A Noodle is a Noodle
Austin Italian restaurant launches Asian pop-up inspired by customers
Summer at L'Oca d'Oro is all about staying cool, whether the inspiration is Sicily or Vietnam.
As Austin's longest-dominant upscale Italian restaurant, L'Oca d'Oro surely has plenty of regular customers. But longtime customers Tom and Cathy Pham have an outsized impact on the business this summer as the restaurant embraces Southeast Asian flavors in their honor. The Vietnamese and Thai-inspired menu is available now through August 2.
A press release explains that executive chef Jess Simpkin loves Southeast Asian cooking and talked to the Phams about their culinary experiences to create this menu. It highlights similarities between those tropical cuisines and those of Southern Italy and Sicily: fermentation, strong fresh herbs, bold umami flavors, and foods that help cool eaters when it's hot outside.
The à la carte menu is divided up between starters and small plates, mains, and two desserts: Vietnamese coffee tiramisu and mango sticky rice pudding. The influences from each region are immediately evident in dishes like grilled eggplant with acqua pazza (poached white fish), Thai basil sesame, and pickled peppers; five spice guanciale made with meat from Peaceful Pork, a Texas open range family farm; and tagliatelle larb with mushrooms, vegan fish sauce, lime, herbs, and chilies.
Other dishes could go either way, depending on the execution: grilled green beans with mushroom caramel, chilies, and cherry tomatoes; shrimp toast and whole poached shrimp; and chicken liver mousse with an in-house baguette. More still feel entirely Asian, like bún chả with grilled wild boar patties, vermicelli, lettuce, and banh mi pickles.
Guests will have something new to try continually throughout the pop-up, as the menu will rotate weekly. Beverage director Eva Suter is developing seasonal cocktails to pair with the menu. Reservations are available at locadoroaustin.com.
