Mid-City’s newest culinary offering has quickly become a local favorite for Vietnamese food. Namese is a welcome addition to our ever expanding list of great fusion restaurants and plays a vital part of the revamp of Tulane Avenue.
Located on the corner of Tulane and Carrollton Avenues, Namese’s design has a contemporary flair with an outdoor dining area with such a courtyard feel you barely realize you are seated at a highly trafficked intersection. The interior is open and airy punctuated with bold colors but still retaining that cozy vibe.
Their menu takes authentic Vietnamese cuisine and adds their unique New Orleans twist. They have all the traditional dishes like Pho, Co’m and Bun and put their own creative signature to it. The appetizers have many dishes that blends both styles of cooking very well; some of my recommendations are the Namese Shrimp, and both the calamari dishes (either sautéed or fried). Both the Namese Shrimp and Calamari are lightly fried then sautéed with bell pepper, garlic and onions then finished with a slightly tangy sauce. Their Banh Mi sampler is a mouthwatering presentation of Vietnamese BBQ Shrimp, Lemongrass Marinated Steak and Asian Roaast BBQ Poak served on bruschetta.
The House Cured Ducky Cuban is their twist on the Cuban and contains braised duck, bacon with hoisin sauce and pickled vegetables. Any of their Pho or Co’m dishes are excellent choices. The combination or the seafood pho are hearty noodle soups bursting with flavor. All the co’m meals are served with Jasmine rice and pickled vegetables, and either the garlic or grilled shrimp are hits.
In addition to the outstanding fare, the service is stellar. I found the staff friendly, knowledgeable and quick; three great traits for servers. Namese is open Monday through Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. For more information or to review their menu, go to www.namese.net or call 504-483-8899. Namese is located at 4077 Tulane Avenue.