Peek Inside Namese, a Stunning Transformation on Tulane

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• Deck-seating features umbrellas and outdoor heaters.
• Owner Hieu Doan.

It's hard to believe that Namese, the modern Vietnamese restaurant that just opened on Carrollton and Tulane, used to be the location of, as Ian McNulty calls it this week, a rather "unremarkable" corner store. Turns out, the store was owned by Cu Doan and Soi Tran, a couple who emigrated here from Vietnam in 1975. Their son and NOLA native, Hieu Doan, is the mastermind behind the amazing transformation from family-run store into family-approved facelift.

McNulty points out that Namese's on-trend cuisine (they have banh mi bruschetta, and soon-to-be coveted sriracha on every table) and revamp reflect "the changing fortunes for its neighborhood," also known as Mid City, baby, what what. As for the transformation:
To become Namese, the old store was given a thorough overhaul, with stylish tiling and light fixtures inside, a small bar serving Asian-flavored cocktails and a new deck out front. The look and feel is as modern as the food, and it makes a high profile statement of reinvestment right at the top of Tulane Avenue. Also of note... Heiu Doan's mama makes the pho because 'it's her thing.' The restaurant does have a brief cocktail list, wine and beer, and they're planning to do "a breakfast menu with a Vietnamese reworking of morning dishes" sometime soon. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Jump on it.

· What's Cooking: Pho and changing fortunes for Tulane Avenue [Advocate]
· All Eater Insides [-ENOLA-]