Encore

10 Reviews on “Encore”

• Spencer Cook

  Encore Caf is a quaint restaurant located at 1007 on the ever historical Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, Kansas. With a name like Encore Caf, it comes as a surprise to many people that they in fact, serve Asian food. Deliciously fresh Asian food at that. When we (my mother and I) arrived at the restaurant we were promptly greeted by a young gentleman who seemed more than happy to seat us. The importance of a good host cannot be stressed enough to make your guests feel welcomed. Encore nailed this aspect. After being sat at a booth as requested, my gaze was immediately directed towards the flowing bar whose structure was crafted from nothing but bamboo. The dcor throughout the restaurant was that of a typical Asian restaurant, with a modern, clean flavor added to it. The dark granite of the tables contrasted well with the vibrant green grass plants atop them, which were conveniently used as dividers for multiple parties of two sharing a table. Calming music played faintly in the background to add to the overall ambiance of the setting, the icing on the cake. Our waitress came to our service within two minutes to ask for our drink orders and gave us some extra time to look at the appetizers. I opened the menu that looks like a large silver book, again adding to the modern twist vibe of the restaurant. My passionfruit tea with multi fruit bubbles arrived, which was very flavorful and fruity to my delight. I couldnt help but drink nearly half of my mug before we even gave our order. Our appetizers arrived in good time. We chose fried calamari and crab rangoon and boy were they delicious. One way to tell if an Asian restaurant is good is by the quality of their crab rangoon. They were beautifully fried to perfection and were jam packed with crab and warm, gooey cream cheese filling. The sweet and sour sauce was a nice compliment to the cream cheese and crunchy outer shell. Along with the crab rangoon, the fried calamari was equally palate pleasing. Coated in a thin batter and seasoned well, they were also fried to perfection and served with not only sweet and sour sauce, but a sweet yellowish orange sauce for which I was unaware of the name. Often times calamari can be overcooked and turned into almost a literal rubber band. These calamari were far different. It was tender as can be, seeming to virtually melt in your mouth. While thoroughly enjoying my appetizers, my mom pointed out a lady sitting at a table on the far side of the restaurant. She had hundreds and hundreds of green beans mounded around her, hand snapping every single one of them. It was at this point that I realized the freshness and quality of the food being served. I became even more excited for my main dish that was soon to arrive. After a brief period my dish arrived. The chicken was covered in General Tsaus sauce causing it to glisten in the light. The plate was garnished with greens and a lemon for aesthetics. The rice was perfectly mounded in a small side dish bowl, prompting me to dump it onto my plate. It was steamed well, not overcooked nor undercooked and had a nice sticky quality to it. When paired with the hefty portion of chicken, they created an amazing flavor harmony, like peanut butter and chocolate but better. The fried chicken provided a nice texture contrast with the soft rice. The sauce, very sweet yet tangy at the same time, was complimented with the neutral flavor added in by the rice. The sauce was not too sweet as General Tsaus sauce can be at times. Instead, it was just another thing that this restaurant got right, a perfect balance. Encore Caf is a fabulous establishment. The service is of superior quality as they have many people on staff who seem to really care about the customers and their experience. It is obvious that the chefs care just as much, but about the food they serve. Along with their service, the food is far superior to any past Asian restaurant I have visited. Anytime a restaurant hand snaps their green beans, you know they care about the quality of their product. This was the first time I visited this restaurant but I can assure you that they will continue to get my business in the future. Amazing.

  July 20, 2017, 6:19 am

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• Apoorv Ingle

  Good Chinese fusion. The place is good for a small group. The Pad Thai noodles were great! The ambience was good. It gets crowded on weekends. So if you don’t mind the wait, it’s an excellent place to visit.

  December 5, 2016, 8:29 am

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• Jane Doughnut

  Love the atmosphere and it’s great for people watching. I’ve tried a good deal of their menu over several visits. Everything has been above average. I come in for my favorite comfort food – beef chow fat. There are only 2 restaurants in Kansas who can make this dish to my liking, Encore is one of them.

  October 15, 2016, 8:27 pm

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