With more than 30 years of cooking
experience under his apron – 15 of which were spent at the highly rated
restaurant, Thai Pepper -- Chef Mike Ponluang has taken Asian dining up
a notch with a new fine dining concept.
Fort Lauderdale, FL – The Asian aesthetic has found its way to America
on a grand scale. Now, more than ever, we are embracing Asian
décor, design and sensibility. Perhaps the most prevalent of all the
Asian “invasions” is the number of Thai, Chinese, Japanese and
Vietnamese restaurants that can be found in nearly every busy city. But
when it comes to Asian fusion dining in an upscale environment, Fort
Lauderdale had no claim to fame. Until now.
Opening in January 2006, Coco Asian Bistro & Bar will offer guests
fine dining in an unsurpassed environment. Chef Mike Ponluang,
the award-winning owner and executive chef of Thai Pepper in Coral
Springs, Fla., said the time was ripe for him to take the next step.
“The new generation likes to try something new. Young, hip people want
beautiful food, which is what I will provide in an Asian-fusion style.”
The chef said, while studying at a sushi academy in Venice, Calif., he
learned that the fresher and more creative the roll, the more desirable
it is. Therefore, he made the new rolls at Coco “similar to what you
normally see, but something that has never been served.”
Not only does Chef Mike offer the incredible, unique rolls he has
served at Thai Pepper since 1999, but he has also added more fusion
dishes and a variety of specials that will change weekly. Many of
his dishes will include various types of curry and coconut milk, the
ingredient that inspired the name of this new eatery.
Thai Pepper is known for its impressive décor and mellow tone, but Coco
will have a more striking, yet soothing presence. “Since I have
lifelong experience in the industry, I’ve always enjoyed working in
more upscale, bistro-style restaurants,” Chef Mike says, as he rattles
off his impressive list of previous employers. To complement the
incredible presentation on the plates, Chef Mike designed Coco as a
bold, yet sophisticated environment.
It’s no coincidence that this new spot pays tribute to the five
elements -- earth, metal, fire, wood and water – present in a
surrounding that promotes feng shui. For example, the water theme
runs throughout the restaurant, starting with a water wall to the left
of the entrance. Fire can be found in the daring red textured
carpet throughout the main dining room. Earth is evident in the
white pebbles that surround the water wall and straw panels that serve
as a backdrop for the hostess stand. Metal is found in the
dangling crystal pendant lights. Wood-like tiles, which serve as
traffic areas, represent the final element.
The sushi bar, a focal point, is faced with straw paneling and topped
with granite. Behind it stands a pebble wall with illuminated
sake bottle display boxes. Another exciting feature of this new
space is that it offers a number of intimate dining spaces. Low,
ceilings with soffits create cozy nooks, while high-backed booths
almost serve as private rooms.
A minimalist color palette was employed for this 4,000-square-foot
space at 1841 Cordova Road/17th Street Causeway (in the new Harbor
Shops complex), focusing on creams, chocolate browns, reds and
ochre. And with a smattering of TVs, jazz music on the weekends,
an open kitchen, 40 outside seats and a full-liquor martini bar, one
can be sure the mood will always be quite jovial.
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407.936.1010
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