Feb. 10, 2016 By Michael Florio
A new Vietnamese restaurant will open its doors on Friday.
District Mot, located at 37-15 Broadway, will open serving authentic Vietnamese cuisine with a modern American twist, according to owner Michael Lien.
The restaurant will serve a pho dishes, which are Vietnamese noodle soups with broth. Pho varieties include wood and herb smoked brisket and free range chicken.
Meat dishes will include pork chops, braised short ribs and chicken curry. District Mot will also serve seafood items such as crispy catfish and caramelized shrimp and “street snacks” such as spring rolls, rice paper tacos, chicken wings with taro fries and vegetable summer rolls.
Vegetarian eats will include lemongrass tofu, Japanese eggplant, crispy tofu, smoky spicy eggplant and salads.
Lien’s father, Lam Lien, who grew up in Vietnam, will be the chef. Together, the father and son pair built the menu.
“He has a background with authentic Vietnamese food and I bring the modern twist,” Lien said.
Lien had originally hoped to open around Christmas, but was delayed trying to obtain the final permits he needed.
“We have been ready to go and are excited to open,” he said.
The restaurant, which can seat around 50 people, will include a bar up front, a street-themed space with graffiti art, street signs and décor to recall Vietnamese street markets, as well as long, wood slab tables and couches to accommodate bigger parties.
Lien, who is from Fresh Meadows, decided to open in Astoria after identifying a need for a Vietnamese restaurant.
“I want to offer the cuisine [that I] feel that no one else in the neighborhood is offering,” he said.
Lien said he often hung out in Astoria when he was younger and has always felt a connection to the neighborhood. He has wanted to open his own restaurant for some time now.
“Now just felt like the right time to do so,” he said.
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3 Comments
Pleasepleasepleaseplease make a vegan Pho. Thank you.
That’s impossible. You wouldn’t get the same pho taste without the beef broth, which means it wouldn’t be pho anymore.
Vietnamese no good..Chinese better