Who Nū ?

HôiAnese Fusión Café – Nū Eatery

Down an alley that if you blink you’ll miss (look out for the coconut shrunken heads stall!),

opposite the 50s retro Vietnam Sustainable Space (self-help slogans and an old sewing machine in the window) you’ll find the delightful Nū Eatery.

It is so hip now that locals eschew it (thankfully since it fills up quickly at lunch and you are advised to book at dinner). As usual we raise the mean age by a few decades. Beautiful doll-like waitresses, again with the sparkling shy smiles usher us to our seats.

We want to try everything on the menu, but (first time) settle for Com and the Bahn Mi and (second time) the Com again (it is that good) and the signature roasted Pineapple Salad.

The simply-described Com is, in fact lightly cooked moist sesame chicken with a sesame sauce, on a bed of sticky rice cooked in coconut milk. There’s a serving of thinly sliced coleslaw dressed in a light chilli-curry-ginger mayonnaise with caramelized bok choy, beans, topped with a green and ripe mango salad. Standout.

The Bahn Mi is on a sweet brioche bun (of course), slow-cooked Char Sieu shredded pork, caramelized onions, the same coleslaw, pickled morning glory – everything very moist, since the brioche absorbs all the juices it almost falls to pieces in your hand.

The Pineapple Salad was caramelized Pineapple pieces with watermelon, pomelo and julienned capsicum, what tasted like lemon balm, basil, with a passionfruit (no seeds) lime, orange juice and black pepper sauce and pickled shallots topped with roasted coconut flakes. Transcendent!

 

 

Nū Eatery 10A Durong Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Hôi An