Asian Restaurant Week Returns
Plus: Conveyor belt sushi, lobster-focused food truck and a new vegan restaurant.
Banh mi and pork skewers from Pho Ever. Photo by Sophie Bolich.
From noodles and curries to rice dishes and street snacks, Asian cuisine is as delicious as it is diverse. Spanning nearly 50 countries and approximately 17.2 million square miles, the world’s largest continent is the birthplace of thousands of dishes—many of which have become global favorites.
The Milwaukee area offers a wide array of Asian-owned and Asian-inspired restaurants, ranging from traditional preparations to modern interpretations and creative fusion.
Milwaukee Asian Restaurant Week, now in its fifth year, invites diners to explore them all. The food-focused event, hosted by local advocacy group ElevAsian, runs from May 18 through 24, coinciding with Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage month.
ElevAsian has curated a list of recommended restaurants on its website—a selection that’s grown significantly since the event’s debut in 2021.
Suggestions are categorized by region—Burmese, Chinese, Hawaiian, Indian and more—and include local favorites like Vientiane Noodle Shop, Momo Mee and SapSap. A number of Asian grocery stores, along with Asian-owned bars, caterers and cafes, are also featured.
This year’s list includes several newly opened spots, such as Khan Aseya, Ni Burmese, 1033 Omakase, Cute Robot Japanese Kitchen, Room Service, Back Street, Todd I Believe I Can Fry, Himalayan Yak, BaoBao Cuisine and Taste Amir’s Roti.
It’s worth noting that some establishments listed — like Kim’s Thai Restaurant — have permanently closed, while others, such as EE-Sane, have relocated. Be sure to double-check hours and addresses before heading out.
Flood Prompts Extended Closure of EsterEv
Less than a month after unveiling a refreshed menu and new dining options, EsterEv staff arrived on May 3 to find their Bay View dining room destroyed.
A faulty valve on the building’s upper level triggered a flood that caused extensive damage to the restaurant at 2165 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., affecting the ceilings, walls, bar area and antique maple floorboards.
The water — 200 gallons, to be exact — also seeped into the basement, “saturating” EsterEv’s prep space, according to a social media post from co-owners Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite.
The fine dining restaurant closed immediately for repairs, which are expected to take up to 10 weeks. EsterEv has not set a reopening date but the owners expect the closure will last at least through the end of June.
Drive-Thru Coffee Chain Sets Sights on 27th Street
7 Brew Coffee, a drive-thru cafe chain, is bringing its first location to Milwaukee, according to a series of permit requests recently submitted to the city.
The coffee shop is planned for a half-acre site at 3702 S. 27th St., formerly home to Wong’s Wok, which closed in early 2024.
MilBrew Holdings, LLC, with design firm Excel Engineering, plans to raze the former Chinese restaurant to make way for the project, which includes a 510-square-foot cafe, 250-square-foot cooler building, outdoor patio, two drive-thru lanes and 19 parking spaces, the proposal notes. The site is located in front of a Dollar Tree store.
7 Brew Coffee uses modular construction to pre-build many of its cafes off-site, with the components later assembled on location. The approach speeds the rate of expansion, as new cafes seemingly pop up overnight.
Temple Goddess Plans Standalone Restaurant
Since arriving in Milwaukee two years ago, Temple Goddess Cafe has operated out of two locations — both food halls — gradually building a local following with its selection of plant-based, globally inspired comfort foods.
With its most recent location, Crossroads Collective, closed, the cafe now plans to reopen as a standalone business on the Lower East Side.
Owners Gregory Cilmi and Eve Savva have their sights set on 1978 N. Farwell Ave. The 720-square-foot space has a history of plant-based tenants, with recent concepts including The Lafayette Place, Celesta, Jow Nai Fouquet and Abu’s Jerusalem of the Gold.
At the new location, Temple Goddess will continue as a fast-casual concept, offering soups, salads, wraps and soul food specials — featuring ingredients sourced from local farms whenever possible.
Los Villa Closed, New Restaurant Planned
Milwaukee’s largest flautas no longer have a home on National Avenue. After seven months in Silver City, Flautas y Chilaquiles Los Villa is permanently closed.
Israel Villarreal, who co-owns the business with Elizabeth Flores Campos, confirmed the closure Tuesday, citing a rent hike following the sale of the building at 3530 W. National Ave.
The Mexican concept continues to serve its namesake flautas and chilaquiles — along with tortas, street corn and more — from its food truck, with upcoming appearances announced online.
As Los Villa exits, a new business is already set to take its place. Taqueria El Arriero, a Madison-based food truck, plans to open its first brick-and-mortar location in the building this summer.
New ‘Emergency Relief Fund’ Supports Hospitality Businesses
For small businesses, ordinary mishaps can quickly devolve into disaster.
Just look at The Lafayette Place, which permanently closed after a driver crashed into its Lower East Side building, or Lopez Bakery, where a basement flood and oven failure left the family-owned operation reeling.
On a broader scale, bars and restaurants across the Milwaukee area continue to struggle with the lingering effects of COVID-19, staffing shortages, tariff uncertainty and other hurdles.
A new grant program, led by the Visit Milwaukee Foundation and Boelter SuperStore, is stepping in to help.
Council Votes to Close Lush Lounge
A long-running dispute between a Halyard Park tavern and its surrounding residents reached a hopeful truce last year, when both sides collaborated on an improvement plan to address excess noise, litter and parking concerns.
Then a new owner joined the picture.
In December, Kimberly Lloyd applied to take over Lush Lounge, formerly Lounge 340, at 340 W. Reservoir Ave., replacing former operator Patrice Dickerson.
