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Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Pei Wei co-founder to launch Bengal Coast, new Indian fusion concept, in Centrum Building in Dallas

By Teresa Gubbins

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DALLAS — Bengal Coast, set to open to the public the week after Christmas, is a unique new concept from Mark Brezinski, a co-founder of Pei Wei Asian Diner and Tin Star. Intriguing on a number of levels:

1. Is the general public ready to embrace Indian food?

2. The menu isn't strictly Indian but is instead a fusion of a bunch of Asian-Indian-y flavors.

3. Cool that the prototype is starting out in Dallas -- specifically, it's going into the space in the Centrum Building that was previously occupied by the DeNovo Spa, which moved to a new location on Hall Street.

4. The concept does a new spin on the fast-casual format: About 1/4 of the room will be fast-casual, and the other 3/4 of the place -- 120 seats -- will be regular sit-down service.

The menu is described as "incorporating flavors from South Asia and Thailand with an American approach". The Web site lists Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and India, with dishes such as:

  • Calcutta beef noodles (grilled flank steak infused with cinnamon, smoked chiles, and star anise, served over egg noodles with red pepper and zucchini);
  • vegetable roast roti (thinly sliced grilled zucchini, eggplant, and paneer, shaved fennel, roasted corn chutney, tomato onion relish);
  • Thai tropical curry bowl (sliced chicken in a spicy red curry sauce, Thai chile, lemongrass, and ginger, tossed with red papper, Thai basil, pineapple, and shiitake mushroom);
  • skewered Malaysian shrimp salad (grilled shrimp, mango, charred pineapple, butter and red leaf lettuce, tossed wi th sweet curry vinaigrette and crispy shallots).

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Comments

Billusa99

Billusa99 Anonymous

We looked through the windows at the space when we were at The Club a few weeks back -- they are right across from each other. It looked very nice.

I wonder how fast casual will do with zero fast street parking around there?

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

DC

DC Anonymous

Hopefully this place will break the Pei Wei model of "everything tastes the same." It's quite a wonder how Mongolian Pork could taste basically exactly the same as Garlic Honey Vegetables and Tofu.

I want cheap, street food curry. You know, like winter in London when the music was a little too loud and for a while you can't hear very well. You've been drinking a touch too much and you grab a take away before tucking in out of the rain. Closest I can think of here is Minc to Expo Park which really I suppose isn't all that bad.

Back on topic, are they keeping the pedicure and hair color stations?

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Donna Chen

Donna Chen Verified

Quick service, fresh ingredients, toned-down flavors for the masses, sounds like a formula that will follow Pei Wei and Tin Star's success.

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Donna Chen

Donna Chen Verified

DC, unfortunately I think Londoners are extremely comfortable with Indian food in a way that Dallasites are not (and may never be). It's just a matter of demographics. Bengal Coast will have more "work day lunch with safe, yet slightly exotic" appeal than street food curry charm. You can't blame the restauranteurs for wimping out on the authentic flavors when the dumbed down version is what sells. Look at how successful Pei Wei is!

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

DC

DC Anonymous

Actually, I totally can blame them for massively sucking.

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Clay213 Anonymous

There are plenty of not dumbed down places around if you want authentic Indian.

Udipi Cafe for example

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Mike Orren

Mike Orren Staff

"There are plenty of not dumbed down places around if you want authentic Indian."

For discussion/debate:

http://www.pegasusnews.com/restaurant...

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Donna Chen

Donna Chen Verified

"There are plenty of not dumbed down places around if you want authentic Indian."

Agreed, Bukhara Grille in Richardson is a personal favorite.

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

viva_la_malcriada

viva_la_malcriada Anonymous

For Indian cuisine that hasn't been bastardized for the American palate, Our Place in Irving rules supreme. You know you've arrived in authentic Indian heaven when the owner remembers your love for bitter melon curry and pulihora and goes out of the way to bring them out for you when they're not on the buffet. Now THAT'S authentic, baby...

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Michael Anderson

Michael Anderson Verified

I think Donna makes a good point, but maybe, just maybe, Dallasites are starting to come around to supporting more authentic, fast casual Indian places. Roti Grill and Chaat Cafe are a couple of good examples. The key is to reach a certain comfort level with the people. Remember, London may have Brick Lane and plenty of great balti houses, but their best Tex Mex option (Texas Embassy Cantina) is still blanded down for the masses.

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

DC

DC Anonymous

For ongoing discussion / debate:

http://www.pegasusnews.com/restaurant...

In conclusion: 1) Pei Wei = nasty.
2) Bengal Grill = to be determined, but pedigree is questionable. 3) Choices for decent Indian food actually in Dallas = apparently poor. 4) Decent Indian restaurants in other cities such as Arlington, Fort Worth, and Mumbai = probably ok.

Unless the stupidization program has come to fruition and we all really believe Transformers III starring Chad Kroeger and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will be great art I recommend continuing to demand more, not less! Onwards!

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

John McClelland

John McClelland Verified

I don't think I ever would see the day that curry, English rain storms, Transformers, and The Rock could all fit into one discussion.

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

luniz Anonymous

is Tin Star bland? yea I guess it is a little. You know what though? A little bland is ok when it's fast and cheap. Fast cheap and spicy does sound good though. Well except for it puts me in mind of the taco bell fire sauce.

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Catte_Nappe Anonymous

There are quite a few Indian places around for it to have not been embraced by some public by now.

Quick, decent price, and reasonable authenticity can be had via the very nice, if smallish, lunch buffet at Taj Express on Lemmon near the Tollway. For evening we prefer the good 'ol India Palace or the Tandoor in Arlington. And I lose count of the places that pop up (and disappear, and/or move) in Richardson. There's supposed to be a Nepalese place opening, or just opened, in Irving that I'll be interested in trying one of these days.

Years ago there was a very good Indian restaurant in a strip across from the then Dr. Pepper plant, now the Kroger on Mockingbird near Mbird Station. If there was a taste for Indian food back then (circa 1975) surely there is an appetite for the real deal now, instead of some quasi-fusion-sorta-kinda-Indianish cuisine.

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Billusa99

Billusa99 Anonymous

If you want fast, cheap and spicy, my movie-broker wife suggests the tandoori popcorn at any FunAsiA mulitplex.

(And, now that she has registered here, I shall forever be forced to let her type for herself....)

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

kirk

kirk Anonymous

It strikes me as rather bizarre that they would list a beef flank steak dish first on their menu description. Isn't that kind of like creating a "Jewish-fusion" restaurant featuring pork tenderloin with Israeli couscous?

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

loganflatt Anonymous

Tin Star - good; sad they closed the one in the Quadrangle

Pei Wei - not so good - too Americanized

Bengal Coast - I'll keep an open mind; hard to beat Pasand at Coit and Campbell though - yummy.

7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

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