Ever tried East Wind?
I've worked downtown for 7 years now and over those years I've eaten at almost every restaurant within a 6 mile proximity. One of my favorites is East Wind.
East Wind is a Vietnamese restaurant that offers healthy and fresh solutions in Asian cuisine. The restaurant made a name for itself in deep ellum for years but with the downfall of that area the restaurant moved to the Quadrangle near Routh and Howell streets in uptown a couple of years ago. The new building is spacious and allowed for the addition of a sushi bar and expanded menu.
Now I have to admit I've eaten at East Wind at least fifty times over the last seven years but only at lunch. Living in burbs keeps me away from East Wind at night. Like most Asian menus the dishes are numbered for ordering ease but make no mistake this type of simplistic ordering system in no way reflects the high quality of ingredients and taste.
Most dishes are $10-$12 for lunch. With that you get three courses (yes 3 courses for lunch, how extravagant is that). Every entree comes with soup of the day or salad. I usually go for the soup which is typically sensational, Hot and sour, chicken and tomato or corn chowder are just some the favorites. What I have proclaimed as the best soup in the city is the Cream of Pumpkin Soup. Unfortunately this is only served on Wednesdays from October-December when pumpkins are in season.
For entrees I have several favorites on the menu. My top choice is Lemon Grass Chicken with vermicelli (similar to angel hair pasta), lettuce, cilantro, cucumber topped with peanuts and served with Nuoc Mam (this is a fish sauce that is used in many Vietnamese dishes). This dish is served in a large bowl and mixed together by your server to distribute all the flavors. This dish can be ordered with pork, shrimp or beef in place of chicken. Other such favorites are chicken sautéed with curry, coconut, lemon grass and onions with rice which also can be supplemented with shrimp or pork.
To finish your 3 course lunch East Wind serves a small slice of cake usually lemon, German chocolate or nut. It's the perfect serving to satisfy your sweet tooth.
At dinner the menu expands and prices increase from $15-$25.
In case you don't take my word Zagat has named East Wind the 3rd best Asian restaurant in DFW. So if you haven't tried East Wind go and let know your thoughts.