Grilled Pork Bun at MAMA Asian Noodle Bar

John Linn

​Pictured above: One steaming hot grilled pork bun. No, not pork bun as in the sticky, Chinese dim sum stuffed with bbq pork. Pork Bun as in the Vietnamese vermicelli rice noodle dish, bun thit. It's from MAMA Asian Noodle Bar, a new pan-Asian eatery in the Promenade at Coconut Creek.

What makes up bun thit -- or as its called at MAMA, "grilled pork noodle?" Well, it starts with rice vermicelli noodles layered on top of a bed of bean sprouts, carrots, and lettuce. On top of that goes warm slices of freshly grilled pork loin marinated in a sweet and tangy sauce. It's dressed with peanuts and layered with nuoc cham, another kind of tangy Vietnamese dipping sauce. It may sound like a lot of ingredients, but bun thit actually has a very simple, fresh flavor. The result is an interplay between many separate elements, a balance of sweet and savory, crunchy and soft, spicy and soothing.

John Linn

MAMA's vegetable samosas with Thai dipping sauce.

​Usually, diners dress up their bun thit as they see fit, adding sriracha or lemongrass infused sambal chili to the mix, or sprinkling on soy or fish sauce or even more nuoc cham. Some restaurants provide basil or cilantro to toy with as well. MAMA just let the bun shine on its own, though each table had bottles of spicy sriracha and soy sauce to play with.

Most of MAMA's menu reads like entry level pan-Asian, with some easy Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese dishes that eschew proper terminology in favor of easier to understand English names. But the flavors -- at least of what I've tried so far -- have been pretty authentic. It's shaping up to be my favorite restaurant in the newly constructed Promenade, a sort of outdoor shopping mall with fashion stores and mostly chain eateries.

More on MAMA in the coming weeks. For now, enjoy the bun.

MAMA Asian Noodle Bar
4437 Lyons Rd., ste. E-108, Coconut Creek 33073
954-973-1670
mamaasiannoodlebar.com