A Dallas-based celebrity chef has opened a new restaurant: Uno Immanivong has opened a location for Red Stix Asian Street Foodits popular Pan-Asian casual concept, at the Mustang station on Flower Mound, at 13050 Bee St.
It’s the second location, after the original near SMU in University Park, which it opened in 2019. Magically, it’s next door to Roots Southern Table, fellow celebrity chef Tiffany Dairy’s restaurant.
In a statement, Emanivong said she was excited by the fact that the restaurant complements the growing diversity of the Farmers Brunch community.
“In the short time we’ve been open, our space has become a local gathering place for families, teachers, actors, Firehouse Theater volunteers, and city council members,” she says. “The Red Stix’s vision has always been to be the neighborhood ‘cheers’, a place where we know you by name and remember your order, a place to decompress after a long day, or to celebrate life’s gains. Our goal is to nourish you from the inside out.”
Red Stix Asian Street Food follows a fast-paced, casual format, but with the fun atmosphere of a cozy bar. The menu features customizable pasta dishes, rice bowls, and salads.
Each is topped with Uno’s Signature Stix – a Japanese-style robata skewer, grilled over hot Benchotan charcoal in a choice of teriyaki prawns, chicken satay thai curry, teriyaki chicken, Chinese roast pork and beef tenderloin.
Dishes include kraclin fried rice (with wok roast beef and shrimp, topped with a sunny-side up egg); Drunk noodles damn hot noodles. and Tamarind Pad Thai.
There are also large Bánh Mì sandwiches and street-inspired snacks and sides.
The bar features innovative cocktails like Unorita and Frozen Ranch Water, as well as beer, wine, and sake. There is also a category called Adult Juice Pouches for cocktails with flavors like Isle of Capri Sun Punch and Poppin’ Pineapple Margarita; Canned cocktails like Yuzu Cooler and bottled cocktails on the go.
Designed with an Instagram focus, by Kuzuu Design founder Hatsumi Kuzuu (Tei-An, FT33, Urban Taco), the 1,525-square-foot dining room features 25 seats and the focal point is a bar complete with white subway tile, lacquered shelves The red, four-seat dining table is illuminated by red glass hanging lights in the shape of a lantern.
The bar is adjacent to a 400 square foot air-conditioned enclosed patio with accordion doors that open to the outside.
Popularly known as Chef Uno, Ummanivong debuted in 2013 with Chino Chinatown, its highly acclaimed restaurant in Trinity Groves, known for its Duck Fat Fried Rice (also on the menu at Red Stix). It debuted at Red Stix at Legacy Hall in Plano in 2017, followed by SMU which was their first ever Red Stix Asian Street Food.
During the pandemic, she recalls, they provided more than 100,000 meals to frontline healthcare teams and volunteers at Parkland Hospital, FEMA, the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen (WCK) that were affected by the pandemic.
Her biography notes that shhe is named after the United Nations (UNO) refugee camp in Thailand where she was born to Laotian parents, and grew up in Texas (initially Houston, then Keeler). She learned cooking from her mother, who catered for Thai and Laotian weddings, who kept an overgrown garden and provided plenty of mint, Thai basil, Thai chili, and tomatoes for the family table.
She had a successful career in banking when she auditioned in 2012 TasteReality TV cooking show. One of his co-stars, Anthony Bourdain, chose Ono to mentor his cast, and she competed in four episodes, which she described as a life-changing experience.
She has also been a nominee for CultureMap’s annual Tastemaker Awards, earning a place on the 2021 list of Top Chefs.
The Red Stix will host a ribbon-cutting party on Wednesday, May 18 from 2-5 p.m., with free cocktails and snacks, plus dragon dancers, DJs, and a photo booth.
