Date night at Pao. Service was wonderful and servers are very attentive. We ordered beef dumplings, bang bang shrimp, and chicken lettuce wraps. Hands down the appetizers were really good and fresh. Main entrees general tos chicken, chicken fried rice, beef stir fry and miso Chilean sea bass. Our mains were pretty decent. Few friends have said around 9pm they have a live dj and live dance shows but nothing like that was happening today on a Friday night. (6:30 - 8:00). They don't have a dessert menu but did offer a brownie skillet and it was horrible! Great place for date nights or to grab dinner with friends. Not kid friendly ( parents be warned) They offer valet parking $15 for Pao guest. ( I would suggest valet parking as it is difficult to find parking) 20% gratuity added to the check Website menu and in restaurant are different I believe they change their menu. read more

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Festive, beautiful exterior for Fall. Interior is truly unique. Thought there'd be a story on the menu about what the building used to be because it's grand. No story, asked the staff no ideas. Missed opportunity. Tables and chairs feel upscale yet eclectic. However, the tables are too close together for my taste. Literally like 18" apart. I could hear conversations on both sides of us and likewise. Tables are very small so if you order several items to try it's a challenge. Food was amazing. Flavorful and hot - but not original tasting. Service needs training. Our appetizer came out before our cocktails, took a dish before we wanted, and filled our water on the table splashing the egg rolls. read more

PAO Detroit - Asian Fusion Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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So I came came on a Wednesday so it was the middle of the week. But I came during a holiday so the vibe was a little bit different because nobody had to work the next day LOL. It was a cool spot. I came and met up with a party and pretty much everybody. Just ordered drinks. Did order some food later though. The establishment is nice, it's decorated very well and looks beautiful. So if you want something with vibes and pictures, you might definitely have a good chance of finding it here. So parking, it's a nice spot but parking's going to be street parking. So it's going to be paid parking on the street until after around 10:00 p.m.. keep that in mind for when you are actually coming because if it's going to be a busy bar night, you may have to do a little bit of walking. I got into the establishment and got to immediately walked to the section. It was nice and pretty comfortable at that point, a booth, but they have plenty of tables around as well. The drinks were a little Hit or Miss. From my understanding. The waitress brought people two drinks are the same type but they were different, so she said maybe the bartender was different because one bartender made it differently than another. But that was weird because the recipe is supposed to be the recipe. I don't blame the waitress at all for that because she didn't make it LOL. But I would think that the drink should be fairly consistent no matter who's making it so that really got my attention. As the night went on and got later, the waitress kind of made herself less and less apparent, which was unfortunate. But I understand in the service industry you got to make sure you get to everybody, but you don't want to make people wait. Waiting 10 or 15 minutes for a tequila and ginger beer, something simple, is kind of crazy LOL. But it was a very active night. I tried the fried rice, then fried rice was actually pretty good. It was about $20 or so so you can expect it to be fancy but not a plate overly full. So just keep that in mind. But taste wise, it was super solid! I got it with chicken. I would get it again. There is a downstairs and an upstairs to the facility. Upstairs. There's another bar and a few tables but a lot of people are just standing around at the bar because there's not a lot of space there. It basically turns into a club or a lounge kind of situation the later the night got. So you will get a lot of people come in just to stand around, ordering hookah, piling up by the steps, things like that. The bathroom situation was pretty bad though. They only had two bathrooms on the main floor. You have to wait in line for them because there are so many people. Nothing accurately do to fix that. But just to note, if you have to go to the bathroom, be prepared to stand in line if it's going to be a crowd that night. Overall, I feel like I would probably go back during less active time. I would probably go back and try more of the food. The drinks, they were what they were, but the food has potential. I didn't get the corned beef egg rolls but one of the people that was at the table said it was pretty good. I would go back and try that as well. It was worth spending the block on to me. Not rushing for, depending on what kind of night you go, but it was still pretty decent. read more

This place is sooo good. I usually don't review a restaurant until I've gone a few times and tried different things. Now that I've done that, I can honestly say I love this place! To start, the service is great. Servers and managers (?) are kind and attentive. They accommodated my large group when many guest were running late due to weather. They opened earlier on a day where there was lot going on downtown (smart of them). They even checked in on people spending a long time in the bathroom (tailgating gets the best of some). The food though, is what makes me keep coming back! Everything I have gotten - cocktails, apps, meals are all DELICIOUS! If going with a group, I highly recommend getting a bunch of apps to share. I haven't had one I didn't enjoy. Also their espresso martini is one of my favs in the city. Don't sleep on it! read more

