PAO Detroit

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 checkWebsite menu and in restaurant are different I believe they change their menu.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!