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Pakpao Thai

7859 Walnut Hill Lane Ste. 150 214.484.8772 pakpaothai.com

AMBIANCE: RELAXED/INTIMATE

PRICE RANGE: $8-$32 FOR ENTRÉES

HOURS:

11 A.M. – 10 P.M. MON. – THURS., 11 A.M. – 11 P.M. FRI. – SAT., 11 A.M. – 10 P.M. SUN.

DID YOU KNOW?

RICHARD ELLMAN AND HIS WIFE, TIFFANEE, LIVE IN PRESTON HOLLOW. IN ADDITION TO PAKPAO THAI, THEY OWN THE POPULAR DALLAS RESTAURANTS EL BOLERO AND OAK.

Richard

Ellman is all about saving you gas money. That’s why he opened the second location of his restaurant Pakpao Thai in Preston Hollow Village.

“There is a lot of residential density around here and it’s off a major highway,” he says. “We love our Design District location, but it’s more of a destination.”

The menu, designed by celebrity chef Jet Tila, is pretty much the same at both sites. Appetizers include fresh spring rolls, steamed mussels and pork satay. For your main dish, order pineapple fried rice, salmon with green curry or crispy tamarind duck. The Chula Rita, a frozen drink made with lemongrass infused tequila, is also a big crowd pleaser. But perhaps some of the most interesting items at Pakpao aren’t on the menu, but the ceiling. Look up and you’ll see dozens of delicate, white kites.

“Pakpao means kite [in Thai],” Ellman explains. “As far back as the 12th century in Thailand, kite flying has been part of the culture.”

Bring on the wind.

—Elizabeth Barbee

Pakpao Thai’s pineapple fried rice, Thai fresh spring rolls and salmon with green curry. Photo by

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