TemptAsians Officially Opens Second Location, This Time in Eau Claire
with a new location, new vibe and expanded menu, you’re not going to want to be left out of the TemptAsians buzz
McKenna Scherer, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
Since they announced plans to expand into Eau Claire with a full-service, dine-in restaurant at 2823 E. Hamilton Ave., locals have been eagerly awaiting the day TemptAsians opened its doors.
After a friends-and-family soft opening on Monday, July 31, TemptAsians officially opened its first Eau Claire location – and first location outside of its original in Chippewa Falls, which will continue operation as usual after the new location’s first two weeks of business – after a ribbon cutting ceremony on the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 2.
Brother-and-sister duo, John and Tiffany Tran, launched TemptAsiasn in Chippewa Falls (504 N. Bridge St.) in 2021, and just two years later, they knew they had outgrown their original space if they wanted to surge ahead with their ideas for a new, larger menu.
The Vietnamese eatery has not only opened in a larger space equipped to offer customers a dine-in experience, but has kept its promise of crafting a wide-ranging menu. With lunch specials available Monday-Friday from 11am-2pm featuring banh mi, pho, and spring roll lunch combos, the rest of the menu is loaded with mouth-watering must-tries.
Broken down into sections from Traditional Favorites including Com Thit Nuong Xa (Lemongrass Pork), Vietnamese Noodle Bowl, Bich Bo (Bich’s Beef), and more, to stand-alone sections of pho and banh mi, the largest portion is the boba tea selection.
Offering more than a dozen boba tea flavors – and four types: fruit tea, milk tea, smoothie, or slushie – and 10 types of boba or jellies, you’re not likely to run out of boba tea concoctions anytime soon from TemptAsians.
A favorite from the Chippewa Falls location, TemptAsians’ Pandan Bubble Waffle Sundae, is as decadent as ever at the new restaurant, too. Pandan is a plant from southeast Asia also known as pandanus and tastes similar to vanilla but with a more “earthy tone,” as described on TemptAsians’ menu. Mixed with three types of flour and coconut milk, the pandan waffle has a bubble-like consistency and is topped with ice cream, drizzles of different flavors, whipped cream, and strawberry popping boba. The dessert menu also offers cheesecake egg rolls and s’mores egg rolls.
Plus, if you’re into foodie challenges, there's a hefty one on the menu. The Big Pho King Challenge Bowl is exactly what it sounds like: One heck of a serving of pho. Rice noodles cooked in slow-cooked pho broth and topped with thinly sliced steak, meatballs, basil, cilantro, sprouts, jalapeños, onions, and lime, the challenge dares diners to consume the entire bowl in under one hour. It must be eaten by one person, down to the very last dregs of broth and last slice of onion. No bathroom breaks, though beverages are allowed, with the timer starting as soon as the bowl hits the table. If successful, the winner will earn their photo on the “wall of fame” and a free T-shirt.
If the expanded Vietnamese menu isn’t enough to draw you in (and it should be!), you’re not going to want to miss out on seeing the renovated interior. Folks may remember when Juanita’s Mexican Restaurant, formerly known as Tacos Juanita’s, called the East Hamilton Avenue address home less than a year ago. Since then, the Trans have added bold red color to the interior, as well as a neon red TemptAsians sign, which pops against a backdrop of faux leaves.
Designed by John’s 15-year-old daughter, the backdrop is a welcome burst of greenery drawing customers to the seating area in front of it, fitted with adorable plushies and more plants.
The patio seating outside is also home to plants and several tables to enjoy your choice of steaming pho or a round-up of shareable appetizers while the Wisconsin weather is still warm. TemptAsians will be open Monday-Saturday from 11am-8pm.
You're not going to want to miss out on the Trans’ new adventure in E.C.!
Keep up with TemptAsians online by following their Facebook page. Visit the new location at 2823 E. Hamilton Ave., Eau Claire, or stop by the original location at 504 N. Bridge St., Chippewa Falls.
