Zato's soft opening has a been a successful one
Not only do they have excellent cooked Thai food, but sushi lovers in our area no longer have to travel far and wide to get their favorite sashimi!
LH Today stopped in for a visit this week and had the opportunity to visit with sushi chef and co-owner of Zato, Rat Phetcharat.
“We are excited to finally be open," says Rat.
"We're pleased with how many people have stopped in for a menu or to just welcome us to the neighborhood."
Zato's soft opening was September 29th, and so far things are going well. They have slated November 10th for the restaurant's official grand opening.
We asked Rat about his background, how the Thai-Sushi concept came together, and why he chose Lake Highlands for the new location.
“When I moved from Thailand to the states, my aunt, Orapun Petcharat, let me cook in her restaurants,” says Rat. “I worked for her while I pursued my MBA from the University of Dallas.”
“For several years, I had wanted to open my own place,” he continues. “My aunt approached me about a partnership and already knew of this location in Lake Highlands - so here we are.”
Petcharat currently owns three other restaurants in the DFW area, including Jasmine Thai Cuisine in Plano.
Zato offers an extensive menu, which caters to fans of sushi, in addition to offering a wide selection of cooked dishes. Options include a full dinner menu, sushi menu and lunch menu that offers box lunches and daily specials.
During two separate visits to the restaurant, we've had the opportunity to try several items on the menu including the Pad Kee Maow (spicy noodle) and the Volcano and 635 Rolls, which are both signature creations. We also sampled the shrimp in a blanket appetizer and the tuna sushi and sashmi.
We found all of these dishes to be professionally presented, fairly priced and superb in taste. An instant favorite was the Thai tea - a sweet, refreshing drink with no more caffeine than you'll find in a glass of soda.
Chef Rat brings a lot of creativity to the table with his rolls and is very proud of his signature sauces.
“It’s all about the sauce,” Rat explains. “It’s really my specialty, because the sauce can make all the difference. We also plan to have different rolls featured on the menu on a regular basis.”
We especially enjoyed and strongly recommend those Volcano and 635 Rolls, and not only is the food excellent but Zato has a very warm and inviting dining room.
While his name might be one that raises an eyebrow or two in our western culture, Rat simply chuckles and comments, “No one ever forgets it, so it works well for me!”
Zato is located in the Royal Highlands Plaza shopping center, at the northeast corner of Skillman and Abrams. You'll find the restaurant on the lower level, under the Janie Christy School of Dance and just a few steps from Tom Thumb.
In celebration of their Grand Opening next month, LH Today and Zato will be offering a fantastic Deal of the Week in November. So be sure to check back soon.
To see the full menu Zato is offering, click here.
We hope our readers enjoy this great new Lake Highlands restaurant and their fresh menu items as much as we did.
Stop by soon and try it for yourself. When you do, be sure to tell Rat that LH Today sent you!
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