BRUNSWICK — Two new restaurants slated to open in May aim to complement Brunswick’s generous offerings of Asian cuisine with new flavors and new origins.

Tao, which is moving into the former Sweet Leaves Tea House at 22 Pleasant St., will serve “Asian-inspired tapas,” according to chef and partowner Cara Stadler.

Lemongrass, moving into the former Bacari at 212E Maine St., will offer Vietnamese dishes for take-out or dining in.

At Tao, the influences will come from all over the globe. While chef Stadler’s age — she’s 24 — made it difficult to hold onto a work visa, the Cordon Bleu-trained chef managed to get time in the kitchen in California, Philadelphia, France, China and Singapore, often working with some of the biggest names in cooking.

In France, she helped with the opening of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant, “Gordon Ramsay au Trianon Palace,” and in chef Emmanuel Stroobant’s “Saint Pierre” restaurant in Singapore.

And then, “this opportunity arrived,” Stadler said of the new Brunswick venture.

As her parents recently relocated to Phippsburg, Stadler moved back from China to settle in Portland, and the availability of a location in Brunswick fell right between.

But it’s more than just geography that made Brunswick the choice, Stadler said.

“It couldn’t be more perfect here,” Stadler said. “The scene is bustling and there’s a lot of enthusiasm for the food scene and that’s impressive.”

Stadler said the restaurant will feature a variety of small dishes, ranging in price from $5 to $15, with a combination of influences from Asian cuisines to fine-dining French techniques.

“It will all be small plates,” Stadler said. “The idea is that we want people to try more things.”

Around the corner and up the road on Maine Street, Lemongrass owner Alan Huang said he’s looking to offer a variety of Vietnamese dishes — such as the flagship pho noodle soup — with a small menu and careful focus on each dish.

“We felt that the menu at Chinese restaurants is often humongous and it’s easy to get lost or intimidated by that,” Huang said. “We’ll keep our menu small and will try to make the food the best for each dish.”

Huang said the concept is for over-the-counter service and dishes that won’t put a big dent in the pocketbook.

Huang, who came to the U.S. in 1975, has been a Mainer since the move, living in Sidney for a year and later moving to Augusta, where he went to school and where his sister currently sells real estate.

About adding a new Asian cuisine option to Brunswick’s dining scene, Huang said, “Brunswick is a very diverse town and people are willing to try new things.”

During the next few weeks, both chefs will be working away in preparation for soft openings at their respective eateries.

dfishell@timesrecord.com