Asian Style

It’s not spare or
uncluttered or Zen,
as the trendinistas
would have you think.

Anyone who has been to Hong Kong—or Richardson, for that matter—knows that Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai styles are complicated, colorful, rich, ornate, and exotic. With a growing Asian population in Dallas County—now 88,000 strong—we can choose from a rich array of authentic foods, clothing, furniture, and accessories.

Oriental Treasures’ stucco Kwan Yi, or “God of Mercy,” from Shanxi, China, dates to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). An exquisite piece for only $4,800.

BEST ORIENTALIA
We are simply wild about Oriental Treasures in the Design District. Thomas and Ruby Chang’s to-the-trade-only shop—one of the best in the business—offers antique coromandel lacquer screens and screens with jade inlay, porcelain fish bowls and ginger jars, 18th-century Chinese cloisonné and bronze vases, and Neolithic Tang pottery horses. Collectors of snuff bottles will find an impressive selection in a wide variety of materials, from cinnabar to coral, white jade, carved glass, and ivory. 1322 Slocum St. 214-760-8888.

OODLES & OODLES OF
NOODLE HOUSES
Udon, ramen, lo mein, cellophane. Five years ago, noodle canoodler Jeff Yarbrough started a craze by opening Liberty, “a Texas take on Pan-Asian cuisine,” in anticipation of the Asian tsunami poised to sweep the country. His secret weapon: founding chef Annie Wong whose artistic creations—such as spicy duck and glass noodle salad—are famous and famously photographable. Next up were Noodle Nexus (which opened in Republic Square last May) and Thai Noodles & Rice. We hear there’s even a noodle house slated to open in the West Village come fall. Liberty Noodles, 5631 Alta Ave. 214-887-8795. ww.libertynoodles.com; Noodle Nexus, 325 N. St. Paul, Ste. B30. 214-871-7222; Thai Noodle & Rice, 2634 N. Fitzhugh Ave. 214-827-5828.

Nandina, also called Heavenly Bamboo, anthrium, and aralia leaves. Created by Sara Bandel with assistance from Betty Leone.

NATURAL INSPIRATION
Chinese monks who painstakingly arranged flowers as offerings to Buddha introduced ikebana, meaning “living flower,” to Japan in the 6th century. The practice has varying schools, rules, and styles and takes ages to master, but the basic premise is to connect people to nature. Creating harmony between the plant materials, the container, the setting, and empty space raises ikebana to an art. Naming the arrangements with such evocative appellations as “Dream of Spring Rivers” or “Clean Perfume for Four Seasons” elevates it to poetry. In medieval Japan, ikebana was the hobby of nobles and considered suitable even for the most ferocious samurai. Today its leading practitioners are still men. Men or women can sign up for lessons through Ikebana International, whose motto is “Friendship through flowers.” The Ikebana International/Dallas Chapter meets every third Thursday of the month to discuss the techniques of Japanese flower arranging. The group practices sogetsu, a modern style of ikebana most common to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. For information on classes, contact Sue Smith, Sogetsu Study Group chairman, at 214-739-8285 or Sara Bandel, president of the Ikebana International/Dallas Chapter, at 214-934-2882.

Yeo’s Ice Green Tea.

BEST ASIAN MARKET
You know it’s good when the ethnic population and the professionals shop at Hong Kong Market Place. About 80 percent of their customers are Asian, but they also sell to chefs, restaurants, and hotels. The only source in Dallas for exotic Far Eastern delicacies, this attractive store carries such rarefied tidbits as shark’s fin ($380 per pound), dry abalone ($495 per pound), and—are you ready?—bird’s nest ($1,800 per pound or $2,500 with the bird’s blood coloring the nest—the really good stuff!). They specialize in fresh produce and rare fruits, dry herbs, teas that range from less than a buck a pound up to $195 per pound, and fresh and live seafood. And, of course, they sell rice—more than 15 kinds, including Thai jasmine and black sweet rice. Hong Kong Market Place, 9780 Walnut St., Ste. 360. 972-437-9888; 1816 E. Pioneer Pkwy., Arlington. 817-265-1488.

