Uyen Le

I was getting into Indian cuisine, so I wanted to cook some dishes at home. India Bazaar has all the Indian spices, ingredients, and produce that you might need for an Indian meal. There were so many items, and it was fun browsing through all the aisles.

I found the naan section, and they have so many different brands that I wasn't sure what to get. I decided to grab two just to try them out. They also sell paneer, mango lassi, yogurt drinks, and other snacks here. Their produce section was a disappointment. The cauliflower I found was cheaper than 99 Ranch and Walmart, but I picked up 3 different ones and they were all moldy. They didn't turn on the AC either, so it was hot shopping with 100+ degrees weather outside.

I found the spices I need to cook gobi manchurian, and also some curry spices. I'll drop by here again if I need to restock, but definitely make it a quick trip because I was sweating after leaving the store.

This is a solid buffet restaurant if you're looking to try different Indian dishes as a beginner or just want to satisfy your cravings. I was in my Indian phase, and have been craving different dishes. I saw an advertisement saying this has over 60+ items, and the cost wasn't crazy either, so we stopped by.

We came around 7 PM on a Sunday and the restaurant was packed. There were a couple of large parties in front of us. They have a waiting area, which is pretty nice, with a staircase leading to the second floor. I'm guessing the 2nd floor is for private events mainly. We waited about 25 minutes for a table. The restaurant looked big on the outside, but the seating area was pretty small.

I was amazed at their buffet options and how organized everything was. They have appetizers, curries, salad bars, fresh dosa, desserts, lassi, fountain drinks, and more. Just like other buffets, you grab a plate at the beginning and make your way down the road. There are small wooden bowls if you want to separate your curries like me. I enjoyed trying everything, and I absolutely love the dosa. I wish the dosa was crispy like what I usually get at restaurants, but I think it's pretty solid for buffet style. The regular rice was undercooked-- it was still crunchy when we bit into it so that was disappointing.

I love their mango lassi and the fountain drinks. Everything is available for you to grab which is very convenient. The food quality isn't the best but it was still good enough to satisfy my cravings. My boyfriend didn't like the tandoori chicken-- he said it was pretty plain and tasteless. You can see the naan and dosa being cooked right behind the counter so that was pretty cool. They restock it quickly since there's one person behind each area. Overall, it's a solid place if you want to try multiple Indian dishes. Most buffets are only available during weekday lunch so I was happy to find one that offers weekend dinners as well!

Out of all the food stands at Mitsuwa, Matsui is my favorite. I've been eating here since we first moved down to Dallas in 2019, and the quality hasn't changed. COVID-19 made a lot of the stands close down at Mitsuwa, but Matsui stayed strong during that time.

They have a glass display of what the dishes look like (similar to what you see in Japan), and the portions are pretty big. I don't think their prices increased much in the last 3 years, which is why I still love to eat here. I usually get a small pork katsu don combo, and it comes with either cold soba noodles or hot udon soup. The price is like $13 after taxes and I have a bit of leftovers to take home. If you want some curry, get it on the side for $3. Ours came in a pretty big bowl and it was enough to feed 3 people. Overall, this is definitely one of the more solid spots in Mitsuwa if you want to dine at the food court.

This place is very dangerous for my wallet!

I recently became obsessed with crane games, and this location has so many cute plushies and anime figures for their machine! I've been here twice, and both times I think the machines are more rigged compared to the Grapevine location. Typically, you win something after 6-8 tries, but here, I spent over $50 (400 credits) and did not win anything. The crane "shakes" as it picks up the plushie, or they intentionally make it hard for the ping pong balls to fall in the right spot.

The service is also terrible. It takes FOREVER to find a worker if you do win. I walked around the entire place twice and still managed to NOT find anyone. I really hope that they'll improve because I like their prizes more compared to the Grapevine location.

Looking for a boba shop with fully customizable drinks, then you’ll love TeaLatte Bar.

This is the only boba place that I know in Dallas that allows you to customize your drink fully. They offer different tea leaves options, toppings, and milk (dairy & non-dairy) along with their varied menu of coffee, frappe, lemonades, smoothies, fruit teas, etc. I’ve been here so many times over the last 2 years that I’m not sure what my favorite drink is anymore. I love their watermelon green tea, jasmine green tea with cheese foam, and recently, their pink dragon hibiscus tea.

They have such a huge menu so everyone will be able to find something they like. My boyfriend doesn’t like sweet drinks much, but he likes TeaLatte because he can customize his milk tea down to the tea flavor. They brew the tea fresh in front of you, so it’s not prep from a tea container like most boba places. Customer service has always been great, but sometimes it might take a long time depending on how busy the store is. They have a nice ambiance and are super cozy, so don’t be shy to bring your laptop to study here. Prices are typical compared to other boba shops, costing around $4.50-6 per drink depending on what you get. Highly recommended if you’re looking for more customizable drinks!