Dallas is known for its world-renowned restaurants and for having more restaurants per capita than any other U.S. city. With hundreds of restaurants to choose from, picking one for a Friday night out isn’t easy.
Lumi, an empanada and dumpling kitchen, is a new restaurant that is bringing something original to Dallas amidst the endless amounts of Tex-Mex restaurants. Located in Uptown on McKinney Avenue, it is in the perfect location right in the center of the Dallas social scene.
The venue is an intimate space, with an inviting atmosphere. The Brazilian music is a relaxing touch and the minimal, modern décor sets a great tone. Lumi is family owned and operated and their hospitality makes restaurant goers feel like they are eating gourmet food in their own homes.
All that aside, the food is what makes this new restaurant unique. While empanadas and dumplings aren’t normally paired together, here, it works. The empanadas are served with two sauces, jalapeno and cilantro, which make the crispy outside and filling even richer. The dumplings are equally as flavorful, especially the Thai Panang curry chicken dumplings.
In addition, to their empanadas and dumplings Lumi serves an array of tapas. Two items are highlights. First, their fresh Vietnamese summer roles blend crunchy textures with flavorful pork. Like their menu states, “It’s a salad that you can eat with your hands.” Also, the Chinese BBQ ribs are slowly roasted to perfection, where they just fall off the bone and into your mouth. For someone who doesn’t normally like ribs, I found these delicious. The hoisin-honey sauce and mango salsa give the ribs an added kick.
For restaurant goers that are looking for something a bit more, Lumi offers a variety of entrees, including their steak dish. The Picanha steak is premium Brazilian beef that has plenty of savory seasons to it. The garlic spinach and Parmesan portabella fries are the perfect additions to this dish. This steak rivals those at any traditional steak house in flavor and price.
Lumi also offers unique drinks and desserts including their jalapenos and pineapple margarita and their green tea crème brule. Each brings more complex flavors to the mix of exotic tastes that fill Lumi’s menu.
Despite the economic crunch, this restaurant has a bright future. Lumi is owned and managed by first-time restaurateur Susie Bui. Bui said the kitchen hopes to expand quickly and be open for lunch hours as well.
Perhaps the best part about this restaurant is the group atmosphere. It is a great place for everyone to share orders and have a little taste of everything. This kitchen easily has the potential to become a hot spot for Dallasites, with its great bar, location, friendly staff and unique menu. It is even open longer on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate the late night crowd. The only thing that could make it better is to have it open every day of the week.
Lumi is open Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. and Sunday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