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I'll say this, PAO is beautiful restaurant/venue with an amazing vibe. Great two level design, that allows them to pull off an upscale restaurant and somewhat lounge/club at the same time. Great place to grab drinks and just vibe. However, the food just isn't for me. Couple visits and still no luck. I had the Calamari and Tuna Tacos and they were just ok. Can't even remember what I had the second visit because I didn't bother taking pictures. read more

PAO Detroit - Tuna Tacos. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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8 items on the menu and everything prices a little too high, including drinks. Server was nice enough, but limited menu was a real downer. 2 entrees and 2 apps, no drinks, $150. Won't be back. read more

PAO Detroit - Salmon - Asian Fusion Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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April 24,2024 Service was phenomenal! The ambiance was intimate,relaxed,and friendly. Great for date night or a late night out with friends. Drinks (mock-tails) were fun and exquisite. The menu online was not the same inside the restaurant.The menu at the actual restaurant was very limited. Food was fresh but lacked taste . It's a great place to experience something new and interesting! read more

PAO Detroit - Tuna Tartare - Asian Fusion Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Nicely executed Chinese food overall, we liked everything we got, but the mushroom dish was by far the best of the 4 things we tried. With the name, Pao, I was hoping for more dumpling/ bao options, but there was only one dumpling on the menu, which was a braised beef, it was ok, but I was wishing there was more to it. Kinda one note for a dumpling. If you love exploring Chinese cuisine, this is going to be a little boring, but everything was well executed and tasty. The two cocktails we ordered were a little sweet to our taste, so if you are the same, grab a beer instead. Also a 20% service charge on our table of two, FYI. Service was very good and the space is lovely. read more

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A beautiful restaurant with good service and fabulous food. We started with the lychee drink and the Asian cucumber salad which was delicious. Next we had the Singapore noodles which were totally outstanding and the general pao chicken which was delicious. The decor is really something be sure to go upstairs to see it all. read more

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We came to celebrate my sister's birthday and had a fun night. I love the dark decor and open space. Every time I've come I've sat upstairs and I highly recommend sitting there if you want a more lively night! The DJ was playing hits while we were at dinner and incorporated some Arabic music, making us feel right at home! We shared a bunch of appetizers and I recommend trying the crab Rangoon, crispy shrimp, and veggie egg rolls! For my main I had the kung pao chicken which had good flavors. Portion size was a bit smaller but overall I enjoyed the dish. Our waiter was very attentive even while serving many other tables. I appreciated that he brought out sparklers for us and made sure to play birthday music - it was a vibe! Overall good experience and will definitely be back! read more

PAO Detroit - Kung pao chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Made reservations for 8 people on a Saturday night, 7:30pm. We arrived 30 minutes early and they were able to seat us shortly after. We sat upstairs and the seating was quite comfortable - we didn't have to squeeze in between other tables when moving around. The food was pretty good! We ordered a variety of items off of the menu - Shishito peppers, Tuna, Pork Belly, Truffle Fries, Scallops, Crab Rangoons, Duck Confit, Bang Bang Shrimp, and Edamame. Our favorites were the Scallops, Truffle Fries, and Crab Rangoons. The Scallops had a nice char on the outside, but was still soft and tender on the inside. The Truffle Fries were crispy, and the truffle aioli was not overpowering. The Crab Rangoons were stuffed with lump crab, and was more peppery than we expected, and we liked that! Everything else was good, but those three items really stood out to us. We finished off with Smores and a Matcha Cappuccino dessert. Both were fantastic! Our server was attentive and pleasant to work with. The music was nice, although the disco ball made us feel like we were eating dinner inside a club. The table on the other side purchased the sparkler and sign add on, which was fun to watch. Overall a nice experience for our girls trip! read more

