Visiting & Living in North Texas and Beyond

Visiting & Living in North Texas and Beyond I am a foodie and a Google Map reviewer who likes to review places relating to food, rare plants, and fun places for my kids.

If you have questions, please contact the business. I promote edible landscaping and showcase private edible gardens.

Future Meet Up Planning...Taste of Malaysia3001 Olympus Blvd #130, Coppell, TX 75019https://tasteofmalaysia.us/(Opening...
07/30/2026

Future Meet Up Planning...

Taste of Malaysia
3001 Olympus Blvd #130, Coppell, TX 75019
https://tasteofmalaysia.us/
(Opening August 1, 2026)

Meetup for 6-8 foodies
Menu items to order:
1. Appetizer: Roti Chanai
(Flaky Malaysian Flat Bread)
(Layered bread served with curry dipping Sauce) (I DO NOT/CAN NOT share Malaysian style Roti Chanai with anyone. 😂)

2. Chicken: Char Kway Teow
(Flat Rice Noodles)
(Stir-fried flat rice noodle cooked with your choice of Chicken, egg, bean sprouts)

3. Soup: Sayur Laksa Sup
(Vegan Curry Laksa Soup)
(Coconut Curry Broth with Tofu and Vegetables)

4. Salad: Acar Timun Nenas bersama nasi putih
(Cucumber & Pineapple Pickles Salad)
(Salad made with sweet, tangy, cucumber and pineapple with white rice)

5. Beef: Slow-Cooked Vegan Beef Rendang with Aromatic Coconut Gravy

6. Shrimp: Sambal Udang
(Prawn Sambal)
(Prawns cooked in a rich sambal sauce)

7. Dessert: Puding buah-buahan
(Mixed fruit Pudding)
(Season fruits with sweetened milk)

Topic: My Favorite Google Map ReviewersI like following Google Map reviewers who focus on describing the freshness of in...
07/21/2026

Topic: My Favorite Google Map Reviewers

I like following Google Map reviewers who focus on describing the freshness of ingredients and most importantly, the taste and texture of meat, rice, and noodle, and with visual aids.
My kids and I detest dry, overcooked tough meat, mushy noodles, and undercooked, dry rice texture. I became an avid food reviewer ever since my little foodies started eating out with me. I also do have to expand my vocabulary knowledge to help me describe food better for me to understand why my kids and I do not like the food we order.

Oh all the sweet memories of...Escape 360 Cafe7540 State Hwy 121 #100 McKinney, TX 75070Pictures only. My kids and I lo...
07/20/2026

Oh all the sweet memories of...
Escape 360 Cafe
7540 State Hwy 121 #100 McKinney, TX 75070

Pictures only. My kids and I love everything we have ordered so far. I burn my wallet every time I take my kids here spending at least $100 for each visit.

7/20/26:
I took my mom here for the first time today and she likes the latte I picked out for her too.
I am just going to update this post whenever I have new pictures to add because it's one of those restaurants I know I will return to every time I visit DFW until my kids find somewhere else they want me to take them.

Now, we have tried Fluffy Fluffy in Orlando. They like that place too but explained to me, "Fluffy Fluffy is like a ribeye steak while Escape 360 Cafe is the filet mignon" I cook for them once in a blue moon. That's the difference between the like and the love for my kids. 😂

(Now if you folks like souffle pancakes, the closest recipe I recommend to use would be from Just One Cookbook at https://www.justonecookbook.com/souffle-pancake/. I was hoping my daughter would be sick of souffle pancakes from making it at home, but she still wanted souffle pancakes at Escape 360 Cafe.)

