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New Orleans at night. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.
4 new international restaurants to try in New Orleans
August 25, 2021
The heat and deep-fried crunch of Creole and Cajun food have always been central to New Orleans culture. But there’s something new in the air. On Magazine Street, it’s bright mint and toasted sesame. In the Bywater, you can smell cilantro, tamarind and guava. From a Honduran café to a fusion ramen bar, these four restaurants have introduced a new world of flavor to “The Crescent City.”
Alma
Bywater residents started filling up sidewalk tables not long after Alma opened in 2020. Here, chef Melissa Araujo combines her grandmother’s recipes with fun, modern creations. Her Arco Iris pancakes have blueberry, lemon ricotta and a drizzle of Hoodoo syrup—a light maple syrup she reduces with Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur. They also serve more savory dishes, like house-made tortillas with refried beans, Wagyu steak, avocado and fried eggs. Whatever you try, we recommend having a tamarind or guava agua fresca with it.
Vals
This Latin street-food spot is on bustling Freret Street. Chef and partner Alfredo Nogueira, a NOLA native of Cuban descent, restored an old Conoco gas station with pink outdoor chairs and an AstroTurf lawn. Vals traditional elote is served with cold mayo, herbs and chili. But the green mole chicken tacos stands out with Nogueira’s “crazy hot” pickled red onions.
Saj
“I was born in the Middle East,” says Saj owner Sam Matar. “There, everything at the table revolves around our traditional saj flatbread. ”Here, you can enjoy that bread with all the classics—house-made hummus, creamy labna and excellent baba ghanoush. You can also try lesser-known staples like muhammara, a roasted red pepper dip with yogurt, walnuts, pomegranate syrup and Egyptian honey. Or the baked feta, which is finished with a sear from a crème brûlée torch.
Union Ramen
In 2018, Union Ramen owners Jeff Gapultos and Nhat Nguyen attended the Tokyo Ramen Show and came home to put their own spin on it. Instead of traditional pork-based broth, you’ll find chicken and miso broths here. There are even broth-free options, like the Slap-Ya-Kimchi mazeman—with blackened chicken, spinach, eggs, nori flakes and chewy noodles. “People have been really receptive to our take on Japan’s most comforting food,” Gapultos says.