Recently opening its doors in May 2014, Lillo & Ella is a restaurant that embraces the flavors of Asian street food. Located in the 'New Heights', the place has a cozy dining area with a large, brand-new outdoor patio that is great for the summer days. The staff is very outgoing, and I even had the chance to have a brief conversation while waiting at the bar with the Executive Chef, Kevin Naderi, who is also the executive chef of well-known restaurant Roost in the Montrose neighborhood.
The menu consists of dishes that can be shared with a group and a few entrées if you are "getting greedy". Going to dinner with my co-worker and her husband (thanks Holly for the restaurant suggestion! ), we decided to go straight to the "Shared Bites" section of the menu. The Crispy Calamari Salad and Tuna Tartare both had bright flavors and contrasting textures that made them great starters. Then, we had the 5 Spice Spare Ribs and Blue Crab Fried Rice, which were both savory and addicting. Still hungry for dessert, we ended with the Thai Coconut Rice Pudding, having the right amount of sweetness to wrap up our dinner.
Make sure to go with a group so you can try out a bunch of menu items. And don't forget to check out their bar as well, where they serve unique cocktails and the daily punch! Seeing that Lillo & Ella serves Bao buns exclusively during lunch and has a Sunday Brunch menu coming soon, I am excited to try out more of their Asian-inspired dishes.
The menu consists of dishes that can be shared with a group and a few entrées if you are "getting greedy". Going to dinner with my co-worker and her husband (thanks Holly for the restaurant suggestion! ), we decided to go straight to the "Shared Bites" section of the menu. The Crispy Calamari Salad and Tuna Tartare both had bright flavors and contrasting textures that made them great starters. Then, we had the 5 Spice Spare Ribs and Blue Crab Fried Rice, which were both savory and addicting. Still hungry for dessert, we ended with the Thai Coconut Rice Pudding, having the right amount of sweetness to wrap up our dinner.
Make sure to go with a group so you can try out a bunch of menu items. And don't forget to check out their bar as well, where they serve unique cocktails and the daily punch! Seeing that Lillo & Ella serves Bao buns exclusively during lunch and has a Sunday Brunch menu coming soon, I am excited to try out more of their Asian-inspired dishes.