The word âme means soul in French, a syllable pronounced with a simple meditative ohm. Located in the center of the Bishop Arts District, Âme, an Indian restaurant serving classic French cuisine, sits alongside other chef-run restaurants offering a varied selection of dishes, some in a sophisticated setting.
The nearby Boulevardier offers French-inspired dishes as well as classic cocktails. The new Casablanca is designed to bring guests to the Silk Road. Lucia down the street is fine dining at its most beautiful, homely form. These rooms work alongside family-run fast-casual restaurants, ice cream parlors, all-day cafes and cake sliders. Overall, the old quarter southwest of the city center has an East Village feeling, its own soul.
After opening 8 Cloves at the Dallas Farmers Market five years ago, Afifa Nayeb decided it was time to offer diners a new option when it came to Indian dishes. Listening to her family and customers, she decided Dallas was ready for Âme, a cook-oriented, formal Indian restaurant that Nayeb owns and serves as the head chef.
Vintage wallpapers on Indian playing cards mix with modern accents in the dining room.
Alison McLean
“My family loves Indian food,” says Nayeb. “There are nice Indian restaurants in New York or Washington, DC or even Houston that are run by chefs. But my customers at 8 Cloves kept telling me I had to open a restaurant where they could come for a nice dinner. ”
Nayeb was born in Afghanistan and lived briefly in New Delhi before immigrating to the United States as a teenager. That time in India still resonates, so much so that she wanted to open a place that would allow her to combine the Indian cuisine she loves with the French techniques she learned during her time at Le Cordon Bleu .
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“I wanted to set up a target restaurant in a neighborhood,” says Nayeb of Ames place in Bishop Arts, in the former premises of Hattie. “Bishop Arts was on my list, but I never expected to get this place.”
In Âme, the hustle and bustle of the difficult pedestrian sidewalk outside has fallen silent. Customers are greeted by a U-shaped bar made of white marble. The dining room with tall windows and emerald walls is just a few steps away on the right. An alcove at the end of the room is adorned with vintage Indian playing card wallpaper and anchored by a gold banquet bench. The painted tin ceiling (a holdover from Hattie’s) adds to the upscale feel.
On our first visit, after taking a seat at one of the dining room’s white-set tables, we used our phones and a QR code to access the menu. Background music encompasses genres and cultures, but sometimes includes hip-hop as well, which instills a bit of energy but is never loud enough to interfere with a conversation. Our waitress appeared quickly to introduce herself and then gave us a moment to read the drinks menu. Like so many restaurants these days, menus are only available on your phone after you’ve scanned a QR code from a small poster on the table.
Wines by the glass or in the bottle dominate the drinks menu, which includes a modest selection of beers and cocktails. The wines represent a wide range of countries, from France, Italy, Spain, Armenia and Argentina as well as several Californian wineries and a Texan vineyard.
The Massala Sour is made with Old Forester Bourbon and rounded off with Aquafaba foam.
Alison McLean
The cocktail menu in particular shows the subcontinental influence of Âme. The Masala Sour ($ 16) starts with Old Forester Bourbon, Licor 43, and Lemon topped with a delicate aquafaba foam with a hint of homemade masala syrup and bitters. It’s a unique take on the Whiskey Sour that hits the heart of every bourbon lover.
The evening menu is littered with ingredients that stand out from the traditional Indian menus found across North Texas. An aloo tikki is covered in pepitas. Yellow beet samosas contain walnuts and serrano chilies. The biryani is topped with a Scottish egg and crispy, thinly fried onions. An aubergine baked in masala is coated with a turmeric bechamel sauce.
As a share starter, the classic chaat ($ 16) is a rich mix of chickpeas, onions, and yogurt layered over small potato pancakes with a nice crunch. Dip one of the crispy samosa chips into the hearty, aromatic chaat to pamper yourself.
The starters are divided between vegetable and grain dishes, meat or seafood. The Tandoori Fish Curry ($ 32), a flaky sea bass fillet flavored with coriander, turmeric, and garlic, is an example of Nayeb’s mix of Indian dishes backed by French cooking techniques; The tender fillet lies on a silky puree of green leek, green peas and lemongrass, which gives the fish the perfect balance.
“The spices on the fish are very traditional Indian flavors,” she says. “But the sauce is based on a very traditional French bechamel sauce.”
Consider adding a side dish of naan puffs to your meal. Unlike shallow naan found in other Indian locations, these smaller, fluffy balls are more like buns with a black stain of sesame seeds sitting on them like a button. They are ideal for soaking up the juicy leek puree.
Lamb chops with herb and pistachio crust
Alison McLean
The pistachio-crust lamb chops ($ 38) look more like a classic French-inspired dish. A trio of bone chops wear a coat of ground pistachios over medium-sized meat. However, the strong aroma of the spices on the lamb does not completely cloud the traditional lamb smell. Pistachio mashed potatoes under the meat with a hint of serrano pepper heat, a flavor profile that is more Indian than French.
The arrangement of the dishes here is sophisticated. Lamb chops are crisscrossed over a neat snowball-like pile of potatoes. The biryani is piled high with a Scottish egg carefully perched on top and thinly fried onions. Chicken tikka pieces are deliberately stacked in the middle of flat bowls, surrounded by a lively reddish-orange cashew cream sauce.
The elephant room
Alison McLean
At the other end of Âme’s dining room, a deep green velvet curtain hides an adjoining room called the Elephant Bar, a separate bar suitable for about a dozen parched guests. Nayeb says the bar is promoting their goal of making Âme a travel destination.
“The Elefantenbar has its own identity, its own menu, its own style,” says Nayeb. “It’s like a whisper bar with a European feel. But it’s also more accessible; anyone can come by, have a drink and leave.”
In fact, Elephant Bar guests can enter the bar through their own entrance on Bishop Avenue and never set foot in Âme. A brilliant golden chandelier decorates the room like a flame-lit tiara that is reflected in a mirrored wall and doubles the classy effect. Plush, emerald green chairs with vacuum lines testify to the attention to detail in this room. Heavy curtains obscure any notion that you are enjoying a drink anywhere other than an elegant Parisian salon.
The Elephant Bar has a short list of common dishes like beetroot samosa ($ 12) or fried calamari with masala butter ($ 16), which have more of an Indian influence.
If you want an upscale experience like Nayeb, service has to keep up, and sometimes Âme doesn’t quite hit the mark. Our interactions with hosts, servers, and bartenders were all friendly, but there were flaws that separate good service from remarkable. Nayeb tells us that when Âme opened, the kitchen staff consisted of a chef, a dishwasher, and Nayeb himself, and she admits that staffing is still a struggle.
On weekends, the reservation list at Âme can fill up quickly. The popularity feels well deserved. Before it closed abruptly last year, Hattie’s was an institution in Bishop Arts, drawing guests from around the area looking for a more elegant yet accessible dining experience. Åme continues that tradition by offering a similarly sophisticated atmosphere, albeit with a unique menu not found anywhere else in Bishop Arts. Âme presents classic Indian cuisine with modern accents and a French influence in an elegant ambience.
Âme, 418 N Bishop Ave. (Bishop Arts District), open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
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