Ambiance: on the nicer side Price: overpriced (1 pasta dish, 1 entree, 2 waters = $37) Parking: street parking only Food: odd menu, average tasting results Had dinner with a friend on a Thursday night. For a restaurant that says "Asian Fusion" I actually expected to see more Asian Fusion than what is listed on the menu. My friend and I had the summer rolls, which comes with two large rice paper rolls filled with fresh veggies that is cut in half (4 pieces) with a delicious peanut sauce. Then we split the red curry shrimp with angel hair pasta. We were charged $3 for "1 split in 2 plate" since they served us in two separate plates; I'm not sure if the up charge was because they gave us more food, but it's just something to note. The shrimp were very good, but had the tail on, which was awkward since we were eating angel hair pasta. Also of note is that you can order this dish with rice, which I think might taste better. The dish was good, and came with 6 shrimp each and a large amount noodles. The curry was spicy as a red curry should be, and I do like angel hair pasta so the combination wasn't bad... I just would've rather paid around $15 for it. For $24 for pasta I expect something other than noodles that taste like they came out of a box. Not to end the review on a bad note, I do like the ambiance of the restaurant if you're in the mood for a nice evening, and want to splurge on some of their seafood specials of the night. The water is served with lime instead of lemon, which I much prefer. Overall, I wouldn't just drop in here for a regular night, or for Asian food as you might be disappointed. If you want a nice night out, and you want to splurge on their specials, then this would be a good place for that. read more

Cafe Minh gets an A+ for creativity, but they can be inconsistent in their execution. The menu is definitely an exciting Vietnamese fusion, so do not expect your typical pho or bun dishes here. The beggar purses, Nicoise and tempura chicken salads, Shanghai soup, and bouillabaisse are all solid dishes. This is like intermediate Vietnamese food, as it is a nice introduction to the traditional flavors of the cuisine without being too intimidating (i.e. tendon in the soup, aggressive fish sauce, etc.). I have experienced good service, and the atmosphere is more pleasant than most Vietnamese restaurants. If you are comfortable paying more for atmosphere and presentation than flavor or you are with someone who is afraid to branch out with new cuisines, this is a good option. If you want an authentic Vietnamese experience, stick to NOLA East, the WBank, or some of the newcomers Uptown. read more

As soon as we walked in we had a cold reception from the male hostess. When we received our bill and takeout box, we politely told the man thank you and all he could say to us with a smart attitude was mmmhmmmmm.... He was prejudice against us being asian, go figure. He was pleasant and warm to the surrounding american customers. That was when we had decided to leave. read more

Up until last night, Cafe Minh was, for years, one of our favorite neighborhood haunts. Last night, we were told about the red snapper special with oysters (I love red snapper). So we ordered the red snapper special. Then we were told they were out of red snapper, but had drum instead. We withdrew our order. Then we were told that yes, as a matter of fact, they DID have red snapper. So again, we ordered the red snapper! We actually got drum. One of my least favorite fish. I pointed out that we really didn't receive the fish that we ordered. I even flipped my fish to show them the color (red snapper is completely white, this had a darkness, like, guess what? Drum.) We had eaten the oysters, and each had a bite of the fish. Management took off one of our drink orders and charged us $36 for drum(!) plus a $5 split charge. We did not ask them to split the fish. I suppose we should have made a scene but we didn't, and now are unlikely to go back. I just hate being lied to, especially as a regular customer. Cafe Minh will no longer be in our repertoire, and I will no longer recommend it to friends. For $41 you lost one of your biggest supporters. Shame on you. read more

Food was taking long time to come out. My friend and I who are teenagers were eating here. We feel like they didn't take us seriously. People who came after us in bigger groups got served before us. read more

I came here for lunch with my boss and we ordered of the lunch menu. We were immediately sat even though the dinning room was full. I order the fried eggplant and mozzarella sandwich with a side salad. The salad was delicious...I wish all salads were created equal. The sandwich was ok. I would not serve it with bread and maybe a more bold sauce. Wouldn't order the sandwich again. But, I do hope to eat dinner here one day, I heard it was great. read more

I had not been to Cafe Minh in a few years and went here for a work lunch today. 5 spice chicken breast under lunch specials is what I had. No spice involved, chicken was fried very hard (or rather, batter was very thick/crunchy with no flavor). It was lopped atop a small Asian slaw (shredded carrot & cuke or yicama tossed in vinegar) on a large hoagie bun. There is no way I could have picked this up to eat it, nor was it appetizing. And I am all about chomping on a big fat delicious po-boy, but this was sooo dry and huge. My friend got the special, an oyster caesar salad. The oysters themselves were superb. The dressing was flavorless. For apps we had crab/corn bisque and summer rolls. The corn was definitely canned corn. This wouldn't be a big deal except that $46 for 2 people for lunch (no alcohol) - you would expect fresh corn or frozen so it's plumper and not dark/deflated. The shrimp spring roll was okay. The young chick who was our server did not smile at all and my friend thought she hated us or her job - not sure. read more