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I've been to PAO countless times and have been under whelmed by the food. It's good not bad but not great. I return because of the vibe and I love the space. I like when they have a DJ spinning despite the fact that they spin music that's 10 or more years old. So Detroit. For a while now I've wanted to go in on a Tuesday for their champagne and Lobster menu. Last night the stars aligned. If I were rating PAO on last night's experience I'd give them a solid 4 1/2 stars. Their lobster Tuesdays is where it's at. Highly recommend Tuesday nights at PAO read more

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Charred Octopus 5 juicy, flavorful Creamy Rock Shrimp 5 crispy, deep fried, juicy Housemade Crab Rangoon 3 mostly cheese, can't taste crab Orange Sesame Salmon 3 carrot ginger puree, medium juicy Waygu Short Rib Dumplings 3 shredded, non-crispy soft skin Raspberry Cheesecake 4 jam, not fresh berry read more

Pao has a very date night, nightclub, lounge, restaurant vibe all in one. They had a live DJ who was awesome. The music wasn't too loud while dining. The food was great. The shrimp spring rolls were 7/10. The sauce was a little too sweet for me. The panna cotta was the best I've had. Amazing flavors and sweet fruits. Bella was a great server. Super friendly, knowledgeable and checked on us just enough. Again, great for date night but also cool to dine with friends and family. read more

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I made a reservation for PAO and specifically requested an area that has a good view, but not in the middle of the craziness. Unfortunately, we were seated in the main hall type area right in front of the kitchen. I was hoping to be sat upstairs, but they weren't able to accommodate. The Wagyu Sliders were ok, I don't understand why there's an extra $2 charge for truffle fries when they're so minimal in portion size. I also had a fruity mocktail which was decent. You're moreso paying for the experience. The music is very loud as well as there's a DJ on the top floor on weekend nights, which was kinda cool. read more

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After landing and enjoying the travels to one's own hotel : travel here : great food and happy people work here! This is a wonderful place for late night. A nice bowl of fried rice and many wines to choose from. Extremely kind servers and very cozy decor. I will absolutely be back during my time here in Detroit. read more

We made early reservations for 2 since we were eating in the city before our show. There were 2 other tables when we got there, but when we left it was packed. They probably take walk ins, but I recommend reservations. Also, I noticed a dress code sign. I didn't read it in detail. We didn't have an issue, but check out the details just in case. We were seated immediately by the front of the restaurant. The restaurant is beautiful! Historic with an Asian vibe. Looks like the garage doors up front open in the summer. How fun is that?! Our reservations were at 5:15pm and happily surprised that it was happy hour until 6pm. Great deals and amazing food! We got a couple of cocktails, edamame, and ahi tuna nachos. The appetizers were a good size and delicious! For dinner, we ordered the charred octopus and the miso Chilean sea bass. Amazing! Octopus is an acquired taste. If you're adventurous, PAO does an amazing job. The miso Chilean sea bass had the most delicious flavors. Dessert looked amazing, but we went with cappuccinos to end the night. The vibe is young, elegant, with a club feel. The music is pumping, but I loved it! There is valet parking, but we walked over from our parking spot. Note: no matter your party size, the restaurant adds 20% gratuity to your check. read more

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Overall we really enjoyed this restaurant a lot. The food was amazing, as was the atmosphere. We were stopping in after a show at Fox Theatre so it was perfect to be within walking distance as well. Our order of the pork belly, Lamb Lollipops, and the katsu chicken all turned out wonderfully. The flavors in all the food was very pleasing and the staff were very friendly as well. We did have a hang up with our pork belly order taking a very long time but this was all explained by the manager and they corrected the issue and were very pleasant with us about doing so. Definitely will stop back here again when we are downtown. read more

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What an exceptional experience! This was our first visit to Pao and wow what a great place it is. I made a birthday reservation for 7:30, we arrive at 7:25 and we're promptly seated. The hostesses were friendly and helpful with suggestions. We started with a mushroom dumpling that had some sort of topping that looked like caviar very delicious. Then for our second course we had the Wagyu sliders they came with two types of cheeses and a pickled jalapeño on top delicious overall. For our main course we had 48 hour lamb lollipops which came out on a wood board and had a flaming pile of rock salt on the side, great presentation! Our side was a lobster Mac and cheese holy crap this was the best dish all night! Full of perfectly cooked lobster! For dessert our amazing waitress Arzoo brought out some type of berry topped cake that had a sparkler in it, great touch! I might be experiencing recency bias but I think pao is the best restaurant in Detroit! Looking forward to our next trip in! read more

