Walking into Mister Mao, the newest addition to Uptown’s dining scene at 4501 Tchoupitoulas Street, you feel as if you’re in another world. The first thing you notice upon entering is a gorgeous mural by artist Margie Tillman Ayers that takes up an entire wall. The picture of two tigers makes you feel as if you’re about to go on an exotic culinary adventure.
Open since July, Mister Mao is owned by chef Sophina Uong and her husband and business partner William “Wildcat” Greenwell. It’s located in the building that was once home to the popular restaurant Dick & Jenny’s. Uong’s menu is a mix of Indian, Mexican, and Southeast Asian cuisines, and it doesn’t shy away from spice.
“We are serving food that we’ve grown to love,” she said.
Uong takes inspiration from her own culture. She left Cambodia with her family as a toddler and settled in California. She grew up in the kitchens of family and friends learning firsthand how to cook everything from pot roast to tortillas and stewed Mexican guisados. She went on to work in such Bay Area kitchens as Waterbar, Revival Bar + Kitchen, Calavera, and Absinthe Brasserie, and in 2016 she was named Grill Master Napa Champion on Food Network’s Chopped. She managed Andrew Zimmern’s Lucky Cricket restaurant in Minneapolis before finding herself in New Orleans.
Although Uptown wasn’t the first place Uong considered when opening her restaurant, she’s happy to bring something a little different to the neighborhood and offer her own twist on what New Orleans food can be.
“We want to offer good food at a good price point, and we wanted a fun place for our friends,” she said.
The food at Mister Mao is eclectic, made with 80 percent fresh, local ingredients that change with the seasons. Uong’s kitchen is a teaching kitchen, and her cooks have input on the menu. Mister Mao is a part of the MINO (Made in New Orleans) Foundation which envisions a New Orleans hospitality industry that leads the world in growing, supporting, and financing the success of BIPOC-owned businesses (Black, Indigenous, People of color).
The menu is divided into different sections, depending on what you’re in the mood for and how much you want to eat. The “Drinking Snacks” section of the menu includes Pineapple Hawaiian Bread with grilled eggplant caviar, baharat (a middle-east spice blend) and saba (a syrupy condiment from Italy made from reduced unfermented grape juice); Yucatecan Sikil Pak pumpkin seed dip with habanero, Mexican and Indian wheat crackers, and crudité. Other “Food We Love to Share” is Escargot Wellington with preserved lemon cream, horseradish, and powder of stems and pork chorizo maque choux with cumin, corn, onion, and Jalapeño cream.
A crowd favorite is the Pani Puri. Made with chickpea and potato masala, pickled blueberry, and fiery mint water, it’s unlike anything else served in New Orleans. On my visit I enjoyed the yellowfin tuna made with turmeric green beans, fenugreek, pickled chard, Fresno chili and grape relish. This unique dish was unlike anything I have ever had. The tuna was cooked perfectly and the chili added a nice kick of spice without overwhelming the flavors of the tuna and the greens.
Again, don’t get too comfortable with anything on the menu here—it all changes regularly and Uong likes to keep things interesting.
Mister Mao also offers roving carts, which are temporarily on hold due to the pandemic. Don’t call it dim sum, these carts offer a selection of street foods such as gunpowder dumplings, pierogi style, with coconut, urad dal, and arbol chile; gluten-free crispy fluke with Kashmiri chile oil; and Backwater duck confit served dragon lady-style with cucumber and Kashmiri chile oil. The team hopes to have the carts rolling again in November.
Pastry Chef Sarah Cotton has brought her skills to such restaurants as Restaurant August and Shaya and is bringing her magic to Mister Mao with three delicious selections. A dark chocolate tart is made with black garlic, malty peanut brittle, coconut cream, and candied cocoa nibs; falooda is made with Mountain View Orchard peach sherbet, vermicelli, basil seeds, and jellies, and orange blossom milk; and lotus blossom cookies are crispy coconut, sesame seed, and activated charcoal cookies. I was able to sample the lotus blossom cookies and I loved the uniqueness of not only their flavor, but their presentation as a delicate lattice.
If you’re in the mood for a cocktail, Mister Mao’s bar has you covered. Co-owner William “Wildcat” Greenwell’s bar, Naked Bill, is a cozy and casual spot where you can enjoy drinks that lean more on the tropical side, such as Uncle Butthead (made with mezcal, ciacaro, lime, and cane sugar) and Man Hands (gin, almond, lemon and rose water). There’s also a tiki-inspired drink that I really enjoyed called John Secret Dragon Lady, made with Malort, Benedictine, velvet falernum, orange, and saline—it will keep your party going with its island flavors.
Whether you’re in the mood for a menu that is one of the most unique in New Orleans, or cocktails that will get your evening started on the right foot, Mister Mao should be on your list of places to visit this fall.
Mister Mao, 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., [email protected]
Hours: Thursday through Saturday 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.; Sunday and Monday, 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