TG Brazilian Steakhouse518 W Arapaho Rd #133Richardson, TX 75080https://maps.app.goo.gl/N1X6hNWczcc4bDcG9?g_st=ac7/19/2...
07/20/2026

TG Brazilian Steakhouse
518 W Arapaho Rd #133
Richardson, TX 75080
https://maps.app.goo.gl/N1X6hNWczcc4bDcG9?g_st=ac

7/19/26:
It's not very easy for us three Mama friends to come together to each. But we finally found time to meet together for a nice dinner and we chose this restaurant to celebrate a birthday.
The guys servers are very accommodating, courteous, and very friendly. I am sorry for sitting past your closing time.
This is the birthday Mama's first time at a Brazilian steakhouse.
As for me, my favorites at this restaurant are the following:
1. Grilled pineppale
2. Ceviche
3. Brazilian cheese bread
4. Corn with cheese
5. Beet salad
6. Picanha
7. Brazilian lemonade

Notes:
1. The white meat chicken texture is extremely overcooked and too dry.
2. Sirloin was very chewy
3. No ribeye
4. No filet mignon

My friends and I went out of our comfort zone to come here. I tried my best to taste a bit of as much as possible to find out what I like and not like. There are still more items I hope to try that I did not get a chance to this time. I hope to be back next year. I will definitely buy more of the cheese bread to take home for my kids. They both love Brazilian cheese bread.

If my fellow Asian foodies have never been to a Brazilian steakhouse and happens to be a meat lover like me, I recommend trying Foco de Ciao. They offer all the high end meat choices there but of course at a much higher price than this restaurant.

Garden Restaurant 3555 W Walnut StGarland, TX 75042Located right next to New Truong Nguyen Market 7/19/25: Took my famil...
07/19/2026

Garden Restaurant
3555 W Walnut St
Garland, TX 75042
Located right next to New Truong Nguyen Market

7/19/25:
Took my family and mom out here for lunch.
I am neutral about this restaurant. There are just so many Chinese restaurants I want to try.
Mom likes the Peking duck here. They stir fry the duck carcass with pickled mustard to accompany the Peking duck dish. As long as Mom wants to come back here, I will be happy to bring her back to eat again.

Highlights:
1. Superb customer service
2. Hot fresh made dim sum available
3. Authentic Chinese menu available
4. Clean, bright, and spacious dining area making it an ideal place for foodie meetups

Note:
Goat fire pot: For my foodies who likes the tender fall off the bone softness of goat meat from Thanh Thanh restaurant, you might not like the goat meat here. The goat meat here is firm, chewy and still has that goat smell.

Clams with black bean sauce:
C& A Seafood spoiled us with their fresh stir fry manila clams so I will save money to go to them for clams instead.

Pictures only...To be updated with more photos...Chú Vủ's U-Pick Jujube Orchard Private residential property Arlington, ...
07/19/2026

Pictures only...To be updated with more photos...

Chú Vủ's U-Pick Jujube Orchard
Private residential property Arlington, TX

U-Pick Jujube Season: Uncle Vu's u-pick jujube season starts in July until picking season is over

Pricing: $10 per pound

Note: He has been selling to customers through word of mouth and established repeating customers. If you have never been to a residential u-pick orchard, it is always best and respectful to call or contact the owner on the day of when going to the orchard because we growers can never promise about the tomorrow due to weather and fruit availability.

Uncle Vu DO NOT mail or ship jujubes. Uncle Vu's jujube orchard is located on private residential property; therefore, I do not disclose his home address or phone number to the public for his privacy.

Jujube varieties:
Uncle Vu grows at least 50 jujube trees and offers many quality jujube varieties such as the following:
1. Honey Jar
2. Sugar Cane
3. Chico
4. Sherwood
5. Li
6. Tiger Tooth
7. GA 66 something like that
8. Horse Tooth
9. Hulu
10. Other

My favorites:
I have always wanted an opportunity to get to taste the different jujube varieties. I now know my favorites are Honey Jar, Sugarcane, and Chico. These varieties are currently in season for u-pick while the larger fruit jujube varieties are not ready yet.

Cocohodo Dessert Cafe2625 Old Denton Rd #340Carrollton, TX 75007https://maps.app.goo.gl/qNSTc42vXHzmCBvz5My foodie frie...
07/19/2026

Cocohodo Dessert Cafe
2625 Old Denton Rd #340
Carrollton, TX 75007
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qNSTc42vXHzmCBvz5

My foodie friends, kids, and I all love the desserts here!
So far my kids love the frosted ribbon shaved ice with strawberries. I think from now on, if I ever have a foodie meetup for dinner in Carrollton, we will meetups here for dessert afterward too. The large portion makes it perfect to share without a fight.