PAO Detroit - Asian Fusion Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

This review is based on the price to food ratio. The service was outstanding and it was easy to find parking to visit the venue. However, the price you put for what you get, and don't get, has me scratching my head. I understand the times and the upscale atmosphere, but 150 dollars to leave and have to eat at the game is disappointing. The food was good, but not mouthing watering amazing - which I would be willing to pay for. I strongly recommend increasing the food quality and portions or lowering the price to match what you are currently serving. Also - adding a tip for myself before I could is tacky and gives a bad look for such a proclaimed high scale venue. Assuming I won't tip is insulating. I will try this spot again in the future to see if anything has changed as the service was great! ** no iced tea available, which was sad. read more

PAO Detroit - Asian Fusion Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Five minutes after being seated, I knew my friend and I were going to have a crappy experience. And we did! The restaurant wasn't crowded at all, and we were tended to pretty quickly. However, the cocktails that we ordered were beyond mediocre, so I was going to be one and done on drinks. For food, we ordered the edamame and the shishito peppers to start. The edamame was basic beyond belief and sort of cold. I LOVE shishito peppers and I order them anytime I see them on a menu. They were overly salted (with quite expensive salt), and the texture of the peppers and flavor of the Gochujang Vinaigrette was just ok. For entrees, my friend ordered the Lobster Trio and I ordered the Wagu beef sliders. The Lobster had a mushy texture inside and was not fully cooked (the server even had to admit this). My $18 sliders were cold and not tasty, and the side of Truffle fries ($2 upcharge) were cold too. The server offered to have everything remade, but we were over it and decided to go elsewhere for dinner. Thankfully, the Manager graciously compensated our meals. I heard so many good things about the restaurant, but that was not their best day! read more

Food was good but portion sizes are so small for the prices. Left still hungry and paid $50 for a small plate. Besides that, the service was great and I enjoyed the DJ, the music, and the atmosphere. It is dimly lit so it's great for a date night or a night out with ur girls. Nice place but I wouldn't come here again if I were starving. read more

PAO Detroit - Dumplings General Pao's Chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

The food was good. They were flexible with their menu items for those with allergies. The service was awesome! It had a peaceful atmosphere. read more

Saw this restaurant showcased on Fox 2 Detroit a couple of weeks back. The dishes looked appetizing. Some friends get together and choose a new restaurant to try monthly, so PAO was our destination last evening. This place is a gem in the city! I used to work, many moons ago, in the area and once inside, I asked our server about the history of this iconic building. She refreshed my memory of the old Oriental Theatre. Of course! I remember it well! The interior is striking...so much history here. We were seated in a corner booth in front (comfortable). The three course special for the next week or so is a steal, if one can eat that much. Our party chose to stick with appetizers and then shared an entree. That was a good call. All items chosen were delicious, fresh, beautifully plated. Try the Angus beef dumplings, Pao Pao shrimp and the Asian crispy ribs! Nice portions to share and simply wonderful. I topped mine off with a glass of French Champaign (worth the price and you only need one glass). The service was simply exceptional, on all levels. We never had a half glass full of water. They were right there. Sadly, we were too full for dessert...but next time. We were treated like celebrities, not something we are used to in many restaurants (as we are not young, pretty things). Loved this restaurant. Can't say enough good things about it. Can't wait to return and try other dishes. Again, the service was first class. By the way, unlike other establishments that have adopted the practice of adding a tip to the bill automatically, our server told us right up front when she brought the bill. We appreciated that so much as we have been surprised in other establishments, only to find, when we got home and re-read the bill, that we tipped twice without realizing it. In this case, we decided to tip twice anyway...the service was that good and we liked the fact that she told us up front. You can valet your car, street park for a couple bucks or go for the secure lots, your choice...plenty of options to park, nice city restaurant vibe for young and old. Don't miss this gem. I'm sorry I neglected to take photos. You'll have to try them out and see for yourself! read more

