Lilly’s excellence makes diners return

By Philip Martin

Photo by Staton Breidenthal

Japanese Noodles Sukiaki Style at Lilly’s Dim Sum Then Some

ADVERSTISMENT

LITTLE ROCK — People use restaurants for all kinds of reasons. They relieve us of our domestic duties while allowing us an opportunity to get out in the world and witness the human pageant. They can provide us with a neutral site in which to meet, a courting arena or a scene-deterring audience. Everyone needs a handful of good restaurants in their lives, eateries that can serve as surrogate salons, where they can be as comfortable as they are in their own homes.

We call these “default” restaurants, places we go when we’re not feeling especially adventurous or up to negotiating new menus or ordering protocols. Some of these are selected for their convenience - we can walk to them - and their consistently reliable fare. All of them are popularly priced.

Lilly’s Dim Sum Then Some is part of our rota, if the furthest flung of our satellites. Simple logistics restrict our visits to the restaurant - after dark, we don’t often make it west of Mississippi Street - which has the pleasantly uncomplicated feel of a neighborhood storefront, even if it’s located in a nondescript west Little Rock strip mall. It has Nancy Tesmer’s terse, acute wine list and Kathy Webb’s imaginative menu. We have tested their tastes and found them reliably simpatico with our own. We trust Lilly’s and chances are if you live in or near west Little Rock and have been to dinner with us, we’ve taken you there. (Probably on a Sunday night, when the half-price wine deal kicks in.)

Still, familiarity breeds a certain lassitude of opinion. Once you become familiar with a phenomenon, it ceases to become extraordinary. The trick is not to take sustained excellence for granted.

So we approached this assignment in a spirit of rekindling. Like an old priest looking to re-ignite his faith, we came to Lilly’s looking for a sign beyond the old wonders. We came looking for something beyond our ken. We wished for miracles.

And, as is usually the case in such circumstances, no miracles were forthcoming. We did have a very nice dinner, and were introduced to a new wine - Monitore Estates Pinot Gris ($33) from Oregon’s Williamette Valley. The service was pleasant and informative (if you don’t finish your bottle of wine you’re allowed to take it home, something I’d never before realized) and the (purposefully out-of-character) dishes we ordered were entirely satisfactory. But we heard no angels sing.

Still, I was surprised by the subtle flavors of my spicy cashew Kung Pao Shrimp - a dish I perversely ordered precisely because it has become a cliche of Asian fusion: I wanted to see if Lilly’s $13.99 version was a significant improvement over the various $6.99 versions available elsewhere. It could have been a bit hotter, but that might have disturbed the balance of cilantro, lime and scallion that danced on my palate. While Lilly’s kitchen staff makes more than 20 sauces in the kitchen, the only condiment on their tables are bottles of Sriracha, the Thai hot sauce made of chile peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt.And while I use the sauce liberally in other contexts, I’m willing to submit that I know less about organizing flavors than Webb.

And Karen may not order the Japanese Noodles Sukiyaki Style ($11.59) again, not because she didn’t enjoy the dish (particularly the thick, chewy Udon noodles) but because she prefers the vegetarian dishes she usually orders. The steak was a little well-cooked for her taste (she asked if they could do it rare; the server truthfully allowed that he didn’t think so).

But it’s difficult to fault Lilly’s when we approached the dinner as an experiment, and ordered the most unlikely (for us) dishes on the menu. Most people look at a menu and pick what they think sounds best- we picked dishes we were reasonably sure we hadn’t ordered before.

I have eaten my way through Lilly’s menu, through the edamame and the gomae and the gyoza and the Chinese potstickers, and I have arrived at a few favorites: The Pad Thai ($11.99), the Thai ginger chicken with noodles ($11.29). I’m a fan of Bibim Bop ($10.99; with steak, $11.99) and Panko-crusted Tilapia ($14.99). I like the curry dishes, and the Vietnamese spring rolls ($5.99).

I might even get the Kung Pao shrimp again. On a Sunday night, with a half-price bottle of wine.

Lilly’s Dim Sum Then Some Address: 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sunday Cuisine: Asian fusion Credit cards: MC, V, AE Alcoholic beverages: Beer, wine Reservations: Parties of six or more Wheelchair accessible: Yes Carryout: Yes (501) 716-2700, lillysdimsum.com

Weekend, Pages 31 on 10/22/2009