New restaurant has authentic Thai food, sushi, oysters and omakase dining experience

What's the name of the new restaurant in Vero Beach?

Mai Thai Bistro

Where is Mai Thai Bistro?

762 21st St., Vero Beach; next to Maryland Fried Chicken; formerly Siam Orchid, then Thai Esan Zabb Sushi

Who owns Mai Thai Bistro?

Pat Showalter and Brian Davis, who have been together for five years, opened the restaurant. Davis, a fifth-generation Vero Beach native, loves the authentic homemade Thai food from his mother-in-law, and Showalter always wanted to have her own Thai restaurant. They were excited when the location became available because Brian knew it had been a successful location when properly managed.

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What kind of restaurant is Mai Thai Bistro?

Mai Thai Bistro is an authentic Thai restaurant that serves Thai food, sushi and oysters. It's open for lunch and dinner daily, closing between lunch and dinner services during the week.

The new restaurant also offers the "omakase" dining experience. It's a chef-curated dinner known for its direct interactions with the chef.

Omakase is a form of Japanese dining in which guests leave themselves in the hands of a chef and receive a meal that is seasonal, elegant and artistic, using the finest ingredients available, according to the Michelin Guide. Directly translated, it means, "I leave it up to you."

The "Chef's Selection" ($65) is 10 signature courses with fresh fish and Wagyu beef while the "Mai Thai Experiment" ($100) is 15 signature courses with the fish and beef, as well as fresh truffle and caviar.

What's on the Mai Thai Bistro menu?

Appetizers

• Seaweed Salad: Tosaka, hiyashi wakame ($7)

• Sunomono Seafood Salad: Mix seafood, cucumber, avocado, orange, masago, scallions, spicy kimchi sauce ($12)

• Sesame Tuna Salad: Seared tuna crushed with sesame seeds, mix green, cucumber, avocado with wasabi ponzu sauce ($15)

• Goma Salmon Salad: Fresh salmon sashimi, mix green, cucumber, avocado, Japanese goma dressing ($15)

• Tuna Tartare: Tuna, avocado, cucumber, masago, scallions, spicy kimchi sauce, truffle oil, matcha rice pearl ($13)

• Tuna Tatakl: Thin slice seared tuna, scallions, sesame seeds, wasabi ponzu sauce ($13)

• White Fish Crudo: White fish, lemon zest, Amazu jelly, scallions, truffle oil, caviar ($16)

• Hotate Crudo: Hokkaido scallop, lemon zest, Amazu jelly, scallions truffle oil, caviar ($16)

• Akami Shiso Tempura: Akami tuna wrap with shiso leaf, nori tempura, Amazu jelly, goma foam, caviar ($16)

• Salmon Shiso Tempura: Salmon wrap with shiso leaf, nori tempura, Amazu jelly, spicy aioli, caviar ($16)

• Hamachi Cappuccino: Hamachi sashimi, scallions, jalapeños, truffles ponzu sauce ($16)

• Uni Wagishl: Seasonal, fresh uni, shiso leaf, waffle shell, caviar ($18)

• Cucumber Wraps: Kanisu Wrap with kani, KC Wrap with salmon, Ocean with tuna, salmon and yellowtail ($12-$15)

• Soups: Miso, vegetable, wonton, chicken tomyum, shrimp tomyum, chicken tomkha, shrimp tomkha ($4-$8)

Poke bowls

• Salmon Poke Bowl: Salmon, spicy aioli sauce, seaweed salad, edamame seeds, mango, masago, cucumber, avocado with sushi rice ($17)

• Tuna Poke Bowl: Tuna, spicy kimchi, sesame oil, seaweed salad, edamame seeds ,mango, masago, cucumber, avocado with sushi rice ($17)

• Signature Poke Bowl: Tuna, salmon, white fish, special sauce, sesame oil, seaweed salad, edamame, seeds, mango, masago, cucumber, avocado with sushi rice ($17)

• Eel Poke Bowl: BBQ eel, eel sauce, seaweed salad, edamame seeds, mango, masago, cucumber, avocado with sushi rice ($17)

Sushi dinners (served with miso soup or house salad)

• Nigiri Combo: 8 pieces of chef’s choice with California roll ($23)

• Chirashl: Assorted sashimi on top bed of rice ($30)

• Sashimi Combo: 16 pieces of chef's choice and side of sushi rice ($30)

• Sushi & Sashimi Combo: 6 pieces of sushi, 6 pieces of sashimi, chef’s choice, and a spicy tuna roll ($30)

• Love Boat For 2: 10 pieces of sushi, 12 pieces of sashimi, chef’s choice, with spicy tuna roll and California roll ($48)

• Three’s Crowd For 3: 15 pieces of sushi, 18 pieces of sashimi, chef’s choice, with JB roll, spicy tuna roll and California roll ($70)

• Four’s a Crowd For 4: 20 pieces of sushi, 24 pieces of sashimi, chef’s choice, with JB Roll, spicy tuna roll and rainbow roll, shrimp tempura roll and chef special appetizers ($110)

House special rolls

• Kentucky Roll: Crunchy chicken tempura, cucumber, with spicy aioli and eel sauce ($12)

• Volcano Roll: California roll top with baked seafood, masago, scallions ($14)

