Last week we were in Plano and on a hunt for lunch. In the familiar surrounding of Preston near 121 we were looking for something new to taste having enjoyed Holy Grail Pub and the numerous Indian and Middle Eastern haunt in that area. At once we spotted Mi Chula and suddenly was stricken with the desire relleno, the greatest quality control dish at any new restaurant we wish to sample.
Mi Chula was founded in late 2007 by a team of restaurant innovators including Joey Shashy, founder of Uncle Julio’s. When Joey sold Uncle Julio’s several years ago, he was still committed to exploring new ways to bring great Mexican food to the DFW market.
Slipping into the restaurant we saw buzzing business lunches and lingering midday margarita drinkers. The crisp Fall air invited many to dine al fresco on the patio, but we sat near the kitchen to watch the fury of dishes pass by to assist with our order. There were plenty of winning platters of sizzling beef and skewered bacon wrapped shrimp being dispatched to their proper tables, making ordering a snap with the extreme visuals.
A texting friend suggested the tortilla soup, which is always a great choice in the Fall. The guisada is another fantastic choice with the weather being cool and breezy.
What power lunch isn’t complete without at least one margarita, and Mu Chula has plenty to choose from including their swirls and prickly pear versions.
Another good litmus test are the chips and salsa. Mi Chula served both warm, sending us into a feeding frenzy that always spells disaster when attempting to finish off our proper meal.
The sopas and tortillas are both made fresh in-house. Our test order of rellenos were superior. Often you will find a soppy mess of cheese and goo served as a relleno, but today we had a crisp pepper stuffed with cheese and beef and bound by a thin but crisp coating that spelled a great lunch.
We understand that at least one more location is being scouted in the Dallas area. There is another location located in South Lake.
Mi Chula was a pleasant surprise for our mid-afternoon Tex Mex fix.
Mi Chiula 8300 Preston RdPlano, TX 75024