After spending a Sunday afternoon at the Dallas World Aquarium, my hungry family stumbled next door into Zenna. Normally I wouldn’t plan to take four kids and some older finicky eaters to a restaurant that specializes in Thai and Japanese food, but it was close and we were exhausted. Happy hour, which is every day from 3 to 7 pm, was in full swing. The prices are crazy cheap. Draught beer is 50 cents, and margaritas and all domestic bottles are $2. It wasn’t until I sat down that I realized I was in the Dallas location of the popular Zenna’s in Plano. The chef behind the creative menu is Joe Keovixay, who left Nandina on Lower Greenville along with owners Dave and Ronnie Derekvatana to open Zenna. We skipped the extensive sushi menu and headed straight to Thai specialties. The kids downed three orders of fried corn patties and soft dumplings filled with pork before they were told it was Thai food. From then on, it was almost effortless to get them to try my thick, fat rice noodles stir-fried with eggs, peppers, tomatoes, and scads of fresh basil. Thankfully, they wouldn’t touch the shrimp, bathed in a rich and creamy yellow curry. They were content to watch the adults fight over the dish. The contemporary decor makes Zenna an attractive place to hang, especially late at night. The twinkle lights on the patio are on until the restaurant closes at 3 am.
For more information on Zenna Thai & Japanese Restaurant, visit our restaurant guide.
