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cilantro, white onions and scallions, I added
two generous swirls of hoisin sauce for
sweetness and one swirl of Sriracha for a
little heat. I quickly consumed almost all of
the meat and noodles, leaving just a little
broth in my bowl. I was perfectly satisfied
and for just $7! No wonder there was a line
out the door.
Next, I headed east to one of my favorite
bakeries in town, Duong Phong, to try one
of their Bánh Mì, better known around here
as a Vietnamese po-boy. Choosing which Bánh Mì to order is a
difficult proposition for the uninitiated, as Duong Phong’s menu
is quite large and varied, and with titles such as Toasted Fish Patty,
Vietnamese Sausage and Chinese Roast Beef, you never quite
know what you’re going to get. I decided to play it safe and ordered
Vietnamese Grilled Pork, which I eat served over vermicelli noodles
all the time but had never had in a sandwich. The crunchy French
roll was presented stuffed to the brim with beautifully cooked meat,
pickled carrots, cucumber and cilantro, along with a light mayo
spread, and it was absolutely fantastic. The price? $3.25! Half the
price of a fast food combo and 10 times the flavor and quality.
Duong Phong has been around for 30 years, and they have traditional
French-style baking down to an art form — I’d put their baguettes
and pistolettes up against anyone’s.Where Duong Phong really shines
is Vietnamese specialties, including steamed buns, meat pies, and a
wide variety of desserts, including
Génoise
, a classic European sponge
cake. The desserts are best enjoyed with Vietnamese-New Orleans
coffee: coffee and chicory sweetened and thickened with condensed
milk. Rouses sells Duong Phong cookies at select locations, and I buy
them almost every time I make groceries.
My final stop on this Asian adventure led me a bit off the beaten
path to visit an old friend, Chef Cynthia VuTran at Café Minh.
Located in Mid City, New Orleans’ current hotbed of culinary
diversity, Café Minh elevates Vietnamese food beyond the standard
noodle shop fare to an elegant, white tablecloth experience, with
selections such as sea bass, bouillabaisse, and lacquered duck. One
of my favorite dishes in all of New Orleans has to be their house
specialty, Gà rô-ti, cubes of chicken marinated in lemongrass and
seared with garlic and other magical ingredients to create a flavor
that is almost otherworldly. Served alongside generous portions
of aromatic jasmine rice and sautéed bok choy, Gà rô-ti keeps me
heading back to Café Minh time after time.
Ph
ở
Tàu Bay, Duong Phong, Café Minh, as well as plenty of
other restaurants around town like Lily’s Café, Hoa H
ồ
ng 9 and
Tan Dinh, are so good, and their food has become so increasingly
popular that, not surprisingly, their flavors and cooking techniques
have been embraced by non-Asian local chefs. David Slater of
Emeril’s has a meatball dumpling ph
ỏ
made with locally raised beef
on his menu, and chefs Dominique Macquet of Saveur and Tenney
Flynn of GW Fins routinely feature Vietnamese-inspired creations.
You can also now find Vietnamese restaurants far beyond New
Orleans East and West Bank. Saigon Noodles and Ph
ở
Saigon are
popular in Lafayette, and new spots are opening all over the Gulf
Coast. It’s a diner’s delight, ph
ở
sure!
GRETNA
Hoa H
ồ
ng 9 (Nine Roses), 1100 Stephens St.
Order the clay-pot-braised catfish seasoned with ginger and garlic.
Hong Minh Noodle House, 91 Holmes Blvd.
Huong Vi, 1028 Manhattan Blvd.
Kim Son, 349 Whitney Ave.
Tan Dinh, 1705 Lafayette
Chicken wings and crispy rice paper rolls filled with pork, carrots, mushrooms
and rice noodles, served with “nuoe mam” or house dipping sauce.
Three Happiness, 1900 Lafayette St.
MARRERO
Ph
ở
Mien Ga Quang Minh, 2651 Barataria Blvd.
The restaurant is named after its famous chicken soup, but the duck soup, with
mushrooms, a whole roast duck leg and duck cracklin’ is not to be missed.
NEW ORLEANS EAST
Ba Mien, 13235 Chef Menteur Hwy.
Dishes from Northern, Central, and Southern Vietnam.
Bánh Mì Sao Mai, Chef Menteur Hwy.
Café Trang, 4637 Alcee Fortier Blvd.
Dong Phuong, 14207 Chef Menteur Hwy
Vietnamese grilled pork, ham and sausage, liver pâté, Chinese meatball and
other bánh mì.
Ph
ở
Bang, 14367 Chef Menteur Hwy. (and other locations)
NEW ORLEANS
Ba Chi Canteen, 7900 Maple St.
From the owners of Tan Dinh in Gretna.
Doson’s Noodle House, 135 N. Carrollton Ave.
Jazmine Café, 614 S. Carrollton Ave.
Lily’s Café, 1813 Magazine St.
Their grilled pork bánh mì made our cover!
MagasinVietnameseCafé,4201MagazineSt.(coming soon to theParamount)
MoPho, 514 City Park Ave.
Michael Gulotta, former chef de cuisine at Restaurant August, puts his own
spin on Southeast Asian cuisine.
Namese, 4077 Tulane Ave.
Try the Fried Shrimp bánh mì, served with aioli, julienne veggies, cilantro,
cucumber & jalapenos.
Ph
ở
Tàu Bay (opening soon on Tulane Ave.)
METAIRIE
Ph
ở
Orchid 3117 Houma Blvd.
Ph
ở
Nola, 3320 Transcontinental Blvd.