OLD Eats DO NOT USE

Copeland's was a racist restaurant in Addison. I am glad it is closed. Even though I am in Keller, I will not be visiting the new Copeland's in the future.

Copeland's... scallops in the gumbo??? How authentic is that---NOT!

True Cajun food is not incendiary, it is nuanced with long-simmered, complex flavors. In the hands of those who don't really know Cajun cookery, one finds an excess of red pepper.

- from a Katrina transplant

As tired as buffets are, the Lunch Buffet at Vietnam Restaurant is not to be missed. Great food at a great price.

I was casually browsing through the list of restaurant reviews to
treat my family for the holidays. Chanced upon review of my favorite
place "Iravat" published on 12.21.07 by Kim Pierce.

I must admit was really disappointed with the review, peppered with
lack of interest of author's part. Sorry Kim, but I must ask, do you
also judge the tenderness of steak over the phone? Food is something
you savor with your palate, don't pick up the phone and write reviews.
Thali is not a service and wine has never been part of Indian food,
Italian maybe, French maybe, not Indian. I may have second thoughts
next time believing one of these food critics.

I have no affiliation whatsoever with this place besides being a customer.
For someone who have known Indian food since birth, I happened to chance
upon a variant of small eggplant curry which my mom used to make. Let me tell you,
it takes hours of preparation and marinating. I was zapped to know, Iravat
had them. Why would a restaurant go out of their way to make something
like this on a buffet? I have never seen or talked to the dark horses
(chefs hidden in the kitchen), but if they were not cooking with their
heart, they would not have had so many fresh varieties each day.

In my opinion, I have no second thoughts to say, this restaurant stands
one among the top 5 Indian restaurants in the entire DFW metroplex.

Wishing everyone Happy Holidays and eat well.

-Rajeev

As someone not Cajun, but who grew up in Lafayette LA, our whole family LOVES Copeland's! No, it is not all true Cajun, but the beauty of Copeland's food is the flavor -- definitely delicious and Cajun-like. Some of the dishes are more glamorous than authentic Cajun food -- yea! And, only people from (or familiar with) Cajun country cuisine (not New Orleans Creole-melting pot style) would recognize those differences. We appreciate the creative, city touch Copeland's has put on our "home" favorites. It is what it is, thank goodness! A few dishes might approach the spicy edge, but for the most part, it is all about the meld of the trinity and spices. As for the steaks -- WOW! is what I say about the filet and au gratin potatoes! Melt in your mouth delicious prime beef. The salads are another surprising hit -- full of good stuff and homemade dressings. Try the bread pudding -- ca c'est bon! Thanks, Al, for locating a new Copeland's close enough to us!

Rajeev –

As one who accompanies reviewers on their dining assignments, it can be an awesome sight to witness. In the case of Iravat, I know Kim went there twice and loved the place. So the phone call was a follow up to ask some questions. None of this was done by remote control. I too, would have liked to have known about the thali as well, and I think she was commiserating over the fact that we missed out on a part of the Indian dining experience, and the culture, by not knowing that. She was pointing out that the proprietor should clarify that on the menu for folks with whom the Indian culture is not an indigenous part of their being.

Kim is extremely enthusiastic about Indian cuisine and even if she weren’t she’d have to be, as I am constantly hauling her out with me to eat in whichever place I find. Lack of interest would not aptly describe Kim when it comes to food (my waistline being a constant reminder of that).

Bukhara was one I recently took her to and she loved it. She cooks Indian food for me, has taken it on herself to learn something about the food and the cuisine, hauling me around to all sorts of markets where she can buy Indian products. So, don’t sell her short.

Food critics, or rather restaurant reviewers, have to eat out for part of their living. It isn’t so glamorous and often there are unwanted side effects. Right now I am awake at 4 am because I am unable to digest something from a meal we had (on another review) 8 hours earlier.

As to wine, while it might not be part of Indian food as we traditionally consider it, it is part of the American experience. Hence wine is served in Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants here, which have no tradition of wine either. And by my research it is becoming woven into the Indian experience back home. So that is part of the melting pot of this place. In any event, like informing diners about what thali is ( a service, a tradition or an experience, whatever you’d like to call it) it is also important, in this local culture, to be able to easily inform diners of their beverage options, be it wine, water or beer. That is the role of the reviewer, to point out to the restaurant owner what they can do to make the dining experience easier to enjoy and immerse oneself into. And it also provides the restaurant an opportunity to be more successful and stay around a bit longer.

Believe me we will go back to Iravat on our own dime. You are welcome to join us, we’d like to learn from you about your mother’s cuisine.

Speaking of eggplant, which is my “stranded on a desert island” food, how about giving up your mom’s recipe?

-Peace

When u go to Iravat, make sure not to tell them that you write reviews. You can see the Service then, which is Absolutely "Pathetic".

We were a party of 4 out for Dinner a couple of days back. When we entered the restaurant, 3 other tables were occupied. Still within 5 minutes of seating us the lady taking orders started pushing us to order immediately.

Once the order was placed and food was served at our table, we ordered for 2 extra naan breads. While enjoying the food (the food was quite tasty) we were kept waiting for almost 15 minutes before the 1st of the naan breads made it to our table, this after 2 requests to our waiter. The second was nowhere in sight.After waiting for another 10 minutes, we asked the owner (or manager) and he started lecturing us that kitchen is under staffed and we need to understand it takes time to make naan. Give me a break...takes 30 minutes to make 1 Naan???

I tend to agree when sometimes there is a lack of staff things do get out of hand...but I was not prepared for the reasoning and lecturing. If you are running a restaurant, you better be prepared for days when it gets busier than usual.

Anyways, Just my 2 cents and for sure, I ain't going back to this place.

Delhiite-
No reviewer in their right mind ever tells the restaurant they are reviewing it. The idea is be treated (and served) just like everybody else.