Hunan Bistro (Dallas) — Restaurant in Plano

UPDATE 11/8/24: Second visit here! Had a hankering for the Hot Tango Fish Filet, so Mom and I returned here this past Friday(11/8) - right after they opened for lunch. Delicious and perfectly balanced with a hint of spice. Pair it with steamed white rice and some chrysanthemum tea and that’s all you really need. We had more than enough to box up the remainder and take home for another two meals. Service was prompt and efficient. Will return here frequently. ———————————————————————— A Yelp! suggestion led us here after a hankering for Pickled Fish Filets. Mom and I were the first patrons after opening for Lunch. We were greeted by Li and given a choice of where to sit. The ambiance is traditional with beautiful elements as evidenced by the numerous Chinese Lanterns hanging in the intimate dining space. He gave us a few minutes to look at the Menu and was very attentive, friendly, and cordial.

We ordered: 1.) Chrysanthemum Tea 2.) Sautéed Asparagus Lettuce with Garlic 3.)Hot Tango Fish Filet

The Chrysanthemum Tea arrived first and can best be described as delicate and refreshing, with a mildly and subtly sweet flavor profile. Rock sugar was provided on the side to control and enhance the intensity.

Our Food was out of the kitchen and delivered to our table within ten minutes. I was especially impressed to find that what we ordered was exactly like the pictures from the website.

Presentation and Taste, Food Quality, and Service were right on point. Portions ideal and reasonably priced. Mom and I enjoyed every bite and had more than enough to box up the remainder and take home.

The fragrant spices, savory, satisfying, mouth-watering, and pickled taste imparted by the garlic, red chilis, scallions, and delicately tender fish, followed by the mildly tingling/numbing sensation on the palate and depth of flavor truly exceeded my expectations. The rice was the ideal accompaniment and complemented the Hot Tango Fish Filet.

The Sautéed Asparagus Lettuce had just the right texture. The minced garlic was a nice touch. It truly enhanced and gave it a contrast of flavor.

Moreover, I wasn’t left with an uncomfortably full feeling like some other Chinese Restaurants. MSG doesn’t appear to have been used as I did not get a headache or migraine. This was my experience; yours may be different. We will return to try...

This is probably my favorite Szechuan/Hunan restaurant. It's authentic, and the taste is on point. I'm so happy to stumble upon this place randomly, because not a lot of people know about it since it's hidden in a strip. The atmosphere was great for Saturday lunch with friends. We came in a party of 8, and ate family style with their round table. I wish their eating space was bigger, because we were struggling fitting everything next to the turntable. I couldn't fit my glass of water with my rice bowl, etc because the space was so limited.

The prices were high, definitely higher than other authentic Chinese restaurants in the area ($15-25). We ordered a bunch of food, like the boiled fish, stir fried vegetables, egg tofu, fried rice, etc. My friends did the ordering since they speak Chinese, I just pointed at the photos. It took about 20-30 mins for the food to come out, which isn't bad on a Saturday. They just kept bringing dishes out as it finish, so we didn't get to take a photo of everything. Food was very well-seasoned, spicy and worth the price-to-portion ratio. I really enjoyed their spicy fish seasoning, and also the egg tofu!! I've been searching for this egg tofu dish in Dallas but haven't found any, so I was happy to see it on the menu.

I would go again, but probably with friends. Family style is better to share with a group of people rather than just two. Plus, you can order multiple dishes to try! Highly...

We have decided to try all the little cafes, diners, and mom and pop shops in our neighborhood. We stopped in a the Hunan Bistro this evening for dinner. Wow. We walked into a simple dining room with some unexpected attention to decor. Lovely little touches that made the space feel welcoming and suited the style of food. The restaurant was fairly busy, but we were greeted at the door by two different employees, and the wait staff was attentive and helpful- we have never been and aren’t particularly well versed in Hunan dishes- and the waitress provided tips about the level of heat, helped me navigate a dietary restriction, and made some recommendations from an extensive menu. We took her advice and ordered the Hot Pepper Crispy Fish and the House Special Cauliflower. We also order Veggie Spring Rolls. I was delighted to find that the food was delicious. Seriously good. The cauliflower was that perfect blend of tender/but still had a crunch. I should probably interject here that I’m a very finicky seafood eater 😅 and I loved the fish. It was perfectly cooked, tender, flaky, and had a little extra kick that I’ve come to expect from this region. The portions were quite large- we ate till we were full and brought home leftovers. Counting our drinks (coke and water), we spent about $25/ person. It’s bright and cheery and a fairly high level of bustling energy and noise. We will definitely head back for a second...