Came here with friends for my wife's birthday, did NOT disappoint. First, location is fantastic, would be a great spot for a fancy bite to eat after a tigers game. The ambiance is cool due to the nice setting and great seating setup (we sat upstairs). The service was great, with very helpful waitstaff. I will say the cocktail I had, the Dance of the Dragon, was pretty weak. But the food was fantastic! We especially liked the truffle fries & creamy rock shrimp. I had the 48-hour lamb lollipops, tender & delicious. Overall a great experience, we'll definitely be back! read more

PAO Detroit - 48-hour lamb lollipops - Asian Fusion Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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I went here about a week ago. The vibe was really dope. Went with some friends after leaving ZuZu. We ordered a bunch of food and drinks and chilled upstairs. The food was ok but drinks were excellent. There's also live music and the DJ was on point. If you are looking for a dinner experience while having a club vibe then this is the place for you. read more

PAO is an Asian fusion restaurant. It is set in a former movie theatre. The atmosphere was very nice. A friend and I came here on a weeknight. We were greeted by a surly hostess. My friend asked to sit away from other patrons if possible and were told that we would have to be done with our meal within an hour and a half. As though the pace of the food being served to us was within our control. It sort of set a negative tone to the evening. We ordered cocktails. I had a Takana and my friend had a Mother of Dragon. He enjoyed his drink, as did I. Although I am not sure I enjoyed it enough to pay $18 for it, but it was unusual, not something you can get just anywhere. We ordered the charred octopus, the truffle fries, crab Rangoon and the wagyu short rib dumplings. Now, about the octopus. Oh, the octopus was amazing! It is hard to describe, there was so much going on with this plate. There was a smear of what I think was squid ink (I cannot be sure because no one described it when they brought the dish), there was a tiny little eyedropper full of soy sauce and a little salad with fennel, cilantro, orange segments, and onion dressed in a light vinaigrette of some sort. Amazing! delicious! Truly the highlight of the meal. The truffle fries were good, they were crispy and had a good coating of truffle. The crab Rangoon were also crispy. The wagyu short rib dumplings were also a star (but not as big a star as the octopus - shall I talk more about that octopus? I cannot, as words do not describe how good it was....) Overall, the food was very good. I would go back in a heartbeat for that octopus. I would give them 5 stars for the food, 2.5 for service. When the servers or runners brought food, they simply set it on the table, no description, no communication. It sort of seemed like we were an inconvenience to them..... read more

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The ambience was good. The service was amazing. The food was not that tasty. I won't go there for the food again. The chicken was really hard. We ordered the kung pao chicken and the general pao chicken were very hard. The fried rice and bang bang shrimp were okay. The drinks were good. read more

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We had a reservation for a Wednesday evening. It was a wonderful evening. The service was fantastic and the food and drinks were delicious. Wednesday is ladies night so ladies get 10% food discounts all night and have a ladies night drink menu for a discounted rate as well! We started with a round of drinks including the dance of the dragon, some peach sake, and a couple other drinks. All the drinks were creative in flavor and the presentation was pretty good as well. The server was very knowledgeable about the drinks. The food is tapas style so we started with the cauliflower lettuce wraps, truffle fries and shishito peppers. The lettuce wraps were phenomenal and we ended up ordering more. The shishito peppers were cooked well but the sauce was all on the bottom and not mixed in. Even after mixing, they lacked a distinct flavor. The truffle fries were hot and crispy with a great aioli. Next, we moved onto the tuna bites, the crab Rangoon, the wagyu sliders, the DD tacos and the braised short rib. The sliders were so mouth melting and all the flavors worked beautifully together. Highly recommend these. The tacos had the same wagyu meat but a totally different flavor profile. We really enjoyed them as well! Don't shy away from ordering both just because they're the same meat. The short ribs were not fatty like most places and I was surprised they were served boneless and shredded. They were very tender and the pineapple mango salsa added a sweet contrast to the jalapeños. I think because of the hoisin the whole dish was a bit too sweet and would've liked more spice but the wasabi mashed potatoes added a nice flavor to off set the sweetness. Finally, we finished with espresso's and cappuccinos. Personally I don't drink coffee, but the table agreed they were fantastic! Cons: I called to make sure the place was handicapped accessible and was assured it was easy to navigate with a wheelchair, but there definitely things to keep in mind. You have to go thru a side ramped entrance which isn't very even. The concrete at the bottom has a big dip. It leads directly into one of the dining areas and they had people seated at a table that was partially blocking that entrance. We felt bad interrupting their meal to make them get up and move for a few minutes. We did the same with another group on our way out. That area really should be kept open at all times. Besides the accessibility the only other complaint is that they feature themselves as having many vegetarian options, but they do not have a single vegetarian entree. If there are multiple vegetarians in your group, you may want to stop in for apps and drinks and move on for a solid dinner. read more