Great duck! Great "purses" appetizer and the pork chop was excellent. 50% off wine on Mon - Wed and it was a great quiet experience. This means wine is priced normally so don't get too excited. Mid City gem and fancy at not too fancy prices except liquor.... read more

My girlfriend and I had dinner at Cafe Mihn this evening. Meh is about all the excitement I can muster for this place. The people were friendly enough, but seemed a tad snooty when they asked if we had a reservation. Reservation? There were 4 empty tables in view. Whatever. Feeling the bloated sag of my mid-30's, I opted for a salad (albeit with tempura shrimp). The food came out timely and looked good. Big, battered shrimp hovering around the leafy greens. My disappointment began with the first bite - wtf happened to the flavor? The dressing was bland, though on rare occasions I could detect hints of what might have been depth and tastiness. The shrimp was equally flavorless. The tempura batter was okay, but the heaviness of the oil needed to be offset with a bouquet of flavor. Leafy greens in oil wasn't enough, especially at $18. When I pay more for food, I expect more. This place was disappointing and I wont be going back. read more

Really good, inventive food choices here! We had Asian stuffed chicken wings for an appetizer that were amazing. I had scallops in miso butter that were done just right. My husband had the bouillabaisse and nearly licked his bowl at the end. The service is great, the vibe is a little upscale but relaxed which is perfect, and the food is on point. What else could you ask for? Last word of advice: Get the specialty dishes! read more

Wow! This place is wonderful. Excellent service. Excellent food! I had the summer roll (not fried). Excellent! (It got it with fish sauce in lieu of the peanut sauce.) The steamed beggar purses were delicious! Then I ordered the nutty crusted LA oyster appetizer. Exquisite and perfectly prepared. All three appetizers were excellent and immediately served. Good internet! As this is not traditional Vietnamese cooking, but a bit fusion, it is priced accordingly. Highly recommended. Will be back. read more

Great staff, lovely atmosphere, incredible food. Order anything, you can't go wrong.

This is the hub of midcity business because of it's great lunch crowd with business people from all over the community coming meet to discuss business and politics of the day. It's a good meeting spot for people coming from downtown, uptown, and also midcity of course. It's an Asian fusion spot that does everything well. Although the white table cloths and atmosphere is a little odd the food is excellent. They offer a range of Pho and Asian soups but also have great larger course specials and even entre size salads. It's a great place to meet and eat and I never have a bad meal there. read more

The braised pork shoulder is sinful here. It was so tender and well seasoned. My mom got the curry shrimp which she said was good but nothing spectacular. Overall our experience was a good one! read more

Ok I am officially an Asian fusion and Vietnamese enthusiast. I had the udon tofu soup and it was deeeeelicous. The friends I were with enjoyed the crab martini and laquered duck. i hear it's the best duck ever and from the looks of it it was finger licking good. The wait staff was attentive, funny, and enjoyable. I didn't catch our waiter's name, but when he spoke about the specials I felt as if he were narrating a crime novel. Fried Oysters. Stop. Oso Buco. Stop. You get the drift. It was great. He also ventured into some crazy mardi gras tourist stories and games he and his buddies play - what a hoot. The food was great - most def a fan. Oh and I almost forgot === mon to wed half price bottles of wine!!!! You can try that bottle that you've put off trying- they have a good wine list too! read more

I stopped in Cafe Minh because I saw a sign out front that said 25 cent martini lunch (no limit). I love cheap drinks! Lunch prices start around $8. I felt like Pho that day, but I saw a lot of good things on the menu. The Pho was good. The tables are close together (that I'm not into). I would definitely go back. read more

The food at this place is sooo GOOD. !!! There is something for everyone. I have eaten here numerous times and it has always been great. The grilled shrimp and /or fried shrimp and oysters they put on salads if u order them are excellent. Their Vietnamese soups are big and tasty. Lots of dishes on the menu to choose from . I'll be back over and over. read more

The exterior is plain, "corner store", and the interior is cozy, clean, and nicely decorated. The wait staff wears smart, pressed outfits, and the tables are fine, white linen. We ordered an appetizer of Crab & Corn Bisque, and our entrees were Scallops over Asian Egg Plant and Grilled Shrimp, with White Beans & Rice. Everything was superb. Expect to pay about $30.00 person, total, at a minimum. RJT read more

Had the seared tuna for lunch and it was good! However, I felt like there needed to be something more to balance the fishiness of the tuna. The presentation and the steamed green beans/cherry tomatoes with the balsamic vinegar sauce was good, but I felt like something was missing to balance the tuna. Was really expensive for what they gave me since I didn't think it was much better than the tuna they serve at Zea's. read more

I went here with family and the waitress that my table had was awful. I asked to order the honey glazed chicken from the menu and she did not let me order this item, after I insisted that I wanted the chicken she still did not let me order it. After 5 minutes of arguing I finally just let the rude woman write something down for me. This is the worst service that I have ever had and I was so shocked when she wouldn't let me order. read more

Wonderful consistently. Great piece of drum pan seared on bed of exquisite veggies and topped with fried oysters.

