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| Tango Foxtrot at Mandala |
Mandala Kitchen & Bar is a modern Vietnamese and Thai approachable fine-dining restaurant that opened their doors just in time for SXSW. They are located in Lamar Union where Soto, Lick Ice Cream, Caffé Medici, Juice Society and the Alamo Draft House Lamar reside. Head Chef, Kieu Pham conceptualized and planned the restaurant over the past few years with partner Dang Tran. Pham made her love for cooking into a passion and career. Pham\’s inspiration comes from her mother\’s cooking and by combining recipes from her family with her own twist and flair. It was such a treat to meet Chef Kieu Pham and hear a bit of her story and insight on the menu.
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| Mandala Patio |
The space is open and beautiful with a vibrant welcoming patio while the dining room has cooler blue & silver tones. The dining room seating consists large booths, 4 tops that can easily be made into seating for 8-12, and a wrap around bar that extends to patio bar seating.
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| Tango Foxtrot at Mandala |
They are a full bar and a bar menu is still in the works. We enjoyed some excellent wines and the refreshing Tango Foxtrot cocktail made of ghost pepper tequila and passion fruit.
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| Mandala Surf Clam Ceviche |
Mandala\’s Surf Clam Ceviche in a brightly flavored lime juice, house special sauce, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, lemongrass, red onion and cilantro.
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| Mini Rice Pancakes at Mandala |
Our table of four were in pure bliss after our first bite of the Mini Rice Pancakes! This heavenly dish has 7 savory cakes made from turmeric powder, ground pork, shrimp, whole mung-bean, drizzled with coconut sauce & house special sauce.
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| Crispy Rice Pie at Manadala |
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| Crispy Rice Pie at Mandala |
The Crispy Rice Pie at Mandala Kitchen & Bar is true comfort food. It has a crispy rice crust, egg, honey green onions, topped with shredded shrimp and pork and finished with a drizzle of white truffle oil.
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| Mama Phuong\’s Egg Rolls at Mandala |
Mama Phuong\’s Egg Rolls were good but even better when wrapped in lettuce & fresh mint. The crispy egg rolls are cut into bite size portions and are made with savory pork, shrimp, taro root, onion and carrot served with lettuce, mint & house special sauce.
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| Vietnamese Crawfish at Mandala |
The entrees consist of curry, noodle & rice dishes (with protein options) and house specialties like Black Mussels Curry & Lemongrass steak. Tis the season so we decided to order the Mandala Crawfish. The generous 2 lbs serving of lobster red crawfish were a hit. The crawfish are cooked with Viet-Cajun seasoning, served with corn, tender red potatoes, sausage, mushrooms and shaken with their house Cajun butter. The sauce is delightfully spicy and on the salty side (I like salt so two thumbs up here).
I look forward to dining in again soon. I definitely want to try Chef\’s Basil Fried Rice, Black Mussels Curry and Mango Sticky Rice.
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| Behind the scenes |
Thanks for always making the best ladies night dinner partners lindaeatsworld, foodieisthenewforty, Shelly Lucas and Julie Pham!
Address:
1100 South Lamar Blvd
Ste 1125
Austin, TX 78704
Phone Number:
(512) 386-1038
Hours:
Monday-Tuesday: 5pm-10pm
Wednesday-Thursday: 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm
Friday: 11am-3pm, 5pm-11pm
Saturday: 11am-11pm
Sunday:11am-10pm
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Gorgeous photos, as always, Amy! It was such a treat to experience this spot with you & the rest of our girls!
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Thank you!
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