After a week of friends-and-family soft openings, trial by fire training, and menu adjustments, restaurateur Jerry Reid and Chef John Bullington are ready to welcome their first customers to the long-awaited A-OK Chinese (1509 S. Lamar).
Sleek interior Credit: Jerry Reid
The menu here is made up of 20 dishes: 10 generous selections of appetizers, salads, and soups, plus 10 “bigger” stir-fry entrées that can be made with vegetables, beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, or tofu. There’s local and regional craft beer on tap, as well as an impressive array of canned craft brews, individually or in six-packs to go. In addition, Jerry Reid will have one wine on tap, as well as a food-friendly selection of wines available by the glass, carafe, and bottle. Closed containers (including growlers) of beer and wine can be purchased with to-go orders.
Alternate interior view Credit: Jerry Reid
Interiors of the new shop are sleek and modern with clever decorative touches such as bright Chinese zodiac panels papering the bathrooms and a mounted photo of former president Richard Nixon’s historic Seventies visit to mainland China on the dining room wall. The online ordering function and iPad ordering app are not in place yet, but Reid says they expect to have ordering available via their website one day this week and to roll out the app in the next couple of weeks.
President Nixon opens doors to China, dines with Premier Chou En-Lai Credit: AP Photo
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