New Eats: Crosstown’s Bao Toan brings the Bao Bao Shrimp
The cha giò from Bao Toan in Crosstown Concourse are fried pork spring rolls with a setup of fresh basil, shiso, fish mint, cilantro, sliced pineapple, pickled carrots and daikon. (Joshua Carlucci/Special to The Daily Memphian)
Joshua Carlucci
Joshua Carlucci is a writer and food journalist from Los Banos, California. He holds a BA in English from the University of California, Berkeley, a culinary diploma from the Institute of Culinary Education, and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Memphis, where he was managing editor of Pinch. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Brussels Review, Redivider, Gravy, EatingWell, Southern Living, and elsewhere. He is a staff writer at Brooklyn-based food and beverage industry magazine, StarChefs.Find more of his work on his website, joshuacarlucci.com.
The moment you step into Bao Toan in Crosstown Concourse, you know you’re in for something different.
Bao Toan is not the usual Vietnamese pho and banh mi joint, and that’s by design. The team behind Mochi & Mi — Margaret Tong, her mother Karina Pham, and her sister Chloe Tong — wanted to do something sleeker, moodier, a place where Vietnamese cuisine could share a table with elegance. And they nailed the vibe.
The space is swanky. Bamboo lanterns hang overhead, casting a warm glow over a long, elegant bar. The walls are painted with murals of swaying flora; the lighting is dark and sepia-toned; and the whole thing feels like a scene setter for a great meal.
It’s the kind of place that builds anticipation while you wait in the lobby, the kind where you lean in a little closer to whoever you’re with. It’s date-night gold.
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