It's A Date | Ando Asian Kitchen & Bar
Bibimbap is the best word ever.
I wanted to start sharing some date ideas on the blog. It can be tough to figure out unique experiences or identify fun date restaurants, so I thought I would take you along on some of our adventures. Hopefully they inspire you to date your spouse, enjoy something new with your significant other, or just find a killer destination for your next gals night out.
Dougie and I headed to Ando Asian Kitchen & Bar for lunch. Our waitress Jenni sweetly told us their backstory being a nod to all of the best of East Asia. She chatted with us about everything from their efforts to utilize locally sourced products to all of the sauces they make in-house. She made the simple act of getting lunch an experience...her attentive service and kind personality were the best welcome to a new restaurant.
THE SPACE
The restaurant has a great vibe...equal parts modern and approachable. Doug and I sat in a cozy booth right by the window. We enjoyed watching the world go by on Bridge as we enjoyed our date. My favorite aspect was the bar. It featured a beautiful tile and backdrop behind the shelves that looked like a collage of flowers and stems.
THE FARE
We tried a little of everything but some favorites emerged. Dougie enjoyed a fresh-squeezed lemonade and I had a mango ginger tea. For food, we started with pork and veggie gyoza. Both types were served with a delicious sauce that contained everything from green onion to cilantro.
We shared a few different main dishes:
- Bibimbap: Sizzling stone bowl of pork, shrimp, purple cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, sprouts, and peppers. Best part? It was finished with a sunny side up egg that coated the entire dish.
- Bulgogi Beef: Marinated beef served with carrots, onion, and the most insane mushrooms. They served it with steamed white rice...DELISH.
- Pad Thai: I'm a sucker for some pad thai and Ando's did not disappoint. The familiar sprouts, egg, shallots, cilantro, and peanut were complimented with chicken.
As the perfect bookend to our meal, dessert was lemon sorbet with raspberries. Simple decadence at its best.
If you haven't tried this one yet, it's a winner (and when you go make sure to ask for Jenni). Thanks to my friends at Ando for partnering with me for this post!
WEBSITE: www.andoasiankitchen.com
FACEBOOK: @andoasiankitchen
INSTAGRAM: @andograndrapids
Sincerely,
Ashley
*I worked with Ando Asian Kitchen on this post but the content and opinions (and delicious left overs) are my own.