FLYING HIGH
How about enlivening a child’s room or a den with a fun decorative accessory? Imagine a colorful kite. Kite connoisseur Sandra Harris stocks her shop, Eden Kites, with kites for all ages, including Chinese dragon kites and large (up to 6 feet) Japanese rakkaku kites illustrated with poster-bold samurai faces. Rakkakus are popular fighting kites that must be maneuvered by several people. The object is to unbalance the opponents’ kite, causing it to plunge to the ground. Eden Kites, by appointment only. 972-489-3706. www.edenkites.com.

Feet First These late 19th-century lotus slippers from China are made of silk, but they wouldn’t be any more comfortable for your feet. Chinese ladies’ feet were bound to make them small enough to fit these embroidered beauties. Ranging in price from $95-$600, they are haunting and provocative collectibles. Debris, 1205 Slocum St. 214-752-8855.

Asia Underfoot
New Chinese rugs, popular in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, are no longer in. Today’s must-haves are Sino-Persian rugs, which are made in Western China using Persian knotting and designs. Oriental Rug Gallery, the oldest rug dealer in Texas, carries a number of quality Sino-Persian rugs ranging in size from 2 by 3 feet up to 12 by 15 feet. The rugs can be made of wool pile on a cotton frame, a combination of wool and silk, or—best of all—100-percent silk. Oriental Rug Gallery of Texas, 8250 Gaylord Pkwy., Ste. 1, Frisco. 214-387-8787.

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Find a palace-sized Sino-Persian, measuring 14 by 22 feet, at Behnam Rugs for $25,000. If that size doesn’t sound fit for a king, owner Ben Tavakolian says they can customize a rug to fit any room, large or small. Behnam Rugs, 18000 Preston Rd. 972-733-0400. www.behnamrugs.com.

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“The finest Chinese rugs have Persian patterns,” says Park Cities Oriental Rugs owner Mina Torabli. Check out the most popular tabriz-patterned (or fish-patterned) rugs that come in a variety of colors—from black to beige. Park Cities Oriental Rugs, 6915 Preston Rd. 214-526-8500.

 

Puppy Love
The Chinese Shar-Pei puppy is as irresistibly fetching as a little girl trying on mommy’s lipstick. But this breed also has an ancient pedigree; Shar-Peis were originally herd dogs used by farmers in the southern provinces of China. Shar-Peis were almost extinct under Communism, when dogs were luxury taxed for consuming food that could be fed to babies. Luckily, some devotees in Hong Kong and the United States bred Shar-Peis and continued the line. Now the breed is a full-fledged member of the American Kennel Club, with more than 15,000 individuals and 6,600 litters registered—including those of local certified breeder Sandy Woodall, who only places her puppies in especially loving homes. Elite Shar-Pei, p.s.d., 4821 Northhaven Blvd.
469-232-0003.

Alternative Therapies
Literally translated from the Japanese, “shiatsu” means “finger-pressure treatment” and is also called acupressure. This deep massage technique applies pressure along certain paths or meridians to release life-giving chi. Thai massage, on the other hand, involves stretching the limbs and is sometimes performed on a mat instead of a table. Both types are salutary, helping tone muscle, lower blood pressure, and heal injured tissue. The Spa at The Crescent, 400 Crescent Court. 214-871-3232. www.crescentcourt.com/spa.cfm.

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Acupuncturist Susan Ho, who is certified in Texas, uses a mix of acupuncture, shiatsu, and Qi-Gong, a technique that passes her energy to the patient, to relieve suffering from chronic fatigue, physical injury, or painful scar tissue. One session (45 minutes to an hour) is $85. Susan Ho, 13101 Preston Rd., Ste. 218. 972-233-5343.

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Sharon Kraus has been a licensed practitioner of acupuncture for 10 years, seven of those in Dallas. Afraid of needles? Sharon also offers tuning-fork therapy, which uses sound vibrations to stimulate pressure points in place of (or in addition to) the needles. The initial visit is $85; follow-ups cost $65. Sharon Kraus, 6023 Morningside Ave. 214-828-4558.

ASIAN AROMA

Fashion designer Rei Kawakubo’s “anti-perfume,” Odeur 71 from Comme des Garçons, mixes cloned smells from daily life—dust on a hot lightbulb, for instance—with natural ingredients. $84 for 200 ml from Forty Five Ten, 4510 McKinney Ave. 214-559-4510.

 

 

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