Chill Out Cafe
729 Burdette St, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
Uptown 4: Riverbend, Carrollton & Broadmoor
Backstory
Paul and Bo Chen opened the Chill Out Cafe in 2008.
Dining Room
It's a small but attractive restaurant in a converted cottage with a wrap-around porch with a few more tables. Many windows give a bright outlook--just what you want in the morning. The staff is eager to please but slowed down a little by minor language issues.
Why It's Essential
Two disparate restaurants in one. Chill Out Cafe is a standard American breakfast diner in the early part of its schedule, but evolves into a Thai bistro later. The name and the premises seem more about the diner stuff, but in fact it's the Thai food that's more worth coming for. The owners and staff are cheerful and welcoming.
Why It's Good
Breakfast is served all day. The only thing Asian about it is the presence of crab stick in the seafood omelettes. It's cute, and I can see how someone in the neighborhood (which includes the nearby universities) could adopt Chill Out as a regular morning hangout. The Thai food--which shares the menu with some items from China and Vietnam--is more interesting, but doesn't depart from the basics of the cuisines involved.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Breakfast</strong></em><br /> Omelettes: crawfish, onions, bell pepper, tomato, shrimp, crabstick, ham, mushrooms, cheddar cheese<br /> Steak & eggs<br /> Bacon, sausage or ham, eggs, toast, grits<br /> Croissant sandwich, eggs, cheese, choice of ham, bacon or sausage<br /> Waffles: strawberry, pecan, coconut, plain<br /> Pancakes: strawberry, plain <br /> Fruit plate: honeydew, strawberry, apple, pineapple, cantaloupe<br /> Chicken tenders, French fries<br /> <em><strong>Soups</strong></em><br /> Gumbo, sausage and chicken<br /> Tom yum goong (Thai spicy & sour soup, tomato, basil, mushrooms, lemongrass)<br /> »Tom yum goong with scallops, shrimp, squid, mussels, or with chicken<br /> »Chicken artichoke soup<br /> Wonton soup with vegetables<br /> <em><strong>Salads</strong></em><br /> »Thai seafood salad: shrimp, squid, mussels, onions, cilantro, spicy lime sauce<br /> »Thai beef salad<br /> House salad (lettuce, cherry tomato, cucumber, onion) with BBQ salmon, chicken, or shrimp<br /> »Seaweed Salad<br /> Squid Salad<br /> <em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> Edamame<br /> BBQ Ribs<br /> »Shrimp toast<br /> Fried calamari<br /> Soft-shell crab<br /> »Thai fried spring roll (pork, carrot, green bean noodle, wood ear mushroom)<br /> Fresh spring roll, tofu, carrot, cilantro, cucumber, spring mix, green beans, noodles<br /> »Fresh spring roll, chicken, pork or shrimp<br /> »Shumai (steamed chicken-shrimp dumpling)<br /> Shrimp wrapped with bacon<br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> »Rice with salmon, oyster sauce<br /> »Spicy fried rice, bamboo shoots, bell pepper, onion, basil<br /> Spicy fried rice, scallops, crawfish, squid, shrimp<br /> Spicy fried rice, chicken or beef<br /> Thai fried rice, chicken, beef, shrimp, onion, egg<br /> »Chicken Roti: vegetables, chicken, sweet chili sauce<br /> Pecan Chicken<br /> Shrimp with garlic sauce, steamed broccoli<br /> Crispy tilapia, shrimp, basil<br /> »Beef with oyster sauce<br /> Thai spicy basil stir-fry, onion, bell pepper, bamboo shoot<br /> Above with scallop, crawfish, squid, shrimp<br /> »Above with chicken or beef<br /> »Thai ginger stir-fry, onion, bell pepper, bamboo shoots, with choice of seafood or chicken or beef<br /> Thai red curry, with choice of seafood, chicken or beef<br /> Noodles stir fried with choice of vegetables, seafood (scallop, shrimp, crawfish, squid) or chicken or beef<br /> Lo mein with cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, broccoli, onion<br /> »Pad Thai: Bean sprout, onion, carrot, rice noodle and peanut <br /> Pad Woon Sen: Green beans, noodle, egg, cabbage, onion, bell pepper<br /> Pad See Ewe: Wide flat rice noodle, broccoli, carrot, onion<br /> »Pad Kee Mao: Wide flat rice noodle, spicy basil, bamboo shoot, vegetable<br /> Yaki Udon: Japanese wide noodle, cabbage, egg<br /> Curry noodle<br /> <em><strong>Dessert</strong></em><br /> »Thai sticky rice, coconut sauce, mango<br /> Cheesecake tempura<br /> »Banana spring roll, ice cream, banana, cream cheese, coconut
Deficiencies
The Thai dishes always register as having been cooked and stirred a little too much, taking some of the freshness away. They're a little too shy about the use of hot peppers.
For Best Results
Best bets: soups, noodles, and soups with noodles. Dumplings and similar dim-sum dishes are a house specialty. If you have a favorite Thai dish that's not on the menu, explain it and they'll probably cook it for you.
Bonus Ratings
2
Attitude
1
Environment
1
Hipness
1
Local Color
1
Service
2
Value