Austin reels in seafood grill

By Mia Simpson | Austin Daily Herald

Published Thursday, September 4, 2008

Husband and wife Samantha and Paul Keo will bring a new, eclectic flavor to Austin through Paul’s self-named seafood restaurant, located off Oakland Avenue West.

Promising the tastes of the south Pacific, southern U.S. and the seven seas, Paul’s Seafood and Grill will offer cuisines ranging from Thai eggrolls to jumbo shrimp, all powered by authentic recipes of the Keo family.

“We have experience,” said Samantha Keo, who, like her husband, is a long-time Rochester resident. “We know the food people like.”

Though first-time business owners, the Keo’s have managed restaurants, including one in Rochester for about five years.

Photo by Eric Johnson

Samantha and Paul Keo stand outside the new restaurant Paul's Seafood and Grill, which will be opening later this month in what used to be The Bamboo Hut.

Samantha Keo said this restaurant, established in the building that once housed Bamboo Hut, will combine the many food types her family has enjoyed, such as the Cajun of the south, much beloved by her children, and recipes from her and her husband’s native Cambodia and surrounding countries.

“There’s a lot of food restaurants in Austin, but nothing that we are going to try,” she said.

She said her family grew to love southern food, in particular, while living in a Texas for a year and working in a restaurant there.

Expecting to open Sept. 15, the Keo’s are still devising their menu and finishing interior cosmetic work and code requirements. They will likely host a invitation-only sampling of their food during an open house Sept. 11.

Details have not been determined.

Samantha Keo said the business will be mostly family run, with her managing the front and her husband and his family in the kitchen. They are currently hiring new staff as well.

“I like the business,” Samantha Keo said. “I managed restaurants for a few years, and I like the service and the food. I love to cook, and I just want other people see and taste the food we like to cook.”

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