Pan Asian Restaurant/Lounge Takes Over Coveted Space, Promises to Keep Things Small

Alice, a new Pan Asian restaurant in East Dallas, is opening this weekend. The eatery will offer an edited menu of shared plates and beverages in a 1950s-inspired setting. It will be open daily for dinner, with late night hours Thursdays through Saturdays.

There will be about 25 dishes on the menu, including hamachi crudo, tuna tartare, crab dip and lettuce wraps. The bar also opted to keep its menu short and sweet – there will be a small selection wines, sakes, beers and craft cocktails.

“Everything that we’re doing is going to be smaller in size,” co-owner Brian Rutt says. “It’s less is more, make it as best as it possibly can be. A few wines, a small sake list, a small beer list, a cocktail list. It’s going to be thought out, well-curated, and the price point is going to be approachable as well.”

The 50-seat restaurant will transform into a fun lounge on the weekends, but Rutt and fellow co-owner Brandon Hays wanted to stay away from “club” territory.

“We put together a concept that allows everyone to have dinner, feel good, and it turns into a lounge with great music, but you can still hear each other. That’s the key,” Rutt says.

Alice is located at 1623 N. Hall Street, the space that was previously home to beloved Peruvian restaurant Joyce & Gigi’s, which closed last summer. The space has been gussied up and decked out with greenery, banquettes, moody lighting and retro decor.