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By Mercedes Deleon
By Mercedes Deleon
The city of Riverside is growing rapidly, yet the choice of cuisine is staying nearly the same?
The hunt for a new and enticing restaurant is never ending for many looking for a new and delicious treat.
Gra Pow has been offering this enticing treat to its visitors since its opening in 2006.
This restaurant is one of the most popular Thai restaurants in Riverside.
Patrick Sura is the sole and proud owner of the restaurant that attracts so many members of the community.
Every dish at Gra Pow is freshly prepared with a unique taste that few other restaurant can match or compare to.
“I want every customer to notice and love the difference between the food we serve here from the food that is served elsewhere,” Sura said.
The delicious blends of Thai flavors with accents of California and Pacific Rim flavors is what makes Gra Pow an authentic and signature restaurant.
Gra Pow is also equipped with a bar stocked with a variety of flavored beer and wine.
In addition to the beer and wine, they also carry Sake and Soju in all mixed drinks.
Sake is a Japanese version of vodka, which is equally strong and effective. Soju, on the other hand, is a Korean rice alcohol. It is made up of neutral spirits, sugar and citric acids.
“Both beverages are significantly smooth for how strong they are,” Sura said.
Gra Pow’s flawless style, spotless appearance and comfortable atmosphere is what seals the deal of each customer’s return.
“Our goal here is to make everyone feel welcome.” Sura said. “We do not target certain groups of people or ethnicities. The more the merrier.”
Upon entering the restaurant, one can quickly notice the deep thought and specific detail put into the restaurant’s construction.
The booths are cozy, the chairs provide much bottom and back support, and the remaining seats make you feel as though you are sitting on fuzzy clouds.
The atmosphere has a strong Asian influence that compliments the food. The plants, wall colors, and accent lights add to the overall experience.
The entrees, appetizers and deserts also contribute to this restaurants authenticity.
Many customers are quite fond of the cashew, orange, yellow and green bean chicken.
The Pad Gra Pow, with the option of chicken or beef and with or without fried egg, is a well portioned entree that surprises one’s taste buds with its unique spices and herbs. The rice, meat and egg are neatly set and slightly spaced apart.
“The Pad Gra Pow with beef and fried egg is absolutely delicious,” said customer Steve Griffin.
The yellow curry chicken is also a frequently ordered entree.
“The creamy and rich curry is what keeps me coming back for more,” said customer Alvaro Guadarrama.
Each meal served is also a visual masterpiece. All dishes are creatively designed and served.
Gra Pow also serves a variety of different noodle, curry, rice, and seafood dishes.
Happy hour, which takes place from 3-6 p.m., includes selected $5 appetizers.
“We serve $5 jalapeño cheese balls, deep fried calamari, satay chicken, dragon wings, and tuna tar tar,” said Chris Peterson, one of the restaurant’s servers and cashiers.
Also, during happy hours, small bottles of beer are $2, large bottles are $4, each glass of wine is $3 and soju mixed drinks are also $3.
To make it even more accessible to customers, take-out lunch menus are available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. everyday. Nearly the full menu is available for as little as $8.95 a dish.
Friday nights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Gra Pow turns into a small night club.
“We call it ‘After Hours.’ It gets so packed sometimes it becomes somewhat difficult to freely move around,” Peterson said.
A disc jockey is always present, playing popular music and guest requests.
Gra Pow welcomes everyone to stop by and experience what so many people can’t get enough of.
Take-out menus are available, and dining-in customers have the option of eating inside or out in the well shaded patio. The food, service and overall appearance speak for itself.
Gra Pow is located at 497 Alessandro Boulevard. #D Riverside CA 92508.
The hours of operation are Sundays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., not including “After Hours.”
For further questions, call Gra Pow at (951) 780-1132.