Le PasSage — Restaurant in Dallas

I did want to give this place a 5 star review, but in the end, I couldn't.

The good: Atmosphere and location, being greeted at the door by the owner and the service staff were all excellent.

Drinks were just strong enough to be worth the higher price. The special Espresso martini did not taste any different to me than the regular espresso martini. The rest of my group enjoyed their drinks.

Appetizers need some help. The Vietnamese Spring rolls were hot and very much fried but more like fried dough. Served with lettuce leaves for wrapping and dipping and were a mess to eat. The leaves were so small you couldn't wrap these giant spring rolls and thus you had to use many leaves that dripped the sauce all over. Would have been so much better with larger butter lettuce leaves or similar larger leaf. The Rose salad was shareable and good and the dressing was light and flavorful.

Dinner: We were seated at 7:30 and so we were early and when we ordered the high recommended fried snapper, we were told it was sold out.I it was a disappointment they didn't have it at this early seating. Our table of 4 quickly changed direction and ordered separate entrees. The five-spice duck breast was beautiful and the meat was tender without being fatty but it was not served hot and barely warm and the sauce was struggling to be recognized and was like a boring gravy and did nothing to inspire the 5 spice dish name. (I should have sent this back) My partner ordered the Braised Tofu and it was flavorful and served hot. The steamed halibut was also very fresh and the texture was perfect and as was the sauce.

For desserts, I wouldn't bother as they were all flavorless and boring. While they are all beautiful and creative, there was a total lack of any sweetness in any of them. I'm including pictures of the dishes but be forewarned, they lack any character or semblance of a sweet ending.

And one more thing I would point out. The Crispy Fried Duck MUST be ordered 24 hours in advance so be fair warned.. And it's only for a table of 4.

And finally comes the bad part, what in the world is Stephen thinking of tacking on a $14 service charge for the convenience of using a credit card. It certainly put a damper on the evening. Mind you, this was a $550+ dollar check and then the restaurant is adding a processing fee? Next they will be charging for tap water and silverware. Come on restaurants, wake up and realize this drives people nuts when they are spending this much money for dinner. Just build the cost into the meal and stop this "resort fee Idiocracy". (This goes for Maison Chinoise, Georgies and the rest of you who are trying out this penny-pinching. ) Also annoying as hell was being charged for the valet and then the tip on top made this dinner an incredibly expensive and yet very food...

Unfortunately our high exceptions for this new spot were quickly reduced to a sense of hopelessness. My friend and I walked up to the hostess who stared at us so deadpan and uninterested it felt like a satirical movie. I thought the Gen Z stare only lived on the internet - but it's real. We silently walked us to the table and we looked over the menu for a couple minutes before being greeted by our server. She was friendly and and i thought the poor service up front was a one-off. We ordered a rose, aperol cocktail and americano plus out meals (all at the same time.) My rose came out, and I was halfway through before my friend's drinks did. I got up to use the restroom and asked to server about it, she said she was checking on it right now. I returned the restroom to see our food being set down. Not only were my friend's drinks still missing, but they did not put her hollandaise sauce on the side as we both asked, and had to remake it. I was halfway through my meal when hers arrived, and her drinks were still nowhere in sight even though we inquired about them two or three times already.

She finally got the Americano with no cream and no spoon. She had to request cream and use eggy her fork to stir it. Both of our meals had this very crusty, stale, dense bread beneath the trivial amount of flavorless crab. It just seemed like a great way to use day-old bread, not like it was meant to be part of this meal. There was no seasoning and the crab appeared to be out of the can like I get at the grocery store.

She finally received her aperol cocktail, but only after they had set it down at a neighboring table. And then tried to put it on ours as well. Did we lose the plot on the rule that "if it touches a table it, it cannot be given to another". ??

Neither of the meals were very flavorful, and it definitely felt like a waste of time and money.

We ate our meals because they were palatable and we were hungry after walking on the Katy Trail. There was no manager in sight, and I was surprised one never made their way over given the amount of mishaps with this meal. At the end of the meal I think our disappointment in this experience with clear, and I don't remember the server apologizing once. Even if it's not her fault, it could totally be the kitchen and things beyond her control… But it never felt like there was an acknowledgment for the continual poor experience and service.

I sadly do...

I recently dined at this restaurant with my wife and sister, and while we had high hopes, the experience left much to be desired.

Appetizers: Chicken Satay: Completely lacked the expected peanut and grilled flavors. Bland and uninspired.

HA GAO (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings): Light, delicate, and delicious. Nothing extraordinary, but well-executed.

Bluefin Tuna Leaves: Recommended by the waiter but disappointing. Slightly fishy and overly bulky for an elegant dish. Missed the mark.

Main Courses: Shaking Beef: At $56 for 6 ounces, it was tasty but not exceptional. The flavors were muted, almost like it was missing a key ingredient, possibly fish sauce?

Steamed Halibut: Excellent. Perfect preparation and balance of flavors—one of the highlights of the meal and would definitely order again.

Green Prawn Chow: Also recommended by the restaurant but fell flat. Beautifully presented with quality produce, but the flavors were muted, and the portion size felt small. The mushrooms were a highlight, yet the dish lacked depth and soul.

Szechuan String Beans: Initially promising but completely missed expectations. Lacked the essential garlic, ginger, and chili elements—tasted like plain, oil-fried green beans without any Szechuan character.

Fried Rice: Shockingly bland. It was just white rice—mealy with no vegetables, egg, or seasoning. Traditional Hong Kong-style fried rice (like Yangzhou fried rice) is typically vibrant with diced meats, vegetables, and a savory balance of soy sauce and oyster sauce. This version was completely devoid of flavor and creativity.

Dessert: The dessert was equally disappointing. It lacked both sweetness and depth. It wasn’t particularly Asian or even distinctly French. It felt elegant in presentation but fell completely flat in flavor—more confusing than enjoyable.

Service & Atmosphere: The atmosphere and service were both excellent. The staff was attentive throughout the evening. Drinks were well-made, though tasted no different from standard ones.

Overall: While the service and setting were impressive, the food fell far short, especially given the price point. Some dishes showed potential (the steamed halibut stood out), but many lacked the bold flavors and complexity expected from...