Very little French influence. Better Vietnamese on the West bank.

I had a lunch with my girlfriend in Cafe Minh last week. Eventhough I am a pizza guy,food was delicious. Prices are little more than I expected but still it was woth it. Only negative part was our waiter. He talked too much even i couldnot start my meal for 45 minutes. read more

Cafe MInh lunch was excellent. Vietnamese cuisine. My third trip for lunch, they are clean, quick and friendly. My friend and I split shrimp rolls and the salads were excellent. The Laquer duck was cooked perfectly and my buddy had the Drum served nicely. We ate all our veggies. They keep it simple on spices which is a good thing at lunch. A great place for a business lunch. read more

I went here for dinner tonight, and had a mixed experience. There were things I really liked, and then things that I didn't like. I ordered the spring rolls for my appetizer, and unfortunately, they were below average. I was expecting higher quality, especially for a nicer restaurant such as Cafe Minh. My entree was the beef pho. It was very good. The broth was very good, and the beef was good as well. For dessert, I split the banana creme brule. This was superb and I would recommend it to anyone. It was my favorite dish of the night. I had a couple issues with the wait-staff. First, I was the only one not ordering an alcoholic drink, but that doesn't mean I'm not ordering a regular drink! I had to ask the waiter myself for my non-alcoholic drink. A staff-member also took my bowl without asking me if I was finished. I had finished, but while there wasn't much in the bowl there was a little, so I felt the staff-member should have asked me if I was finished. Overall it was a fine experience with highs and lows. read more

My wife, daughter, son-in-law, and I (along with my grandson, Chi) had a great experience at Cafe Minh. The service was excellent. We had a ginger martini which was great. I had a special appetizer called a crab and watermelon martini. I'm still talking about it. Kudos chef on that. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire meal. At the end of the meal, chef sent out key lime pie and desert wine on the house. Thanks chef for a great meal and the hospitality from you and your wonderful staff. read more

The food here is amazing!!! Between the oysters, diver's scallop, and soft shell crab, you can't go wrong!!! The service was amazing and the owners are fantastic. They made sure all of our needs were met. This place is a local hidden gem! Do not miss it!!! read more

Cafe Minh - Asian Fusion Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Small, intimate, white tablecloth place with innovative creations based on Vietnamese cooking, beautifully presented.

I got a pork bahn mi sandwich and the summer rolls. The summer rolls we're good, but the bahn mi was subpar. Firstly, there was mayo on it and it was cheap mayo. Second, the pork and bread had the consistency of Chuck Taylor soles. Granted it was large, but it's quality not quantity. The staff was friendly, but it just wasn't tasty. read more

I would give no stars if I could. Between the bartender's bad attitude and the fact that they were out of everything, it was a dismal experience and we decided to get the check after the appetizer. This was a favorite restaurant of ours in the past, but we will not be back. read more

My five year old daughter and I just had a ladies lunch date at Cafe Minh. I enjoyed the company far more than I enjoyed the food and the service. Our waitress was very friendly and pleasant. Unfortunately she was equally as slow, especially considering the fact that most people are in somewhat of a hurry at lunch time. The coconust shrimp appetizer was decent but not special. I ordered Saigon Pho, which was just a fancy way to say beef pho. The pho would have been fine had it not been for the "beef". The texture, color and flavor of the beef made me question eating any form of meat again. My daughter tried a bit and said it reminded her of a mushroom. I wondered if it was some kind of vegetarian beef-like product made of tofu and sea-weed. My daughter had shrimp and corn soup which is difficult to mess up and was not bad, but again, nothing special. By far, my favorite part of lunch was the iced green tea with jasmine. That was a great drink for a hot day in New Orleans. I even ordered a second glass. read more

Best dishes, IMHO: Summer Roll, Ga Roti, and the Flounder Basket. I agree with the other poster who said that it's hard to get a bad meal here. The service has always been great, too! read more

I Amin the restaurant right now on News Years Eve leaving a review. Why, you ask, do I have time to leave a review while sitting in the restaurant. Well, I have been here since 8:15 with 8:30 reservations, seated at 8:45 and it is now 10:10 and the only reason we received our appetizer us because we were going to leave. No entree yet. The service staff is attentive but nothing else happening. Okay, just ate. Food is excellent. The waitress was delightful. Must be problems in the kitchen. read more