We thought the whole “cell phone” thing was merely a passing craze. “Fad,” we said. “Can’t last.”
To be honest, we had much the same opinion of DD Mau, the “fast Vietnamese” eatery in Maryland Heights, that opened a year ago.
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We visited, more than once. Thought the food was excellent. We even wrote about it.
Owner Julie Truong’s idea of fast and easy Vietnamese fare was inspired, we thought. There are so many legitimate complaints about the narrow slice of food options you can take out or stop in for in a quick and informal setting. There are times when a burger doesn’t sound nearly as inviting as a freshly wrapped banh mi sandwich, when a steamy bowl of pho satisfies in a way you just can’t get with a taco salad.
But getting people to make that kind of change in their lunch or informal dining habits? Challenging.
A year later, DD Mau proved us wrong. Not only are they successful, they’re using the anniversary to expand their menu.
An interesting feature of DD Mau was how they often combine elements of Northern and Southern Vietnamese cuisine. Much of their menu features sauces and dips with lots of garlic, chopped shallots; the flavors are big, bright, loaded with tastes typical of the south. But the broth of the pho there, for example, perfectly limpid and clear, light, delicate: pure northern Vietnamese stuff. The newest additions here reflect that same sort of balancing act.
Banh tom, for instance, comes from Hanoi, up north, where shrimp from a nearby lake are deep-fried along with slivers of sweet potato. DD Mau’s version is delectable. The shrimp are tiny curls of almost sugary delicacy, the sweet potato matchsticks tender, with just enough texture to make them tasty, like crispy French fries. The traditional dip, nuoc mam cham, with sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce, has a slight bite of garlic and chilies that lend another dimension. (Ask for a side of lettuce: banh tom is best enjoyed wrapped in a leaf.)
La Bonne Bouchée. Expected; that French bakery turns out the perfect, airy crusty baguettes that define the sandwich. The difference is in what goes inside. Truong is experimenting by adding a local element to her version. She went to Piekutowski’s Sausage for their boiled ham. And their liver spread. It’s surprising how much these add to the banh mi, along with the pork roll and fresh vegetables.
Suon nuong is usually made from a bone-in pork chop. Here, they’ve added the dish but with a twist: it’s thin sliced pork cutlets, marinated, then char-grilled. The pork is tender enough to cut easily with the plastic fork; they’re accompanied with a scoop of rice, topped with a fried egg, and with sides of pickled daikon and carrot, cucumbers, shredded red cabbage, and cilantro. It’s a big, big meal and the cutlets’ thin cut allow for a faster grilling time than thicker chops, so the meat stays juicy.
There’s some debate over the proper marinade for this pork dish. The usually-indispensable fish sauce, some insist, lends a sour taste when the meat’s grilled. They prefer a light Chinese soy sauce. We thought we detected the latter in DD Mau’s suon nuong. Whatever it is, if you’re familiar with Korean kalbi ribs, this is one dish to try.
A couple of meatless options have also been added to the restaurant’s offerings. Bowls, loaded with rice, fresh vegetables, and an ersatz version of chicken and beef (both pictured above) that looks like jerky and tastes like what it is. If, for some reason, you want chicken and beef without it being chicken and beef, this is as good a simulacrum as you’re going to get (both are, in fact, soy/gluten products). The “chicken” is nicely spiked with five-spice powder. The helpings are generous, a big serving of long-grain rice covered with mounds of the fresh cabbage, that pickled daikon-carrot do chua that enlivens the banh mi, and enough other vegetables to make you feel healthy just looking at them.
A couple of desserts are being introduced this month. A mildly sweet coconut milk pudding is named after Cyndi Lauper’s 80s pop hit “She Bop” (We jest, but remember fondly the cheeky video.) Fresh corn and sesame seeds, along with tapioca pearls seem a strange dessert combination but che bap is a Vietnamese classic and warm (as it arrives here) or cold, it’s a light, refreshing way to end a meal.
The other dessert is a very worthwhile take on rau cau, a lightly opaque “jelly” made of agar-agar instead of gelatin with a texture like firm Jell-O and a fragrant sweetness. Usually rau cau is topped lavishly: chocolate syrup, fruit. Here is sits on a circle of firm coconut juice and it’s fun to eat, simple and seductively enjoyable.
All during February, to celebrate both the lunar New Year (February 5) and DD Mau’s first anniversary, they’re offering a variety of weekly specials. Check their Facebook for details.
So yeah, one year and they’re not only still in business, they’re doing well and expanding their menu. We were wrong. We still, however, haven’t changed our opinion on the cell phone thing. Just a passing fad.
