Uncle Zhou ~ Plano, Texas

Alrighty - Mr. Music is back in the game!

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Uncle Zhou has fast become one of my favorite restaurants! My buddy, The Big Bear, took me for my first visit and I was astounded! We started with appetizers: Black fungus, Scallion Pancake and lamb dumplings! OMG, everything was my dream come true! Black Fungus is similar to wood ear mushrooms but are darker. Here they are marinated in Chinese vinegar and seasonings. Served cold, I topped them off with Uncle Zhou's red chilies in oil (much spicier than the stuff you get in most Chinese restaurants!). Bear didn't really care for them, so I gobbled up the large pile by myself. They are a little chewy but not hard to bite through. Honestly, the flavor of the shrooms themselves is very mild, it is the seasoning that you taste most. But it is the texture and chew of these delectable fungi that make them such a treat, for me! The scallion pancakes were freshly made and amazing! I have had them other places and I generally love them. I can't say there is anything about these that make them stand out, but fresh, hot, light and crispy and delicious all the same. Dipped in my own combo of the red chilies, soy sauce and vinegar on the table, we put them away quickly! 

Then came the lamb dumplings! The noodle is hand made per order, stuffed with filling and boiled. Served piping hot, we used the same self made sauce to accompany them. Also delicious! For our main entrees, we shared the Mapo Tofu and the Hand Drawn Wide Noodles (item # H1 on the menu). Mapo Tofu is a pretty well known Sichuan dish. Silky tofu, cubed and boiled in brine and tossed in this amazing, thick and spicy gravy! It is laden with red chilies for heat and then the special ingredient that makes Sichuan dishes so unique, Sichuan peppers! They are not really hot, but rather have a tingling or even numbing sensation on your tongue. I personally LOVE it, but it is not for everyone. You can get the sauce with or without ground meat. I like it either way, but I like without meat better. Plus it is lighter and if you are having several other dishes, it makes it easier to have enough stomach space! I have had Mapo Tofu a few places and this is my favorite, but the other places were great too. There are two sizes at Uncle Zhou, R4 on the menu is a smaller portion over rice. The V10 is a HUGE bowl, but you have to order the rice separate ($1). I prefer this because you get much more for your money and I love having leftovers! 

Lastly and most importantly, those hand drawn noodles! When you order these noodles, you can watch Uncle Zhou making them! He pulls and stretches the 6 foot ropes of heavenliness right there and them pops them in boiling water. 6 feet long and about 1/2 as wide as lasagna and twice as thick, these noodles are perfection; they are a little chewy and stretchy but have a nice bite. They come in a good sized bowl with a delicate sauce made with vinegar, soy sauce, fresh garlic, scallions and baby bok choy then garnished with a little cilantro. This is one of the greatest dishes ever for me and the most unique thing I have had here so far. They serve it with various types of meat as well and I want to try them too. Since my first visit, I have brought several friends and family members here. EVERYONE loves the noodles and most have loved the Mapo Tofu, black fungus and dumplings. They have a really great menu with so much variety and I plan to completely explore it. So far I have only had other styles of dumplings (pork and cabbage, pork and green onion, some boiled and some pan friend, ALL delicious!). Lady Music and I tried the cucumber salad which was very garlicky and yummy! The Mapo Tofu was a little intense for her, although she has liked it other places. She loved the dumplings, black fungus, scallion pancake and noodles as did my two daughters sans the fungus. My eldest, Teen Music also loves the Mapo Tofu. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I will be back again and again and again!

- Mr. Music review