverside and the rambunctious expatriates having their after-work drinks at the 1st level bar. The restaurant was very nicely decked out with red cushions on brown plush sofas, black leather seats and white table cloths. It smelt of contemporary chic. Pity what could be a nice ambient dining was marred by the loud music coming from the raucous party up on level 3.

Enticed by the value for money 3 course dinner set at $28++, we went for it.

For Starters, there’s a choice of soup of the day which was carrot soup served with ciabatta bread, Chilli corn fritters topped with roasted tomatoes or Warm salad of smoked salmon and Pancetta served with avocadoes and French dressing. We had the corn fritter which came in a small crispy piece. The salad of smoked salmon and briny bacon bits were gratifying with the arugula leaves. Both starters were so-so, nothing to write home about.

For the mains, we were spoilt for choice with items like Cajun Spiced Chicken Burger, Beef Fajita, Wagyu Burger, Baby Back Pork Ribs done either in Berri or Fiery, Pan-Fried Red Snapper with Lemon and Rigatoni with Aubergine.

Well, we definitely knew that Baby Back Ribs is THE must try here, no questions about it and I can see why. Guys, the juiciness and tenderness of the ribs were not myths. Those were truths. The dinner set serves half a rack of ribs that were very well marinated and yummy! The meats were easily cleaved from the bones with just a scrape of the knife. The potato wedges which came as the side were crispy and satisfying as well. This was truly the star of the evening.

Now, I was quite determined not to have a satiated dinner. Hence I decided on the Red Snapper for my main course. I was veritably taken aback by the charred lemon on my fish when it came (kindly refer to exhibit #5). I banished it aside for the sight of it was distasteful. The flesh of the fish was undoubtedly fresh with no hint of fishiness. However, I do find the course rather bland. I had to smear the fish with chilli sauce meant for the wedges for some flavour. Even the bed of soft mashed potato the fish laid in was naked without any gravy. I liked the fresh leafy spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing on the side though; it was fantastic for some munch.

Dessert came with no option. Only 1 item was listed on the menu and it was the Strawberries in Cointreau topped with double cream and chocolate curls. Hm. Honestly, I was disappointed when this was served. Seriously, fanciful names aside, this was just some sliced strawberries arranged prettily in a glass of much diluted alcohol with cream and chocolate shavings. I was not impressed.

We asked the waitress whether one of the desserts could be changed to other sweet treat available and she was kind enough to oblige. Haven’t had cheesecake in the longest time and since they have it here, I thought why not. What had me dribbling like a baby and making sounds like “oohh and aahhh” at the slightest possibility of indulgence in the rich creamy cheesecake is now only an afterthought, ever since I found the company of equally drool-worthy desserts. Alas! Dallas’ cheesecake failed to make the mark. The base was too crumbly and soft. There was only a subtle hint of cheesiness in the cake. I guess the only saving grace was that the cake was creamy enough. Sigh.

Set dinner includes coffee/tea which we declined. There was also 20% off when patrons dine at 2nd or 3rd level before 730pm.

The non-native waitresses were very friendly and served with smiles on their faces. One of them even rushed downstairs to inform the kitchen when I wanted to change one of my orders after 5 minutes or so. But in my defence, there was no staff stationed in the dining hall and we were desperately waiting for someone to walk by so we might catch his/her attention. One of us had to cross the long hallway to get the waitress in the pantry after waiting in vain. This happened again when we wanted them to clear our table after the main courses and serve our desserts. No one came by to check on us at all. It was really a chore to walk up and down when what we wanted was just to have a relaxing meal.

I must say Dallas fell short of expectations given the raving reviews here. If not for the baby back pork ribs, I’d say it was a dinner I’d prefer to forget about. I wouldn’t mind coming back for the fiery ribs and maybe have the calamari so enthused by one of the reviewers. Crossing my fingers they will not disappoint.

dallas changes their set menu every month. their dinner set consists of an appetizer/salad/soup, main course, dessert n coffee/tea.

i brought my gf to dallas for her bd celebration n we both had a great time. i'm sure she'll be bringing her frens to dallas again soon. => the food was delightful as usual but i preferred the sep dessert of chocolate n coffee ice cream w sliced bananas, whipped cream n almond flakes. almost heavenly. hee.

too bad we were there on a PH eve, thus we did not get the 20% early bird discount. they have HH for beers n wine, a real gd deal if u ask me. i cant wait to head there again in dec. maybe my bf can plan smthg special for me in dec. hee.