ITHACA, N.Y. — A French-Asian bistro is slated to open in the Ithaca Commons the first week of June, offering up a simplistic menu with plenty of dining options.
Owner Patrick Hatsady said the last bits of renovations are still being done at Le Commons Bistro, located between Gorgers Taco Shack and Autumn Leaves Used Books.
“Simple menu, simple cooking is always the best,” he said. “My cuisine is going to be very simple, very-mom-and-pop dishes that you can find anywhere on the corner of Thailand (streets) or on the streets of Vietnam…”
Hatsady said he has been in the restaurant industry for about 20 years and most recently was the managing partner at Taste of Thai on the Commons.
He said the French-Asian theme has a two-fold purpose.
First, it provides people with a variety of food options all in one place — a broad menu can draw in more diners. But he also has experience working intimately with both styles of food and wants to share those experiences with people.
Hatsady is Lao but was raised in France. He grew up eating both Laos food and French food, saying that a lot of cuisine originating near Laos, in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, are heavily influenced by French culture because of colonialism in the area.
So for the Asian cuisine he has planned, he intends to dish up food from Southeast Asia, not just from Laos, and foresees having at least some of the menu items available on a rotating basis.
“People get bored of eating the same thing,” he said. “It’s going to be very accessible in terms of pricing, in terms of menu style.”