We haven’t been in New Orleans long, but we found the awesomeness that is Mister Mao pretty early in our tenure here. I came across it during one of my deep dives into the local restaurant scene, and I knew as soon as I saw the menu that it was something both my husband and I would love. We’re already four visits in — and every single time has been for brunch. Which is wild, because… we don’t really like brunch.
“Brunch is a horrible, cynical way of unloading leftovers and charging three times as much as you ordinarily charge for breakfast.”
— Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential
My husband has spent most of his adult life in the restaurant industry, and brunch doesn’t hold the fondest place in his heart. I share the sentiment by proximity — and because I basically treat Bourdain’s words as gospel. Having said that, I would eat brunch at Mister Mao everyday if I could, and every meal would include at least one order of the undeniably delicious San Francisco Garlic Noodles. This simply and superbly done dish is just egg noodles, butter, fish & oyster sauce, and parmesan, and they melt in your mouth.
We had the pleasure of brunching here again this past weekend, and it was delightful as always. First and foremost, the restaurant and vibes here are incredibly on point. Stunning and trendy, the space is truly beautiful. There are always good feels in this restaurant, and we’ve left in an exceptionally good mood every time we’ve visited.
A chef’s counter is in the main dining room, along with a captivating mural, and a charming blue dim sum cart that is pushed around to drop off delicious dishes dim-sum style. In addition to the garlic noodles, we’ve eaten our way through this menu and found some other favorites (though judging by that dim sum cart, I don’t think you can go wrong with anything on the menu here).
Say hello to the Gulf Shrimp Dumplings: Thai red curry, chile oil, micro herbs. These little pillows of flavor are a party in your mouth and their perfect texture is absolutely silky. This paired beautifully with my non-alcoholic Mai Thai — so convincing I had to double check that it wasn’t the real thing (it wasn’t).
The dumpling party continued with the Chinese Chicken and Rice Dumplings (swoon, y’all). These babies come with a sambal & tamari sauce for dipping and it makes for a truly perfect bite.
Next came the Kashmiri Chile Fried Chicken and I would wager that (while not traditional), this is some of the best fried chicken in the city. It’s crispy and moist, and the flavor is so on point. The pickled pineapple puts the dish in perfect balance, while the black salt lime cream underneath is absolutely addictive.
This brunch ended the way all things should: with Fairy Bread. (Raise your hand if you also love Cinnamon Toast Crunch!) Condensed milk, unicorn sprinkles, and this favorite childhood cereal come together in this crave-worthy concoction. I was barely able to get off a photo of this before we devoured it, even though we were already both quite full.
Every inch of this place is quirky and photo-worthy, including the bathrooms. Definitely worth a visit, and maybe even a selfie.
Mister Mao truly proves that brunch can be fabulous (and can definitely be more than just eggs)! If you’re an adventurous eater, or you just love noodles for breakfast, I can’t recommend this spot enough.
Mister Mao is open for brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 2pm. While we have gotten lucky just walking in every time, I would highly recommend making a reservation here (especially if you’re in a large party) as they have been very busy every time we’ve been. Thank you for taking this mouth-watering journey with me. I think even Anthony Bourdain would have loved this brunch.
Read about my other recent food adventures in New Orleans in my recent blogs:
- Luvi – I Love You! A Review of One of Uptown’s Most Unique Dining Spots
- Vincent’s Italian Cuisine: A Review and a Return to Food Writing
Follow me on Instagram at @StephForrer and Twitter at @StephForrer.
Cheers,
Steph
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