Mayon Asian American Restaurant opened Dec. 16 in Charlotte County. For his fourth eatery, Chris Lansdale wanted to do something different.
His business partner and chef, Patrick Denn, known as Chef Jersey, worked for Lansdale at one of his local Beef O’Brady’s restaurants, and he suggested that Lansdale try something different: food prepared Filipino style.
“His mother Sonia is 100% Filipino,” Lansdale said, referring to Denn.
As a result, Denn is well-versed in the art of preparing Filipino foods.
Lansdale found the perfect location for the vision — a 3,800-square-foot unit in School House Square mall, 4300 Kings Highway in Charlotte Harbor.
Denn’s mother helped with the design and creation of Mayon, which is adorned with beautiful art and detailed woodwork.
Finish Line of Naples did the woodwork construction, but despite its upscale appearance, Mayon has a casual, laid-back vibe.
Soon, a large volcano will adorn one of the walls facing the bar.
“Bar Manager Kyle Bledsoe wants Mayon to be known as a bar specializing in his craft cocktails that also serves food. Chef Jersey wants us to be known as a restaurant serving delicious food that also has a bar,” Lansdale said of their friendly competition.
While he was being interviewed, a steady stream of customers entered the spacious restaurant that can seat up to 140. There were people of all ages including families with children.
Mayon’s menu has familiar rice bowl dishes, such as a Mongolian beef bowl called Khagans, which is tender beef, rice, green onion and broccoli with a spicy sweet sauce; General Tso chicken with fried chicken, broccoli, rice and green onion; Hawaii-inspired Loco Moco Bowl with a three-blend burger, shitake, onion, brown gravy, rice, fried egg and green onion, to name just a few.
The entrees are prepared with a twist, such as the Biztek Tagalog Ribeye — a 12-ounce steak with grilled onion, grilled sweet peppers, calamansi, chimichurri, fingerling potatoes and green onion.
Mayon Salmon is prepared with Ube rice pudding, calamansi fennel slaw, sesame ginger vinaigrette, pili nut blackened crust and toasted sesame seeds.
Some names will not be familiar, such as Sinangag, which is simply Filipino garlic fried rice, and Sizzling Sisig, which is pork belly prepared with onion, sweet peppers, calamansi, fried egg, Duke’s mayo and green onion.
Lansdale said that he’s “a late bloomer,” and that after working since he was a teen in the food industry, he decided to own a restaurant.
Along the way, he also decided to settle down and have a family.
Lansdale and his fiancee Sierra, who also runs Mayon, have two children — a 5-year-old son and a daughter who’s 3.
Laughing, Lansdale said, “We’ve been too busy to get married.”
In addition to Mayon and two Beef O’Brady’s in Punta Gorda, Lansdale also is a partner with Pitmaster Jay and his wife Sarah Cammarata, who run Jay’s Smokin BBQ located next to the former Muscle Car City on Tamiami Trail in Punta Gorda.
As for his next move, Lansdale said he is still in the process of defining Mayon, which he would like to turn into a late-night gathering place.
Mayon is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday for dining in or takeout.
