While Dallas has its share of notable Chinese restaurants, it's unique among major cities in not having a predominantly-Chinese neighborhood within the city limits ...
While Dallas has its share of notable Chinese restaurants, it's unique among major cities in not having a predominantly Chinese neighborhood within the city limits. Richardson Terrace Shopping Center in Richardson may be the closest thing the area has to a Chinatown, and along with neighboring Plano, lays claim to the majority of authentic Chinese cuisine., but Dallasites seem averse to driving to the suburbs for dinner.
There was more broth to be found in the xiao long bao and a delicious pork filling to be savored after you’ve drained the broth from the dumpling. Fortune House in Irving is still our standard-bearer for xiao long bao in Dallas-Fort Worth, but Tian Tian’s version is quite good. Traditional Chinese-American dishes are on Tian Tian’s menu. We had a serviceable cashew chicken that was swimming in too much sauce, but we found the orange chicken to be a better choice. There was a playful blend of bright citrus from the orange peel and heat from the red pepper, all wrapped in tender chunks of breaded chicken breast. Sure, it’s a sweet dish that’s tuned to American palates, but it’s well done nonetheless.
This is a fine line to navigate. We hope that our service experiences don't dissuade visitors to Tian Tian, because that's certainly not our intent; we feel that the execution of dishes are worth the trip. We don't seem to be alone in that regard, either. Tian Tian appears to be doing a thriving business, judging solely by the number of people we've seen during our visits.