With its new décor, friendly staff and variety of Chinese, Japanese and Thai cuisine, Asian Bistro is the newest addition to the Lawrence Shopping Center.
Since taking the place of a previous Chinese restaurant, the space’s interior has been completely renovated and refurnished with additions like chandeliers and new upholstery and tables. The bistro includes a sushi bar with colorful selections on display for customers, and classical Chinese instrumental music plays in the background.
But while Brunswick Pike certainly sees a lot of traffic, Lawrence Shopping Center has several closed storefronts on the strip.
Some storefronts that remain open include Burlington Coat Factory, Staples, Acme and RadioShack. The shopping center pales in comparison to Princeton Market Fair, a large mall not far down the road.
Owner Kenny Gao provided some insights about why he chose to open his restaurant in the shopping center.
It turns out that the Chinese restaurant which used to be located there, Golden China, was owned by Gao’s cousins, who had lived in Lawrence for over 30 years. The Gao family came from southeast China, and Kenny Gao himself came to the United States in 2000 when he was 19.
While his cousins lived in Lawrence, Gao was living in New York City, gaining valuable restaurant experience. When his relatives grew tired of the hustle and bustle of the restaurant business last year, young and energetic Gao, now 31, was enthusiastic about the opportunity to take over the restaurant space. He moved to Lawrence four months ago and opened the bistro in April.
His cousins opened a more low-key service right next door: a massage center.
Gao does not seem fazed by the smaller amount of traffic within the shopping center. With his “grand opening” banner on display, he has attracted many local customers for both take-out and dine-in meals.
Gao spoke of his family-owned bistro with pride: “The people just keep coming. It gets busier every day.”
Some popular food choices at the restaurant include sushi rolls such as the shrimp tempura roll, black dragon roll and asian roll, but the bistro offers more than just sushi. The restaurant’s Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes range from soups and salads to hibachi, teriyaki, and curry entrees.
The Asian Bistro is located at 2495 Brunswick Pike in Lawrence.
For more information, go online to asianbistrort1.com.
Asian Bistro owner Kenny Gao stands with chef Joe Zhuang behind the sushi bar at the newly opened restaurant. (Photo by Abigail Pillitteri.)
