Flower Mound is a lot larger than Stillwater, but we still tend to go to all the same restaurants whenever I visit. I had told myself that I would push for more variety on this trip, and it worked out pretty well, starting with lunch at The Rustic on Thursday. We did go to an old standby Thursday night, but that's because we were in Roanoke and the options there are limited. So I was thrilled when Joni threw out 3 brand new restaurant options for lunch on Friday. After some back and forth we eventually settled on Dragon Palace. It's located in a strip mall about 10 minutes from Joni's house. It's in the middle of the mall, so unless you know where to look, you're likely to miss it. It's not a huge place, but it is very comfortable. There is a large bar/sushi bar and bar seating that takes up nearly 1/2 of the restaurant on the right side. The other half is a combination of booths and tables.
I wasn't going to drink anything other than water, but subtle peer pressure won out when they all ordered wine. So I decided to try a Tokyo Iced Tea. It's their take on a Long Island iced tea but with lychee liqeuor added. Lychee is a small fruit found in China that grows on a tree, and it's encased in a red exterior that kind of looks like a raspberry. The fruit itself is white and looks like a jelly. I've never tasted one on its own, but it adds a lot of sweetness to beverages. The iced tea was almost too sweet, but I powered through and drank it slowly.
Their food menu is quite big, and features appetizers, entrees, signature dishes, and sushi. My original plan was to go with sushi, but theirs is kind of pricey since they don't have a separate sushi lunch menu. Since everyone else was going with lunch specials, I jumped on the bandwagon.
Joni's aunt had really liked their egg rolls last visit, and even said her plan was to get just egg rolls as her meal next time. She didn't do that, but she did order a side of egg rolls in addition to an egg roll with her meal
I didn't try any, but she ate all 3 so I'm guessing they were just as good this time around.
Joni and I decided to split the vegetable spring rolls
These were delicious. Fried when you order, super crispy, screaming hot, and I really liked the sauce too. I believe it was duck sauce, and it added lots of flavor.
Joni and I both got soup with our lunches. Joni went with egg drop and I got won ton
I was so excited to see such big won tons in the soup! That never happens. I really liked this soup. The broth was extremely flavorful, and the wontons were fantastic. And both soups were served screaming hot, a huge plus in my book.
I love that we got the crispy noodles with our soup. One of my favorite Asian restaurants in Stillwater used to do that, and then slowly phased that out. So this was a very pleasant surprise
Joni got the chicken lo mein
Her mom got the cashew chicken with fried rice
Her aunt got the General Tsao's chicken with fried rice
And I got the kung pao chicken with brown rice
I tasted bites of everyone's food, and they were all wonderful. I was surprised at the General Tsao's chicken, that it didn't come with the usual thicker sauce and more heavy breading. But I also liked this one much better because it was definitely quite a bit lighter. Joni's lo mein was a massive serving, and she took over half of it home.
My kung pao chicken was fantastic. I think they use dark meat chicken, so it was much more tender than breast. And the vegetables were cooked to a perfect tender crisp. The heat options were mild, medium, and extra spicy. I didn't want to scald myself so I ordered it medium. Even so, it was pretty spicy. I devoured all of mine, but I also hadn't eaten breakfast. When I do that, I eat like I'm going to the electric chair at the next meal.
I had such a great time with Joni's aunt and mom. They are so funny, and I love that even at their ages they are still so active and vibrant. They kept Joni and me laughing the whole meal. I'm officially inviting them to lunch every time I'm down there.
Will I go back? No question. I really do want to try the sushi. And they've got so many other menu items that all look good.
