Photograph by Katherine Bish
Just as intriguing as the recent influx of Nepalese, Peruvian and East African cuisines into St. Louis is the emergence of crossover cuisines such as Korean barbecue and French-Vietnamese (a trend that’s mysteriously passed us by). The latest on the scene is KoKo, where “pan-Latin meets Creole.” Geographically, the merger seems logical; it gets off to a great start with zydeco fries, a perfect rendition of fried polenta that begs to be shared (although the green-tomato ketchup that comes with it probably won’t be). The cultural pairing continues with curry-coconut mussels, Caribbean stews (served table-side from steaming cast-iron pots) and a weekend brunch during which a Benedict menu gets jiggy with a Bloody Mary bar. Not to be overlooked are several versions of a hometown favorite, thin-crust pizza. The décor—ginger and cocoa-browns, married by muted light and reminiscent of that teeny little place on St. John—adds to the flavor, and the central location that’s best described as “two minutes from Ted Drewes, in a South Side neighborhood dotted with Pabst sandwich boards” offers little excuse not to swing by once.
3257 Ivanhoe, 314-647-3322. Hours: 5–9:30 p.m. Tue–Thu & Sun, 5–10:30 p.m. Fri & Sat; brunch Sat & Sun.
