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Mark Lijadu had always dreamed of running his own restaurant; his wife, Supattra, wanted to open a bakery. They recently realized their ambitions by opening Jasmine Bowl, a new South Side restaurant specializing in international cuisine and sweet goods.

The couple purchased the former Florene’s Bakery business at 2128 Indianola Ave. from longtime chef Tom Mauer. In addition to the equipment and furnishings, they bought many of the recipes from Mauer, including the delectable cinnamon rolls and other pastry specialties.

“It was just a blessing that everything was already set up,” said Mark, who 10 years ago emigrated to Des Moines from Nigeria, where his parents had owned a restaurant. “It was a long dream come true.” Starting out at Burger King, he worked his way up through numerous food-industry jobs to his most recent position as executive chef for John Deere Credit in Johnston.

He met Supattra, who is from Thailand, at the Culinary Arts Institute at Des Moines Area Community College, where they were both completing the degree program. Establishing the business has taken about the past two years; the couple received a small loan and technical assistance from ISED Ventures, a Des Moines community development organization.

“(Supattra) saw the potential in me, and I saw the potential in her,” Mark said. “She always had a dream of having a bakery, and I always had the dream of having a restaurant, so we thought we’d put the dreams together and see what happens.”

The menu includes Thai, African, French, Italian and American cuisine, with choices ranging from lamb stew, green curry and spicy papaya salad to parmesan-crusted pork chops and hamburgers. Lunch prices are mostly under $6 and nearly all of the dinner entrees are less than $9.

The bakery items, most of which are continued from Florene’s, are available for carryout or catering during the week by calling orders in the day before, or as part of the weekend brunch menu.