In downtown St. Pete, Bento serves a varied and affordable lineup of customizable menu items. Credit: Courtesy of Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi

In downtown St. Pete, Bento serves a varied and affordable lineup of customizable menu items. Credit: Courtesy of Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi

Downtown St. Pete finally scored its own Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi. After a bit of a wait, the Orlando-based pan-Asian restaurant has debuted in soft-opening mode at 320 Third St. S., aka the ground floor of the Camden Pier District apartment building (formerly AER).

Staff training and limited hours are underway until Bento St. Pete’s grand opening on Friday, Oct. 5. After that, the restaurant will operate 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Behind the restaurant, free parking is available in the Camden Pier retail garage on Second Street South. Patrons receive an hour of free parking, and validation is provided upon request with the purchase of any roll, bowl or box.

Owners Johnny and Jimmy Tung. Credit: Courtesy of Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi

Bento St. Pete serves a varied and affordable lineup of customizable menu items — including rice and noodle bowls, sushi, bento boxes and boba tea — throughout its modern, casual indoor-outdoor digs. Takeout, delivery and catering are offered alongside 2,700 square feet of dine-in space.

Favorites include the signature Volcano roll and the Pao Pao chicken wok-fried in spicy cream glaze with green and red bell peppers, plus “build-a-poké” bowls.

“Expanding to the Tampa Bay region has been our goal for many years. We were drawn to downtown St. Petersburg for its rapid real estate market growth, the incredible transformation of the business district, and its proximity to the USF St. Petersburg campus and notable hospitals,” said co-owner Johnny Tung, who owns Bento with his brother, Jimmy, in a statement. “With so many young professionals drawn to this area, the community will benefit from a quick, casual dining experience that includes a wide variety of made-fresh food and beverage options.”

St. Pete is the 10th Florida location for Bento — and the first in Tampa Bay. Started a few blocks from Gainesville’s University of Florida in 2002, the restaurant has new sites coming soon to Boca Raton, Kissimmee, Pembroke Pines and Winter Park. Additional expansion plans are also in the works.

This article appears in Sep 27 – Oct 5, 2018.