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Beautiful restaurant. We were a party of 5. 5 cocktails, pad Thai, Caesar salad, edamame, ribs, tempura shrimp, fried rice, green beans. All good. Thou Wish the green beans were crisper. Told server when we sat down that there was a birthday. Told her again. 2 sparklers showed up at the end but no dessert or cake. Very strange. Table next to us kept say well where's the birthday dessert, just sparklers? No cake? No dessert? Just sparklers?! read more

The best thing was the charred octopus. My least favorite thing was the hostess in the tight leather pants who was very snippy to my sister and I. When they asked us where we wanted to sit, the request was somewhere at a table not super close to others and for some reason the lady in the red pants thought that was a completely unreasonable request, and made some smart remark about where do you think you're gonna find that? But they did find us a table that was not close to others, and it was fine. All the food was good, but the charred octopus was exceptional. If I came back here, I would just order that a couple times. The cocktails were pretty fancy and I would say just OK. Very experimental. The chef did stop by our table and ask how things were going, which we both really appreciated it. Nice touch. read more

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The ambiance of this building is spectacular. I loved the old meets new. All the food was AMAZING. We had the egg rolls, shrimp, fries, and a couple others to share. Everything was unique and mouth watering. We also shared the tomahawk steak. The only reason i didn't put a 5 star was we asked for medium rare and it was medium well which was a shame since it was so expensive. It still was delicious. read more

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Party of 18 reservation Sunday for my best friend birthday. Everything was beautiful but the food serving size was not big enough. We had platters for the party, not individual plate/orders. Everything came out separately so we ate slow; because we didn't have the sides w/ the main dish. The vegetable rice came out last and too late. The watermelon martinis were really good. Nice alcohol strength too... The staff was really nice. The food taste decent but we didn't like the cauliflower lettuce wraps, or the Japanese Cesar. It was more edamame and spring rolls than anything. The orange sesame salmon was really good but the platter size was so small. Literally a half piece of salmon per person. The thai braised ribs were ok. I personally mixed the meat w/ salad bcuz again the portion was small. Loved the mango chunks they had on top of it. My separate order of truffle fries too wayy to long to come out. Then we ordered hookah after the dinner and they rushed us out after we received it... they can't handle big parties in my opinion. I was told the bill was over two-thousand; && I'm sure the party agree, the price didn't match the experience read more