• Dragon Roll: Shrimp tempura, cucumber, asparagus, cream cheese top with avocado ($14)

• Rainbow Roll: Kani, avocado, cucumber top with assorted variety of fresh fish ($14)

• Wasabi Salmon Roll: Salmon, cream cheeses, avocado, tempura style with spicy aioli, wasabi aioli eel sauce ($14)

• Beauty & the Beast Roll: Tuna, eel, avocado, asparagus, masago top with tuna and eel, eel sauce ($15)

• Dancing Eel Roll: Kani, avocado, cucumber top with BBQ eel and eel sauce ($15)

• Spider Roll: Soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber, asparagus ($15)

• Crunchy Tuna Roll: Tuna, avocado, scallions, tempura style with spicy kimchi, wasabi aioli and eel sauce ($15)

• Sexy Roll: Shrimp tempura, avocado, cream cheese, masago, top with crispy kani ($15)

• Hamachi Jalapeños Roll: Hamachi, jalapeños, cilantros, scallions, masago, spicy kimchi sauce ($15)

• Orange Dragon Roll: Shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, asparagus, top with salmon ($15)

• Red Dragon Roll: Shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, asparagus, top with tuna ($16)

• Florida Roll: Tuna, salmon, white fish, avocado topped with variety tobiko ($16)

• Salmon Lover Roll: Spicy salmon roll top with dice salmon, scallions, spicy aioli sauce ($16)

• Tuna Lover Roll: Spicy tuna roll top with dice tuna, scallions, kimchi sauce, sesame oil ($18)

• Mai-Tai Roll: Tuna, shrimp tempura, cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, asparagus, soy paper wrap, top with tempura flakes and crispy kani ($20)

• Lobster Roll: Tempura lobster, avocado, cucumber, asparagus, top with variety tobiko and lobster tempura ($25)

Starters

• Chicken Satay: Skewers chicken, marinated in a mixture of special Thai's herb, served with peanut sauce and cucumber salad dressing ($11)

• Chicken Wings: Served with sweet sauce ($10)

• Crabster Rangoon: Deep fried pastry filled with blend of cream cheese, Real crab and lobster meat served with sweet and sour sauce ($10)

• Dumplings: Steamed rice pastry mixed with ground pork, shrimp and water chestnut served with house special sauce ($9)

• Edamame: Steamed soy bean with sea salt ($6)

• Firecracker Shrimp: Fried tempura shrimp served with mayonnaise chili sauce ($12)

• Crispy Calamari: Lightly fried calamari, served with special sweet dipping sauce ($12)

• Fried Potstickers: Pork and vegetables served with house special sauce ($7)

• Spring Roll: Deep fried roll stuffed with silver noodles, mixed vegetable and house sweet & sour dipping sauce ($6)

Entrees

• House Crispy Duck: Classic pad Thai served with duck with choice of sauce: panang, red curry, basil, plum sauce, ginger or pad Thai ($26-$27)

• Mai Thai Pineapple Fried Rice: Stir-fried rice with egg, onion, carrot, broccoli, pineapple, resin, cashew nut, curry powder, scallion, shrimp, scallops, squid and mussels ($26-$28)

• Fresh Oysters: Half-dozen or dozen ($18-$25)

• Seafood Ship Wreck: Shrimp, squid, scallops, mussels sauteed with onion, bell pepper, carrot, basil in sauce ($28)

• Volcano Shrimp: Crispy spicy shrimp served on top of steamed mixed vegetable with special chili sauce ($28)

• Thai Fried Rice: Stir fried rice with egg, onion, carrot, broccoli, and scallion; served with vegetables, tofu, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, duck or seafood ($16-$28)

• Pad Thai: Stir-fried rice noodle with egg, bean sprout, scallion, ground peanut with special pad Thai sauce; served with vegetables, tofu, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, duck or seafood ($16-$28)

• Pad Se-Ew: Stir fried large flat noodle with egg, broccoli, carrot with sweet sauce; served with vegetables, tofu, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, duck or seafood ($16-$28)

• Pad Kee Mou: Stir fried large flat noodle with onion, carrot, bell pepper, basil and special basil sauce; served with vegetables, tofu, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, duck or seafood ($16-$28)

• Pineapple Fried Rice: Stir-fried rice with egg, onion, carrot, broccoli, resin, cashew nuts and curry powder, scallion; served with vegetables, tofu, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, duck or seafood ($16-$28)

• Amazing Mai Thai: Sauteed tasty home-made peanut sauce served on bed of steamed vegetable; served with vegetables, tofu, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, duck or seafood ($16-$28)

Desserts

• Mango Sweet Sticky Rice ($12.95)

• Organic homemade pecan ice cream ($10.95)

• Mai Thai OMG coconut ice cream with Thai sweet sticky rice ($12.95)

• Fried Bananas with coconut ice cream ($12.95)

• Thai Donut ($9.95)

When did Mai Thai Bistro open?

Feb. 23, 2024

What are Mai Thai Bistro's hours?

11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 4:30-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 4:30-10 p.m. Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday

What's Mai Thai Bistro's phone number, website and social media?

772-205-2530, Website, Facebook

Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter and columnist dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com. Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: New restaurant Mai Thai Bistro Vero Beach has Thai food, sushi, oysters