Viet-Noms? Pho Sure!

For lunch today, my much-calmer-and-more-put-together friend Jonathan and I set our for a strange but wonderful New Orleans adventure. We headed out to the lesser-known far corner of New Orleans - New Orleans East. This little swamp made into suburbia is a unique, if not completely confusing part of the Crescent City. I asked my friend Jonathan to take me there, mostly because he is Asian (and of course I love him and think he's great) and we were headed to "Little Vietnam."  And honestly I was intimidated to go to Little Vietnam without an Asian ... even though Jonathan is technically a Filipino, I don't think anyone noticed.

Note the Guy in the Raiden-Hat.

We went to the Dong Phoung Oriental Bakery for an early lunch, and let me tell you, it's freakin' awesome. Except, and sorry to all the tapioca-ball-eating weirdos out there, Boba tea - I just think eating my drink is a little weird, unless it's a jello shot. I ordered the appetizer, Banh Xeo, basically an egg-heavy crepe filled with pork fat, shrimp, bean sprouts and green onions. And then came the GALLON of Pho  that I ordered (Note: hyerbolic language being used). I ordered the Pho Tai Nam, mostly because it sort of sounded like Vietnam, and in my misguided and semi-ridiculous approach to life I thought that meant authenticity. Anyway, it was so good, and I'm actually glad that I have the other half-gallon in the fridge. Be jealous, be very jealous, or just go there and get some for yourself, one or the other.

 Being that this is New Orleans and we love eating more than we should I then went into the bakery side of the Dong Phuong Bakery and Restaraunt and bought meat pies and Banh mi, a Vietnames po-boy of sorts. There was some 15 different kinds of Banh mi, and I decided (again for the sake of authenticity) to get the Viet-sausage. Though I don't think that sausage is a Vietnamese word. Again, it was all so good, and the Bahn mi is only $3.25 for a whole freakin' sandwich, a steal of a deal.

So if you're looking for an adventure, and you happen to have an Asian with you, I would suggest going to New Orleans East and Viet-Nom-Noming through a whole array of random and delicious foods.

Yeah You Right, Joe.