One of my favorite places to eat in Dallas is gone! Arc-En-Ciel, has been a staple of Sunday of my Sunday lunch options for years… could it be as many as 20? Maybe. Well last Sunday my Mother and I decided that we would go there for lunch after church… since my brother hates to go and he was in Colorado. So we go…. and there is a gaggle of people aimlessly staring at the front door. Plus the parking lot was suspiciously empty. I think… no way! Get out of the car… and there is a huge sign on the door letting us all know that the tenants of the this space have been locked out for non-payment. How does that happen??? That place was PACKED all the time. Busy with the local Vietnamese community and all us white folks who want a decent imperial roll and some yummy dim sum. WHAT HAPPENED? I have no idea. But I have many a good meal at that restaurant.My mother first took me there after one of her citizenship class students told her to come so she could see what Viet-food was all about. “Teacher, teacher… you sit here!” she told her when my Mother came in. And promptly sat my mother with some other bewildered white folkes… and gave my Mother a menu and proceeded to bring her item after item… My mother is not sure why she got a menu in the first place. She never ordered a thing. So, knowing my foodie ways, my Mother knew that I would love it. They had a tome of a menu and I never had a chance to try most of it. But I can wax rhapsodic about the Vietnamese eggrolls… that come with a plateful of leafy greens, mint, basil and bean sprouts. The Vietnamese dipping sauce that is so yummy I could almost just spoon it up as if it were soup. Hot rolls, cool fresh herbs and lettuces…. It is heaven on a plate. I love it. I can get them at one of the many other Pho and Viet-food places in the area… but what about all the dim sum on Sundays?! The vivid steamed greens (I have no idea what they were) served with oyster sauce were my favorite… along with the dumplings of all stripes. I will miss Arc En Ciel. I hope they come back, bigger and better than ever.
Arc-En-Ciel R.I.P.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
OH MY GOD……HOW WILL I SURVIVE WITHOUT THE ULTIMATE IN
VIETNAMESE FOOD! NOTHING HAS EVER COMPARED TO ARC-EN-CIEL’S
IMPERIAL ROLLS. OTHER PLACES JUST CALL THEM EGG ROLLS AND THEY DONT COME WITH ALL THE GREAT VEGGIES ON THE SIDE…..NO MINT….NO SPROUTS, NO PICKLED DAIKON OR CARROTS, NO CUKES!
ALSO, NEVER TO BE TOPPED, WAS THEIR GROUND SHRIMP ON A SUGAR CANE,
TO WRAP IN A FRESH SOFT RICE PAPER, AND ONCE AGAIN ALL THOSE GREAT VEGGIES. THE CHARCOAL BROILED PORK WITH RICE PAPER AND VEGGIES WAS THE BEST. HELP ME……….HELP…………..ME………….MUST
FIND THE ……RETIRED CHEF……..FROM ARC-EN-CIELS!!!!!!!!!!!!
no other vietnamese place even runS a close second to Arc-en-ciels.
Imperial rolls elsewhere are just “egg rolls” with NO MINT, NO CUKES,
NO SPROUTS, NO PICKLED DAIKON OR CARROT. Ground shrimp on a sugar cane was the ultimate! never even see that on menu at other places.
charcoal-broiled pork with rice paper and vegetables was the best i’ve had. What am i going to do? MUST HAVE………..ARC-
EN-CIELS…………..HELP……MUST HAVE……….MORE
HELP ME. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh God I wish I knew where they went. I miss them so!