Designated Diner: More than pho at Mo Pho

Lydia Straka, designated diner and NolaVie intern (photos by: Renee Peck)

Designated Diner: Lyda Straka

Day Job: Sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis, and an intern at NolaVie when this outing occurred

Restaurant: Mo Pho

Why she chose it: “There’s not a lot of Vietnamese food in St. Louis, so I’m trying to get into it while I’m home. I love the Vietnamese food in New Orleans.”

Why this part of southeast Asia? Vietnamese is lighter than Chinese or Thai, but still carries more flavor and substance than Japanese. “There’s a lot of complexity to it, and it hasn’t been as Americanized as other Asian cuisines yet.”

It’s MO: As its website says, “Southeast Asia by way of New Orleans.” Fusion cooking, using local ingredients, with dishes that are a little different. As the title says, it’s more than just pho.

What Lydia looks for in a restaurant: Really good food is a must. “I love places like this where every bite makes your mouth water. It can be any cuisine, heavy or light – it can be fried chicken – but I want a place where the food is so delicious that you have to come back.”

Start-up standouts: Plump, perfectly fried P&J crispy oysters benefit from a tangy mayo and pickled blue cheese treatment. Chicken wings also get the extra crispy handling, with the sweet overtones of Thai chili and a clever sprinkle of lemongrass.

Main events: The duck sandwich has an expected kick from the same spicy mayo, and an unexpected hint of sweetness from … bananas. An even richer dish is the eggplant stuffed with tasso, flavored with curry and laced with fat tempura-fried crab claws.

Pho sure: Yes, they do make pho here, and it’s a mix and match affair of broths and garnishes. Or head for the go-to pho; we opted for the veggie option, which features a nest of roasted eggplant noodles.

Local twists: This Monday’s red bean special was something of a deconstructed New Orleans iconic dish: The rice here becomes a rice cake, pork belly subs for sausage and the red beans are appropriately spicy. It takes comfort food to a new level.

Thirst quenchers: Mo Pho has an array of Boba teas, served up with the flair of cocktails but without the alcohol (unless desired). They pop with small pearls made with tapioca or mango. Stone and Spice, for example, is a blend of mango, passion fruit, peaches, ginger, and orange that starts off a bit tart and then bursts across your palette, while the purple-hued Wedding Cake, made with condensed milk, taro and amaretto syrup, is sweet enough to save (and savor) for dessert.

Sweet finale: The Assaulted Caramel Nocello (a walnut flavored liqueur) will rock your world. The homemade gingerbread with lemongrass ice cream has a bottom layer of miso malt that’s like an inverted frosting.

Ambiance: Urban and sleek but a little homey, with wood paneling, concrete floors, fabric overhead panels to cut the clatter and an outdoor patio with picnic tables. It’s tucked into a strip mall in City Park, but that doesn’t mar the environment here, where a minimalist design leaves the food to impress.

The bottom line: Mo Pho brings together New Orleans and Vietnam in creative, beautifully presented dishes that please the mind as well as the mouth. Chef Michael Gulotta takes the concept to more extreme levels at his new Warehouse District restaurant, Maypop.