Review: Red Bowl Asian Bistro

2417 David H. McLeod Blvd. (Map)
Florence, SC
(843) 669-6788
Website

Why You Should Go

It’s new, it’s hip, and it may just have the best Chinese food in town. Add to that it’s interesting design, bar availability, and outside dining area. It’s a nice addition to the Florence restaurant scene.

Why We Will Go (Again)

As this review is an initial one, meaning that it’s based upon a single visit and on only the second day of operation no less, we’d like to get a better taste for the menu. See what I just did there? I said “taste” for the menu. OK. Let’s move on.

We’ll also go back because the Spicy Tangerine Chicken that I had today represented the best Chinese dish that I’ve found in Florence. Let me add that I ordered it on the recommendation of a Facebook friend after her experience yesterday. Also, we truly enjoyed the appetizer platter. It was without exception delicious and looked great as well. It’s served with the option of steamed or fried dumplings. We got the steamed. Remember, I’m Watching My Weight. It’s nice to see the focus on presentation that the platter and our entrees reflected, as well.  Finally, we’ll go back because the meals represent a great value. Read on to find out about the pricing of what we ordered.

Dining Experience & Selected Menu Items

I arrived first because I’m usually the early bird in any group. The rest of our party arrived shortly thereafter. We were not seated until they arrived, however, which is a pet peeve of mine, especially when going out for lunch during the work day. It burns valuable daylight, if you know what I mean. At that point, we were escorted to a separate room near the bar, facing David McLeod Boulevard. We were the only people in the room, as it was about 11:10 AM and they had just opened for the day. One of us remarked that we were probably the first people to use the silverware on the table. I think Howie Mandel would have been proud to have these utensils, they were sparkling clean.

The atmosphere of the restaurant varies depending upon where you are seated. The main dining room has a darker feel, a more cozy booth-filled area. The sushi bar is a bit more open and you can’t miss it. Look for the big sign that says “Bang Bang Sushi Bar.” That will be my destination on returning. The background music wasn’t so much in the background as it was the foreground. It was louder than it should have been, but then again maybe I’m just getting old. The radio station played everything from Adele to One Republic. The seats and booths are dark wood and comfortably padded. There seemed to be an excess of wait staff and managers on duty, but again it was only day two. I would guess there was a lot of training going on.

The lunch menu is large in scope. I would imagine that the dinner menu would be a bit larger and a tad pricier, as is customary. We’ll need to check that out later as well. From an assortment of appetizers you could choose spring rolls, egg rolls, and Vietnamese Summer Rolls, as well as lettuce wraps, potstickers, soups, seaweed salad, crab meat salad, and much more. They ranged in price from $3.50 to $6.25. Oh, and don’t forget the combo platter ($8.95) that we have pictured in this post.

Entrees start with a “Stir Fry Bar” where you choose the ingredients and it’s prepared fresh to order ($6.75 to $8.25). The lunch sushi special is only $6.95 and includes your choice of two rolls among twelve options. The standby California Roll is available for the meek, but they also have eel, yellowtail, and spicy tuna. The selection for this lunch special is not as broad as you would get at the sushi bar, but it’s a great value. Other entrees included over a dozen preparations of chicken from Spicy Tangerine ($5.75, my choice) to Spicy Thai Red Curry Chicken; same price. Lunch entrees come with your choice of a spring roll or egg roll. I had the spring roll and it was crispy and loaded. Other full entree options include various styles of beef, pork, steamed vegetables, and noodles, like Pad Thai. Finally, the Bento Box lunch is something that, while most expensive ($10.95), packs a big punch. You simply follow the four directions for making your selections to create your own combo. Mrs. ordered this and had the Hibachi Chicken, Seaweed Salad, Red Bowl Roll, and steamed rice. The presentation is traditional in an actual bento box, which is a nice touch. For the kids, there is a special menu section that make it easy to find something they’ll be willing to try and probably truly enjoy.

As to drinks, as I mentioned earlier, they have a full bar for those so inclined. They also have traditional soft drinks (Pepsi products), as well as cold and hot tea.

The service we received was prompt and attentive. Even over my picture-taking, our waiter was patient and helpful. Glasses were kept full and the table kept tidy. Who could ask for anything more?

Room for Improvement

Well, we would ask for a few things if we could. First, the music was a bit loud, especially when you’re meeting friends or coworkers for lunch to chat. Second, just let people sit down when the first of their party arrives. I would have put in my appetizer order in sooner and would not have had to leave prior to receiving the check. Don’t worry, Mrs. paid my bill. Finally, and this is probably to be expected with a newly-construced building, some dust and debris remained in the restrooms, as well as a few loose ends elsewhere that will undoubtedly come together in the next few days.  All in all, we were very pleased with our experience, so these RFIs are nothing that would keep us away.

Photo Gallery

Thanks for reading PeeDeeFoodie.com™. Now go over and read Flossip’s Red Bowl Asian Bistro review. We almost ran into each other over lunch. Alas, maybe next time!

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Category: Restaurant Reviews