The change reignited neighborhood concerns and sparked tension ahead of an April 29 license renewal hearing, which ended with area Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs recommending non-renewal for the business.
Popular Lobster Truck Launching Milwaukee Location
Cousins Maine Lobster survived the “Shark Tank.” Now it’s looking to get its claws into Milwaukee.
After tours through Wisconsin last summer and fall — including a stop in Wauwatosa — the brand has partnered with Chris Goeman and Kevin Smith to launch a Milwaukee-based food truck in June.
Known for its Maine lobster rolls, tacos and bisque, the fast-casual franchise, backed by Barbara Corcoran of “Shark Tank,” operates nearly 60 food trucks and four brick-and-mortar restaurants nationwide.
Goeman and Smith were inspired to bring the concept to Milwaukee after seeing high demand at the Chicago truck.
City Suspends Harambee Gas Station
Reports of gun activity, drug dealing and expired food prompted the Milwaukee Common Council to temporarily close a BP gas station at 406 W. Center St.
On Tuesday, members voted unanimously against renewing the station’s extended hours license and approved a 10-day suspension of its remaining licenses—including for food dealer, weights and measures and filling station.
The business is cleared to reopen on May 23, but is no longer permitted to operate between midnight and 5 a.m.
The council’s decision followed an April 29 license renewal hearing, where committee members raised concerns over a 44-item police report — 12 of which took place in the past year.
New Bar and Lounge For King Drive
A new business, Martin’s Nest, is coming to roost on King Drive.
Billed as a destination for “mature crowds,” the proposed bar and lounge plans to offer alcoholic beverages and entertainment at 2712 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., the former home of Lux Bar & Lounge.
Kisizme Leonard will own and operate Martin’s Nest, according to a license application, which notes previous experience as part-owner of a Denver club.
The application, submitted to the City of Milwaukee in late April, marks the revival of an earlier plan for the business, which stalled several years ago.
OG’s Could Replace Former Olive Garden
A former Olive Garden could soon become OG’s.
The change isn’t just a nickname, but the title of a business proposed for the defunct Italian-American restaurant at 8531 W. Brown Deer Rd.
Tim Stotts, owner of A Taste of Soul MKE, plans to expand his local business portfolio with OG’s on Brown Deer, which would operate as a bar, restaurant and lounge, according to a license application.
Rather than salad and breadsticks, OG’s plans to emphasize drinks and dancing, with nearly half of its revenue expected to come from alcohol sales. According to the application, the business would also feature a dance floor and stage.
Valentine Opens Downer Avenue Cafe
Valentine Coffee Roasters opened its third location on May 1, bringing fresh energy — and a jolt of caffeine — to a storefront near the UW-Milwaukee campus just in time for finals.
The new cafe occupies a book-filled space at 3126 N. Downer Ave., next to Old Guard Games, a tabletop gaming store that opened less than a year ago after building owner Ben Checota restored the aging brick structure.
The layout, similar to that of Valentine’s Historic Third Ward location, offers ample seating for those looking to work or study. Two-top tables line the cafe’s southern wall — each equipped with an outlet for easy charging.
A large communal table anchors much of the remaining space, which also includes a row of sunny window seats overlooking Downer Avenue. The 1,200-square-foot cafe is simply decorated with plants and imagery from coffee farms.
Cubanitas, a Success for 22 Years
If you want an easy way to find Cubanitas, look for the building with the bright orange façade trimmed with pale green accents in the 700 block of N. Milwaukee Street. Inside you will find a charming restaurant where family photos decorate the walls and gorgeous chandeliers with dazzling crystals light the room. There was a sense of old Havana in the air as friends and I perused an extensive menu that matched our expectations for Caribbean-inspired meals.
You can start with an aperitivo and choose from a list of five empanadas that included picadillo con queso, ground beef with cheese, or the one I ordered, chicken with raisins and olives. It was deep-fried and stuffed with mainly chicken. Other aperitivos included ham croquettes, plantains, Cubanitas chicken tenders, Cuban wings, and coconut shrimp.
It wouldn’t be a Cuban restaurant without the cubano sandwich: roasted pork, Virginia ham, Swiss cheese, tart pickles, and mustard aioli. The aioli added a sharp bite that pulled all the flavors together in pressed and toasted Cuban bread that resembled a baguette. It was not a baguette however, it was thin, and cut on the diagonal. It was also a generous sandwich with enough stacked meat and cheese to call it a meal.
Another sandwich, pan con bistec, had thinly sliced sirloin steak in a pressed and toasted bun with sauteed onions and surprisingly, fries that were inside the bun, not alongside. To add more flavor to the sandwich, a side dish of house made steak sauce accompanied it.
Conveyor Belt Sushi Restaurant Planned For Downtown
With their mosaic-like interiors and delicate garnishes, sushi rolls are already runway-ready. Soon, a new-to-Milwaukee restaurant concept will put the daily catch on the catwalk, giving the city its first taste of conveyor belt sushi.
The Kenosha-based Sooshibay plans to open its second location at 1154 N. Water St., on the ground floor of Milwaukee School of Engineering‘s Grohmann Tower.
Conveyor belt sushi, or kaiten-zushi, originated in Japan as a way to streamline restaurant service. Chefs place small portions of maki, sashimi, dumplings and other dishes on a continuously moving belt that winds through the dining room. Customers can pick whatever looks appealing, with prices calculated after the meal based on color-coded plates.
Iris Huang launched Sooshibay’s flagship location with her family in 2023. At the Kenosha restaurant, covered plates carrying four pieces of sushi each travel along the conveyor belt, with placards identifying each new roll as it passes. In addition to conveyor belt dining, Sooshibay offers a traditional restaurant experience complete with menus, table service and a full bar.
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