A new Asian fusion restaurant and cocktail bar has quietly opened in north St. Pete. Green Pagoda is located at 7900 4th Street North in the space formerly home to E.B.I. Sushi, and before that Hooks.

The new eatery is helmed by Sean Thongsiri with assistance from Serena Raynard.

Thongsiri also owns and operates Mangosteen, a popular tropical Asian restaurant and bar that opened six months ago on Central Avenue’s popular 600 block. Another downtown restaurant, The Crane, is also in the works from Thongsiri.

As you walk between two lion statues and through the double door entrance, you’ll arrive at Green Pagoda’s warm and cozy dining room. The restaurant is illuminated by a series of circular windows which showcase the restaurant’s thoughtful décor.

Brass lamps hang from a faux tin ceiling and green bench seating lines the perimeter of the dining room, which seats around 120 guests. A 45-seat outdoor patio is located out front and surrounded by lush landscaping.

The cuisine at Green Pagoda is where East culture meets West culture. The menu features traditional Asian dishes with a Western influence. A full sushi menu is also available.

“This space was originally a sushi restaurant. Even though it closed, we recognize that people tend to build a restaurant into their routine,” said Raynard. “People enjoy what’s near their house, which is why we wanted to offer sushi at Green Pagoda.”

The sushi menu features 17 different rolls in addition to nigiri and sashimi. You’ll recognize all your favorites, such as Spicy Tuna Roll, Mexican Roll, California Roll, as well as some unique creations like the Pagoda Roll which consists of tuna, salmon, snapper, escolar, crab, asparagus, cream cheese, tobiko, scallion, and teriyaki. 

In addition to sushi, Green Pagoda also offers dumplings, spring rolls, salads, stir fry, and entrees.

Featured in the Traditional Favorites section of the menu are two claypot dishes. The Chicken Claypot has bell pepper, carrot, Thai eggplant, basil, and onion in a coconut red curry and The Pork Belly Claypot contains rice, bok choy, jalapeño, and onion.

And although the menu also contains a wide selection of meat, such as a filet mignon and ribeye, seafood is the highlight of the entrees, offering items such as Grilled Salmon or Snapper Risotto both served with a coconut curry drizzle. Peppercorn Tuna is also a standout served over asparagus and shiitake mushrooms.

“Because we serve sushi, we carry sushi-grade fish, which is a much higher quality product,” said Raynard. “Diners will be able to taste what it’s like to have a freshly cut sushi-grade salmon.”

When choosing a side, do not pass up the risotto made with shiitake mushrooms and edamame.  Raynard describes the risotto, which was originally intended for The Crane, as “American comfort food with an Asian twist”.

Green Pagoda also has a full menu of craft cocktails with an emphasis on Japanese cocktail culture.

While downtown St. Pete is a hotbed for great food and drink, Thongsiri and his team see untapped potential in north St. Pete.

“St Pete is growing, and I think 4th Street will turn into the city’s next arts district,” said Raynard. “We know big players in the restaurant game are already up here, like Noble Crust. They do very well out here.”

With downtown St. Pete becoming more and more dense, diners occasionally prefer to not search for parking and dodge pedestrians, bikes, and scooters to enjoy a great meal. As a result, restaurants located outside of the downtown core are finding even greater success.

With the debut of Green Pagoda, Thongsiri and Raynard hope to build on the success Mangosteen has experienced in downtown St. Pete.

“Mangosteen is doing very well. It’s in a great location and always busy,” said Raynard. “And almost all of the staff we opened the restaurant with are still working there.”

Another upcoming culinary concept by Thongsiri, The Crane, is getting pushed back due to construction issues and permitting with the City. The steak and seafood restaurant, which was originally slated to open in early 2022 at 575 Central Avenue, will hopefully be open by the fall.

As for the future, there may be even more exciting concepts on the way.

“We love opening new restaurants,” said Raynard. “I think we’ll have more down the road. Maybe a hand-made noodle house or a dumpling house. We want to open what St. Pete residents want to eat. So let us know!”

Green Pagoda is now open seven days a week for lunch and dinner at 7900 4th Street North in St. Petersburg. Be sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook.