Pomelo | Thai Boutique Restaurant — Restaurant in New Orleans

This is a lovely little starter place for a new restaurant. They strive harder than most non-domestic restaurants to provide authentic cuisine and nail it, so far as I can tell. For those used to casual dining in a U.S. setting, you may find the number of options wanting; however, I find that I would rather go to a place that had fewer options and can execute them well. That describes Pomelo. Both dishes that I tried-- the Chicken Massaman and the Pok Pok Noodle--were well-spiced and were generous portions of food for the price. At three booth-chair hybrid (seats four) and three intimate table setting (seats two) options, the size is humble. This size leads to the only criticism I could offer--the amount of acoustics are too high. A four-person group cam in and was very loud, leading to a much louder than usual experience. I suspect that the minimal décor might contribute to the volume, and as they add some objects the sound might be less likely to bounce. I would also like to see yam sam-o added to the menu, as I understand that this salad is the name sake for their restaurant--Pomelo. Our server was the husband of the female proprietor, a distinguished Loyola Professor. Both of them are very kind and helpful, with stories for each of the menu items.

Generally being pretty hesitant with my 5-star reviews, I found this place to be reasonably worthy. They are in a start-up stage (likely no more than a couple months old), but they seem to care deeply about bringing an authentic Thai taste to you and delivering good service. I can happily suggest that you check them out, especially if you are feeling adventurous and like giving smaller places a chance. I suggest making a reservation if you are not making a spur of the moment...

This place has blown me away both times I’ve gone. Fresh ingredients, prepared with care and attention to each specific ingredients nature (even the dreaded vegetables), served in a beautiful presentation and seasoned to perfection.

The first time I went in I got Tom kha. I asked if she could add any vegetables to it, and she told me to trust her, and then gave me the best Tom kha that I’ve had in years. Not only did she add seasonally appropriate vegetables to it, but they were clearly not just dumped in all at once; the tomatoes had flowered out, maintaining their delicate skin; the mushrooms were tender, buttery and full of body. The rice was actually cooked properly, which shouldn’t be rare, but it is so rare here!

The second time I got khao soi, which was perfection again. For me khao soi sometimes can either veer towards being too busy or too heavy, and the pomelo khao soi skirted the line perfectly. Hearty and filling, while maintaining the freshness and nature of each ingredient. As I made it through the bowl from large to small ingredient the flavors deepened and deepened, with pickled mustard greens as an incredible touch.

For anyone who has been anywhere in asia and experienced food outside of American kids menu ignorance, this is true cuisine. I would say that not only is this the best culinary experience I’ve had in the past year living here, I think it’s the only restaurant I’ve been to in New Orleans that has truly fulfilled what I think of as excellent food. I wish I could give...

We grabbed Pomelo yesterday for takeout. I would say solid meal. It was takeout, so I cannot say much for the restaurant or service. Their takeout system s quick and easy. I ordered online. Food was ready and hot when I picked it up.

I had the sweet corn and shrimp salad and the chicken massaman. The salad was hearty and delicious. It would not be enough to fill me up but certainly heartier than a side Caesar or something to that effect. Excellent balance of flavors.

The chicken massaman was not great. I might try the dish again, because it felt like the team just forgot the seasoning. The chicken had a nice flavor but the sauce covering the dish was a bit blah. For me, I needed a bit more salt or salt adjacent seasoning.

Shari V had the pok pok noodles and she really enjoyed it. She would give it a 4/5.

I liked Pomelo and I really wanted to like it more. I suspect we will try it again. I'd like to try some other things on the menu with a...