90754 Tue Aug 26 10:17:58 -0700 2003 3 5 Texas 0 498778 This was a surprise "find" -- a high-quality "fusion" restaurant tucked in among typical strip mall retailers (and the usual food chains) off of Park and Preston. On the inside, it's a very serene and sophisticated-looking place that combines elements of several Asian cuisines (predominantly Chinese), and part of the experience is trying the foods with a selection of teas (hence the name...Japanese for "tea"). Alcohol is not yet served, but you can bring in wine and beer. We ordered two of the three "combination plates" on the menu -- each a selection of three Chinese-influenced dishes. Each offered a beef, a seafood and a chicken preparation, and they were all imaginative and excellent interpretations of "classics" such as crispy beef with orange peel and sweet and sour prawns. Portions were generous, and the quality of the food was worth every cent of the $19 per combination plate. The menu is quite extensive, although desserts are not a strong point. (New York cheesecake, for example, which has never struck me as a fitting end to an Asian meal.) The restaurant also has a take-out menu, which appears to be significantly less expensive than the table menu ($7.95 - $9.95 per take-out dish.) Limited-menu lunch prices are also lower than dinner. I much prefer Cha Pavilion to Plano's other Chinese offerings. Admittedly, in my book, the other places -- including Pei Wei Diner -- don't set a very high bar! I would definitely drive a few miles to get there, though, and if were thinking about going to Uncle Tai's at the Galleria, I would try Cha Pavilion as an alternative just to check it out. 4747 W. Park Blvd., #104 (North side of Park, across the parking lot from the movie theater) Plano, TX 75093 214.473.8968 Tue Aug 26 10:17:58 -0700 2003 0 Kirk 1 498783 If you want great Chinese, cheap, make your way from Plano down to Richardson and eat at First Chinese BBQ. They also have locations in Farmers Branch and Arlington. All are equally good. I don't know of any other Chinese even remotely as good in the DFW area, although the Richardson or Arlington Chinese areas may contain some equals that I haven't tried yet. Tue Aug 26 17:07:19 -0700 2003 498778 0 David Pearlman 2 498784 Thanks, Dave. There is a First Chinese Barbecue on Coit Rd. in Plano, too. I'll have to check it out. I was going to go a few months ago, but saw that it received a less-than-stellar rating from the Plano Health Department. It's back up to a "B," while Joy Luck Barbecue, which I rated pretty highly a few weeks ago, has slipped to a "D" rating. Link: http://www.planotx.org/health/restaur.html#Chinese/Japanese Tue Aug 26 18:02:23 -0700 2003 498783 0 Kirk 2 499268 Tried the First Chinese BBQ on Coit in Plano tonight, David. You're right. It's very good. Had the bbq pork lo mein, and the orange chicken, and they were definitely the best basic Chinese I've had in Dallas. Thanks for the recommendation! Mon Sep 22 20:29:04 -0700 2003 498783 0 Kirk