With October almost in the rearview, we’re looking back at some of the best restaurant dishes the Eat Arkansas team came across over the last month. Send us your favorite bites and food selfies from the last four weeks as we plan our November dining schedules.
Khao soi at Rex’s Credit: Matt Campbell
Khao soi at Rex’s
There are a number of us in Little Rock who mourn the day kBird closed like it’s a national tragedy. I’ve lost family members and not been as upset as I still am about losing the amazing Thai food that used to come out of the yellow house on Tyler St.
kBird set the bar so high for Thai food in Little Rock, in fact, that I was hesitant to try the khao soi at Rex’s, assuming there was no way it could live up to my expectations. Reader, I am elated to report that my trepidation was misplaced.
Rex’s puts their own twist on the traditional northern Thailand coconut curry noodle soup, topping it with a breaded-and-fried chicken cutlet and pickled onions, along with the traditional deep-fried egg noodles. But the real star of the show is the coconut curry broth. It’s simultaneously sweet, savory and creamy, with a surprising depth from the curry that balances the coconut perfectly. Underneath, a bed of boiled noodles provides a texture contrast to the crunchy noodles on top. The pickled onions, bolstered by a squeeze of the included lime wedge, bring just enough acidity to the party to push the entire dish from good to great.
There might never be another kBird. Thankfully, the good folks at Rex’s make that reality sting a whole lot less. MC
The birthday special at Different Dough Pizza Co. Credit: Daniel Grear
The birthday special at Different Dough Pizza Co.
If I’m an evangelist for anything, it’s Different Dough Pizza Co. in Bryant. I don’t just think they serve the best pizza in Central Arkansas; I think they serve the best pizza in the world. Thus, I’m there a lot. In fact, I frequent Different Dough so much that I’ve begun to feel like the restaurant’s owner, Brian Krikorian, is my friend. He’s always eager to share about his pizza-making process and preferences, and I’m always eager to listen.
It’s perhaps surprising, then, that until a few weeks ago, I’d never tried Krikorian’s “birthday special,” which he previously offered only during the month of September. The pie, a recent addition to the year-round menu, is Krikorian’s go-to meal after a long shift and features a cheese blend, vodka sauce, sliced meatballs, cup-n-char pepperoni, basil pesto and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Frankly, it’s outstandingly good (and a little spicy, thanks to those meatballs), and it may have replaced my longstanding love for Different Dough’s Cup-n-Comb special (red sauce, mozzarella, cup-n-char pepperoni, and hot Italian sausage finished with Bee Dolce Hot Honey). Pro tip: If you’re like me, and pizza isn’t quite pizza without red sauce, get a few cups of the stuff (it’s complimentary!) for dipping; it’ll make all the difference. DG
Plum-powder oranges at AR Sushi Credit: Elizabeth L. Cline
Plum-powder oranges at AR Sushi
As someone skeptical of inland sushi places, I was not expecting much from AR Sushi. But, as others online have noted, the fish at this recently-opened spot on the West side is fresh and delicious and the portions ginormous. I recently tried them out with five other screaming females, telling bawdy stories about IUDs and early-2000s music videos and getting louder with each sip of our BYOB’d Oyster Bay sauvignon blanc (the restaurant doesn’t have a liquor license).
I can confirm that the rumors of fine fish are true, and the service is bend-over-backwards accommodating. Our server washed up every wine glass on hand (even stealing some from a display on the counter) so we’d be able to drink our $13 Kroger wine in a proper container. But AR Sushi truly won me over with its perfect sides, starting with a delicate and savory cucumber salad scattered with sesame seeds and then, for dessert, gratis halved oranges sprinkled in plum powder, transforming a standard fruit into a beguiling and creamy-tasting delight. I hardly noticed when our sushi entrees took a minute to come out. When they did, I understood where all the time went — the chef had labored over slabs of fish that were probably twice the size of the typical sushi place. EC
Chicken biryani at Bheemas Indian Kitchen and Bar Credit: Byron Tate
Chicken biryani at Bheemas Indian Kitchen and Bar
I first happened upon Bheemas Indian Kitchen and Bar a few years ago while shopping at Asian Groceries, next door to Drug Emporium right off Rodney Parham Road.
Past the paneer and fresh curry leaves, the garam masala and enough fragrant rice to keep your kitchen in high gear for a lifetime, there, in the back, was Bheemas, so small as to almost not be there. A few tables, a credit card-reader that seemed to be content with reasonable tallies for all the delicious food it logged and a window into the kitchen that simultaneously let you see in, as the cooks went about their magic, and also let all those enticing aromas out.
Not living in Little Rock at the time meant darting in pretty much anytime I was in the area and they were open. I became enough of a regular that the nods from the staff suggested they recognized me. All was well. Until one day, when they were just gone.
It wasn’t the first time a favorite restaurant disappointed me by disappearing. I made some calls, and finally got through to someone who said they were sorry to go but that they had hopes of opening up again somewhere else. Months and months went by and I stopped imagining that there would be a resurrection.
But then the Bheemas name resurfaced. It’s on Shackleford Road now, just off Markham Street. Yes, they’ve been there a year, but I’ve been busy, and in the back of my mind, I wondered if they were even related to the Bheemas of hole-in-the-wall fame. They absolutely are, although their new digs are spacious and quite upscale. And I am happy to report that their food is equally delicious as when you could watch your dish being prepared.
I had chicken biryani. I tend toward that dish because I know all the work that’s involved, having made it less than adequately several times at home. Each bite was to be savored as the cloves, cinnamon, star anise and cardamom created an aromatic heaven that filled my head. Even the texture is something to behold as bits and pieces have a crunch that is irresistible and cry out for just one more bite until nothing is left on the plate.
There’s a lot more on the menu than biryani, but that was a wonderful way to say hello to an old friend. BT
Beef shawarma at Habibi’s Shawarma Credit: Matt Campbell
Beef shawarma at Habibi’s Shawarma
Struggling to come up with an idea for lunch on a recent Saturday, my fiance and I decided to try Habibi’s Shawarma, the new Mediterranean restaurant on Chenal Parkway, based solely on the strength of a funny TikTok video they’d posted a few days earlier. (To be fair, more important decisions have been made for flimsier reasons.)
In general, if you wrap any kind of meat in a bread and griddle it, I’m probably going to be on board, so it wouldn’t take much for Habibi’s to be worth the trek out west. I ordered the beef shawarma, while my better half picked the chicken option. Neither of us wound up disappointed.
The beef was steak, chopped into small pieces and heavily seasoned with traditional Mediterranean flavors, and it was topped with tomatoes, cilantro and onions, all wrapped in a fresh pita and griddled to a nice crispy finish. On the side were fries reminiscent of Cajun fries, but seasoned just slightly differently. A cup of Habibi’s sauce for dipping and a small cup of an interesting corn salad tagged along as well. The sauce, reminiscent of a thin tzatziki without the cucumber, was a nice contrast to the savory sandwich.
Habibi’s was a tad on the expensive side for lunch — with a 25% tip, our two meals came to just north of $45 — but it wouldn’t be overly expensive for dinner. And, luckily, they’re open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. MC