A colossal Asian-fusion restaurant is slated to open next month in the Williston space that used to house East Orchid.

Douzo, at 2033 Essex Road, will be a Japanese steakhouse, Thai eatery, martini bar and sushi bar rolled into one, according to owner Sammy Chompupong, who also owns Hàna Japanese Hibachi Steak House & Sushi Bar in Stowe.

Hàna fans will find a similar scene at Douzo, sans actual hibachi grills: nigiri sushi and maki rolls, Japanese-style marinated and grilled steaks and meats. But, unlike Hàna, the new restaurant will give Thai food a starring role on the menu.

One room of the new eatery will be decorated in Thai style, while an adjacent space will emulate a Japanese steakhouse, complete with a sushi bar along one side, says Chompupong.

On a recent afternoon, the inside of the restaurant looked as if it was being gutted. Workers were busy framing and hammering away at the sushi bar; nearby, another put the finishing touches on a black wooden sign. “We hope to open by the 10th or 15th of May,” says Chompupong.

This article appears in Apr 20-26, 2011.

Corin Hirsch was a Seven Days food writer 2011 through 2016. She was also a dining critic and drinks columnist at Newsday from 2017 to 2022, and contributes to The Guardian, Wine Enthusiast and other publications. She’s spoken often on colonial era drinking and is the author of Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England, published by History Press in 2014.