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Yeah, not a fan. I wanted so badly to like this place and it simply fell very flat. Very disappointed. From all the pics of the building and architecture and food, I thought for sure, I would have an amazing time. And unfortunately, that simply wasn't the case. I made my reservations pretty far in advance. I was actually originally going to celebrate my birthday and then something came up and I decided to push it back. In hind's sight, I'm glad I didn't go for my birthday if my experience had been similar because that would've been not great food memories for such a memorable occasion. Anyway, on to the explanation of the one-star review. It started with parking. It's quite a hassle and not very user-friendly. My friend and I spent a fair amount of time circling the block to find open spaces. There's a lot near the restaurant but it was closed. I'm not sure if it's regularly open for use to patrons of the restaurants but it wasn't the day we went. Now, in all fairness, there was a Tiger's game that we didn't know was happening so downtown was waaayyy busier than anticipated. So, if you plan on visiting, be sure to check and see if there's a Tiger's game that day to decide if you want to proceed with your reservation that day and time. Valet parking for the restaurant was also $20, which seems steep to me. Again, not sure if that's the regular price or the price because it was a Tiger's game but that's quite high to me, granted we hadn't even ordered a single dish yet. On to being seated. It was only two of us and our reservation was at 5:30 p.m. We wanted to avoid the dinner crowd so we tried to go earlier on a Saturday evening. At this time, the restaurant was pretty empty. They sat us in a table right in the middle of the aisle right near the kitchen and bar area. I immediately asked if we could switch tables because it was right smack dab in the middle of a lot of commotion. I can't really imagine a lot of people would want to sit there as it almost seems you're in the way. The hostess said she'd check and would let me know. She came back and said she couldn't move us because they had a lot of other reservations coming too. Mind you, there were several other tables and booths open at the time. Why not move us and seat another 2-person party who didn't mind sitting there, there?!? And if you receive several requests, that might be an indication that that's not a good or desirable location that people want to sit. By this time, my friend had arrived and she also immediately did not want to sit there either. She then went to the hostess station and requested that our seat be moved. The hostess proceeded to tell her no twice and my friend said, I'm not understanding why. There are plenty of other seats available now and if we have concerns about being seated there, I don't understand why we can't be moved. The hostess then went to check with her manager and after what seemed like a good amount of time, we were finally escorted to a booth in a much more favorable location. All this and again, we hadn't even ordered a dish yet. :-( The music was also blasting to the point where it was hard to hear your eating companions. I think I get the vibe they were going for but it seemed a little early for the super, loud trendy music. Anywho, our waiter was Drew and he was the saving grace of our experience. He was awesome! He was attentive, informative about the menu and very upbeat. Again, the saving grace. We decided to order: the creamy rock shrimp, the house made crab Rangoon, the truffle fries, and the Thai inspired short rib. The Rangoon was the stand out dish IMO! It was creamy, rich, and flavorful. The short rib wasn't bad but the wasabi mashed potatoes were cold. This was my entrée and it came out before two of the appetizers. I'm not sure if the dish was already prepared and just waiting but not the best first impression for the main dish. And then lastly was the bill. I saw that there was an automatic 20% gratuity added. For a party of 2? I've never heard of this. I've heard of it for large parties, like parties of 6 or more but never for a small party. Our waiter was great and I would've given him a nice tip anyway but if he wasn't, I'm forced to give a set amount anyway? With the culmination of things that transpired, I definitely will not be back. Lots of much better places with much better food and service. read more

Made reservations before a show at the Fillmore. Any time you have dinner before a show there's some anxiety about getting in and out in time so that you aren't late to the show. Our fears were put to rest as the food came out so fast! The quality and taste was fantastic. We enjoyed everything that we ordered (we ordered several small plates and Nikkei). In particular the Korean fried chicken was AMAZING. The tacos were also a favorite. The ambiance and building is really chic and cool. It was gorgeous outside and the front of the restaurant opens up to let fresh air in, which was really nice. All in all a great experience and we will definitely be back. read more

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Pao is a very cool atmosphere! I loved the Panko chicken dish! Food was unique, delicious! The service was first rate helping to accommodate! Desserts were yummy! The birthday candle is a reason to celebrate! The waters bottle slipped out of my hand due to cold, wet label, broke a glass, and scared the hell out of me. Beware of wet, cold bottles as labels move. .... read more

We stopped in at Pao for some light appetizers and dessert- we loved it here! The vibe of the place was great, very elegant, and the food and staff were amazing. would love to come here for a full dinner next time! read more

PAO Detroit - Asian Fusion Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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The food and drinks were absolutely amazing! The bartender was very friendly and always checked on us. The vibes, and music were on point as well! read more

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I've been wanting to visit this restaurant for a while, but I probably won't be returning unless I am a guest of someone else. Truffle fries were terrible Waygu sliders were juicy but nothing tasty because my friend didn't finish them. Crab Rangoon was bland We also had bulgogi beef and octopus, which were both underwhelming. The drinks we had were not exciting. (Mandalay Bay, Katana and Dance of the Dragon) Nice can be fancy spot but food could be better. read more

PAO Detroit - Octopus - Asian Fusion Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Ambiance 5 stars. Cuisine and service was given 3 stars. Reservations encouraged even though our seating area was not ready upon arrival. We decided to sit at the bar. Our bartender was very knowledgeable of the menu and provided recommendations, however we arrived during happy hour and was charged for menu full price. The time on the bill was incorrect. We didn't make a fuss about it, gratuity is automatically included. The entree was okay and serving size. Sake flight is a go, for sure. read more

PAO Detroit - Saki flight - Asian Fusion Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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