Probably the most requested review over the past few months has been Lola’s Bistro. The restaurant which opened back up in October of 2017 at Soho Plaza at East 21st and K-96 has also had many positive reviews from readers.
The menu (found on their website) features American dishes with a bit of Asian and French influences. It’s a unique mix where you can certainly find something you like. When you walk inside, the restaurant comes off as really elegant and makes you wonder if you’re dressed properly. But after talking with the owner, he wants people to be able to feel comfortable and not have to worry about attire. For those wondering, many people wore jeans and other casual clothes on my visit.
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2146 N Collective Ln
Wichita, KS 67206
316-613-2223
Tuesday – Sunday: Lounge open at 3:30, dinner available 5pm – 9pm
Closed on Monday
Cash/Card Accepted
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There was a big contingent of my family in attendance for our latest review. We made sure to try a little bit of everything on the menu. For appetizers, we went with the lumpia and pork belly bao buns. The lumpia was easily the best lumpia you’ll find in town. It had a nice consistency of crispy breading along with pork, shrimp and vegetables. The steamed buns also caught us off guard. We were expecting traditional steamed buns but instead were served buns that were shaped similarly to tacos. While small, they packed a lot of delicious flavor. Our one gripe was there wasn’t much in the way of pork belly inside the buns.
Next up was dinner time. Entrees run between $17-29 witha bulk of them ranging around $17-19 and $23-27. We ordered the goat cheese salad, beef cheek raviolis, chicken breast, chicken adobo & achara, calamansi scallops, baked salmon and duck breast.
Possibly the biggest winner was my brother who went with the beef cheek raviolis. It may have been the best dish of them all. Even the server who brought out the dish said to him, “You’re really going to enjoy this; it’s my favorite.”. The beef inside the ravioli was incredibly tender. Topped with a celery root puree and gemi glace, it made the dish feel really light and not so heavy.
If you love duck, you will want to order it at Lola’s. One of my colleagues told me about it and went as far to say as you may not find a better duck in town. We were told after dinner from the staff that the duck breast is becoming one of Lola’s signature dishes.
I had the calamansi scallops and wasn’t sure if I’d be satisfied after four scallops and surprisingly was. The scallops laid over a bed of edamame puree which was a first for me. The chef told us that he really wanted to pair all the dishes with something unique instead of your basic rice pilaf or french fries or whatever it may be.
We could touch upon all the dishes but don’t want to continue wasting your time. We thoroughly enjoyed Lola’s Bistro and have to make it back to try their steaks, pork chops and lobster risotto.
Of course having the kids with us, we just had to try the desserts. We went with the creme brulee, chocolate ganache cake and panna cotta. You can’t go wrong with either one. It should be noted though that you can really taste the lavender inside the panna cotta. There was no hiding that at all. The kids devoured the chocolate ganache cake and I was lucky to get a couple forkfuls.
As you tab out, the staff leaves everybody some opera cake with edible gold which is just the cherry on top of a wonderful dinner.
The service at Lola’s Bistro was beyond excellent. Many people on staff were on hand to make sure we were taken care of. It wasn’t one of those situations where the entire staff just stands in a corner and talks with each other. They were continually going from table to table to check on customers, cleaning tables and being productive. As noted the food was fantastic and it had a great ambiance to match.
When it comes to finer dining, Lola’s Bistro has moved up my list of favorites. Check them out soon!
Happy Dining,
Eddy
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