I learned the difference between shaved ice and frosted ribbon shaved ice. My friend explained that regular shaved ice is the plain ice while the frosted ribbon shaved ice is the flavored ice cream that's shaved giving us a more flavor. I prefer the ribbon shaved ice over regular shaved ice.

I tried their puffed rice with matcha ice cream and chocolate. My kids didn't like it but that's a good thing because it means I do not have to share it with them little foodies. 😂

I will update this post with more pictures of the desserts I try every time I come back.

Portion wise: This big dessert portion is ideal to share among 2-6 people, for one person is way too much.

Gold Spoon 금수저3040 Old Denton RdCarrollton, TX 75007https://maps.app.goo.gl/bUNXcovKymfCi2ja6?g_st=acFoodie Dinner Meetu...
07/19/2026

Gold Spoon 금수저
3040 Old Denton Rd
Carrollton, TX 75007
https://maps.app.goo.gl/bUNXcovKymfCi2ja6?g_st=ac

Foodie Dinner Meetup 7/17/26
Total bill with tip:
Participants:
Snow Lam
Lily
Khai
Lance Kang
Kimmy Nguyen (new)
Jay Jo (new)

Khai had to leave early and on his way out the door, he waved at all of us and said dinner is a treat on him. Well, that was so unexpected. Thank you Khai for treating us this dinner. I owe you one bro!

My niece chose this restaurant. I got a chance to explore and go out of my comfort zone to try unfamiliar Korean dishes. When I go to a Korean restaurant with my kids, I always order the same type of dishes. LA beef short ribs or Galbi is a must have for my kids. I would order a bowl of seafood tofu soup and maybe a grilled mackerel if they have it, and a Korean pancake.

For this meetup, each person ordered one item from the menu.

Items ordered:
1. LA short ribs
2. Mixed tempura
3. Cold noodle: TBD
4. Pancake: kimchi with squid and my niece requested "extra extra crispy"
5. Some kind of beef noodle with tofu soup
6. 🤔 I forgot what that item is called...it's a plate full of sliced marinated pork belly

Highlights:
1. Cozy welcoming family atmosphere
2. Friendly customer service

Post topic: All the TX restaurants I will never be coming back in this lifetime ...just a listing for me to remember and...
07/18/2026

Post topic: All the TX restaurants I will never be coming back in this lifetime ...just a listing for me to remember and to share with my friends and family. Before you feel offended, please be educated enough to understand you can block this page and know that I never asked you to read my posts.

I do not post negative complete reviews on Facebook of restaurants I rate as 1 or 2 stars on my Google Maps profile.

I don't get paid to post my Google reviews. As much as I like to promote my favorite restaurants, I need to keep track of places I would never want to come back again. I never mean to offend anyone. But if you have the lack of respect for other people's personal preferences and lack the understanding that one's positive experience does not mean the same for another, it is best that you should block my page and not even read my posts to begin with. I focus on describing taste, texture, flavor, freshness, and seasoning to help me understand what my kids and I like or not like. What I detest may be someone's favorite food out there.

Good Fortune Supermarket400 N Greenville AveRichardson, TX 75081https://maps.app.goo.gl/sEu6Hr1KV8fD2v5fA7/15/26:This is...
07/17/2026

Good Fortune Supermarket
400 N Greenville Ave
Richardson, TX 75081
https://maps.app.goo.gl/sEu6Hr1KV8fD2v5fA

7/15/26:
This is one of my most favorite Asian supermarket to go to.
Highlights:
1. Fresh produce
2. Plenty of fresh live crabs and lobsters
3. Fresh fruits
4. Great weekly sales
5. Unique snacks - Some of my favorite Asian snacks are sold here.
6. My favorite brand of salted black beans to make homemade black bean sauce is sold here.

Address

12934 Bellaire Blvd., #104
Houston, TX
77072

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