Review: Okra Foodbar, where vegetables give meat a run for its money

Your next date night sorted. Say hello to Okra Foodbar, a dimly-lit, sleek and sexy 20-seater hotspot with an open kitchen and chef counter helmed by Chef Jamie Celaya (ex-Chef de Cuisine at Park Hyatt Saigon and ex-Head Chef at Quan Ut Ut).

Located in Thao Dien (taking over Japanese modern izakaya NOMU’s original space), this pandemic-born fine-casual sharing concept joins a slew of food and drink concepts entering this fast-growing category in Ho Chi Minh City.

Interiors of Okra (Photo courtesy of Okra)

Cosy dining corner (Photo courtesy of Okra)

The good stuff:

• A dimly-lit, sleek and sexy new fine-casual sharing concept (20 seats) fronting an open kitchen and chef counter in Thao Dien

• Helmed by Chef-founder Jamie Celaya (ex-Chef de Cusine at Park Hyatt Saigon and ex-Head Chef at Quan Ut Ut) and his young and jovial team

• A strong focus on in-season locally-sourced ingredients with an emphasis on vegetables

• Perfect for: Date night, catch-up among small groups of friends since 90% are counter seats; there is a small table (sits 6 to 8) tucked away in the back of the restaurant. And last but not least, vegetarians!

• Not ideal for: Formal business chats and meetings as it can get quite noisy. Okra Foodbar is also closed for lunch and is open only at 5 pm for dinner.

• Average price per person: 500-600k VND (20 to 25 USD) sans alcohol

The food

Like many fine-casual spots popping up in the city, Okra Foodbar’s menu is not cuisine-specific but rather carte blanche with a focus on sustainability (locally-sourced ingredients) and seasonality. Drawing inspiration from Jamie’s culinary sojourn at Quan Ut Ut and Park Hyatt Saigon, Okra’s Western-accented menu with hints of local influence is a culmination of fine culinary technique, skillful marriage of flavour and visible licks of char seen in signature dishes such as its Burnt red cabbage with housemade dukkha.

• Every dish comes with suggested wine and cocktail pairings that you can choose from. This means if one suggested beverage isn’t your cup of tea (pun intended), you can still select from one to two others. Plus, what Okra adds to its beverage menu in terms of variety, it removes from complexity. This means if you’re a vinophile seeking out the origin, year or even the name of the wine, you won’t find it on the menu.

• The small plates: Like many restaurants, Okra is a sharing concept which means a more extensive small plates menu than mains and desserts. Fret not though as portions are generous and easily shared between two.

• The average price for one: Appetiser (125k VND), main (300k VND), dessert (90k VND)

• Must-try: Brown bourbon butter street corn, Grilled Okra served with preserved lemon-tomato jam and Burnt cabbage with Romesco sauce

Brown bourbon butter street corn

Brown bourbon butter street corn served with cilantro and chilli topped with parmesan and pork floss. This moreish delight is akin to an elevated version of the classic Vietnamese street corn drizzled with a generous serving of condensed milk, lime and chilli. Every bite is deliciously familiar yet surprisingly different and the parmesan cheese adds a distinct savouriness and gooey texture.

Grilled Okra served with preserved lemon-tomato jam, curry yoghurt and burnt pomelo

Grilled Okra served with preserved lemon-tomato jam, curry yoghurt and burnt pomelo. A flavour high in each bite, strong flavours (curry, lemon, tomato) immediately come through but are balanced with bursts of zest and a whiff of refreshment from the burnt pomelo to prevent overwhelming the palate.

Burnt red cabbage with Romesco sauce, housemade dukkha and pickled mushrooms

I reserve my final rave for Okra’s burnt red cabbage with Romesco sauce, housemade dukkha and pickled mushrooms, which arrives beautifully coated in smokey char atop a bed of creamy Romesco sauce generously garnished with homemade dukkha and pickled mushrooms for a hint of tanginess.

Vegetables rarely get top billing in restaurants. Often, when I’m greeted with a vegetarian main in a fine-casual restaurant, it’s some variation of truffle and mushroom risotto. Don’t get me wrong, I get it. It’s hard to make cabbage shine the same way an A5 Wagyu beef does but Chef Jamie begs to differ. In fact, two of Okra’s five mains are vegetarian and I’m all here for it.

Why you should check it out

Unlike many places that proclaim without brazen taglines such as “good food, good vibes and good people”, Okra Foodbar actually does what it says. Good food, not a whiff of pretentiousness, reasonable prices and good people (in fact, Okra’s website explicitly mentions “kind people only”) all packed into a cosy 20-seater space filled with a casual yet buzzing atmosphere from satisfied guests kicking back whiskey sours chowing down brown bourbon butter street corn all night long.

I’ve been to the incumbent concept where Okra currently sits and let’s just say well… it wasn’t the best. Not taking into consideration its menu and cuisine, the former lacked intimate and personable service as well as culinary theatrics that an open kitchen with a chef counter concept warrants. So, kudos to Chef Jamie for turning the space on its head, setting the tone for his young and jovial team, bringing licks of char and flame from his repertoire of grills and ovens and injecting much-needed life into a concept that craves it.

Closing thoughts

At the end of dinner, I wonder to myself how it has taken me so long to visit Okra. Perhaps its the lack of social media presence (Okra does not have a Facebook page following a conscious boycott of the social media channel but all of its 37 five-star reviews help) or the fact that it’s always full. Regardless, I’m glad I have and safe to say, it won’t be my last visit especially now that they’ve launched a daily Happy Hour dishing out 1-for-1 oysters, daily craft special and house curated bubbles from 530 to 630pm.

Don’t be surprised if you start seeing me at Okra Foodbar on the regular as this unassuming little joint might just be one of my new favourite dining joints in Saigon.

What do you think? Let me know if you’ve been and your thoughts about Okra in the comments section below :)

Contact

• Address: 10 Đ. Thảo Điền, Thảo Điền, Quận 2, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 71107

• Opening hours: 5:30 to 11 pm (closed on Monday and Tuesday)

• To reserve: https://www.instagram.com/okra.foodbar/

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