Cafe Minh MID-CITY ¤ 4139 Canal click for map ¤ 504-482-6266 Vietnamese-Creole Fusion. ¤ Casual. Lunch Tues.-Sat. ¤ Dinner Tues.-Sat. ¤ AE DC DS MC V

Cafe Minh takes those who haven't been there by surprise. In what had been old Mid-City neighborhood restaurant is a bright, sparking space designed with modern Asian themes. Panels of translucent panes allow light to move through and serve to block the wind when the front door opens. Tables are set beautifully, and the staff is omnipresent. Chef-owner Minh Bui is a brilliant chef in a number of ways, but his great talent is his deep understanding both of Vietnamese and Creole flavors. He sees how the two can be combined, using New Orleans ingredients. Fusion dishes are always a little risky, but here they always work perfectly. Beyond that, the chef works at the gourmet level in terms of his raw materials, techniques, and presentations. This is always exciting food. Menu Updated January 2009. Soup & Appetizers Crabmeat & Sweet Corn Soup 6 Mixed Green Salad  - Choice of Lemon Grass Vinaigrette, Basil and Cilantro 5 Baby Spinach Salad - Tossed with shallot-mustard vinaigrette, sprinkled with cranbenies, toasted almond and feta cheese 8 Cornmeal Crusted Calamari - With sweet chili sauce 8 Summer Roll - Rice paper wrapped shrimp avocado, cucumber, cilantro, rice noodles, and  peanut citrus dipping sauce 6.5 Spring Roll - Filled with minced chicken and served with citrus sauce 6 Trio Meat Satay - Grilled chicken tender, beef, and pork on a skewer and served with spicy hoisin dipping sauce 6 Nut Crusted Shrimp - Served with English cucumber slaw and spicy sesame dipping sauce 7 Shrimp Dumpling 6.5 Beggar's Purse - Filled with shrimp and pork and served with spicy soy sauce 6 Coconut Shrimp - Fried golden brown and served with spicy sweet chili sauce 8 Crab Cake -Resting atop crispy fried wonton and wasabi remoulade 7.5 Diver Jumbo Scallops - Seared scallops with grilled Japanese eggplant, drizzled with sweet chili-soy sauce 12 Crispy Nutty Oysters - Resting atop sweet onion confit and sweret chili sauce 9.5 Entree Salads Grilled Shrimp - On top of baby lettuce, rice noodle, fresh herbs, roasted peanut and citrus sauce 16 Crispy Tempura Shrimp - Resting on top of mixed green salad and tossed with Basil-cilantro vinaigrette 16 Grilled or Tempura Chicken - On top of baby lettuce, rice noodle, fresh herbs, roasted peanut and citrus sauce 14 Homemade Cornmeal Crusted Gulf Shrimp or Oyster Caesar - Served with crisp romaine lettuce and shredded Parmesan cheese 16 Blackened Jumbo Scallops - Served atop field greens, orange segments and tossed with triple sesame vinaigrette 18 Yellow Fin Tuna Nicoise - Pan seared tuna steak with haricot vert, cherry tomatoes, hard- boiled egg and drizzled with soy-balsamic vinaigrette 19 Autumn Salad of Asian Pears - With baby lettuce, Asian pears, Stilton cheese, walnut candy and drizzled with walnut vinaigrette 14 Entrees Ga Roti - Seared marinated cubes of chicken, choice of steamed vegetables or mixed baby greens, sticky and jasmine rice 17 Lacquered Duck - Half a smoked five-spice duck served with mung bean sticky rice, and natural au jus 17 Oven Roasted Asian-Marinated Pork Tenderloin - Served with sweet potatoes ginger puree and laced with tamarind sauce 19 Braised Asian Short Ribs - With vegetables and roasted garlic mashed potatoes 25 Grilled Rib-Eye of Beef - With garlic mashed potato, steamed asparagus, red wine demi 25 Oven Roasted Rack of Lamb - With artichoke au gratin, garnished onion rings and plum demi sauce 27 Red Curry Shrimp - Sauteed shrimp with spicy red curry sauce over angel hair pasta 19 Seafood Pasta - Sautéed shrimp, scallops, crawfish and sweet peppers tossed with white wheat noodles 19 Minh's Bouillabaisse - Poached mussels, shrimp, scallops and fish with angel pasta in a light seafood saffron broth 20 Chef Soup - Shrimp, scallops, roasted pork, wonton, vegetables, and fresh egg noodles 17 Shanghai Soup - Roasted pork, wonton, vegetables, and fresh egg noodles 15 Spicy Beef Udon Soup - Sautéed beef tender, and vegetables 15 Veggies Soup - Fresh vegetables, mushroom, tofu, Udon noodle in a ginger soy broth 12 Stir Fry Tofu - With fresh seasonal vegetables in a light soy sauce and served jasmine rice 14 Tofu Roti - Pan seared fresh tofu in roti sauce, steamed seasonal veggies and jasmine rice 14