Mot Hai Ba

This isn’t your average Vietnamese restaurant tucked into the corner of a suburban strip mall. Colleen O’Hare and Jeana Johnson have created something totally different in this East Dallas restaurant Mot Hai Ba. Before opening it, the two traveled to Vietnam twice. On the first trip they fell in love with the country’s complex cooking, and the second was spent researching many of the dishes you’ll find on their menu. Now they’ve hired chef Peja Krstic to head up the kitchen, and his work has kept the dining room teeming with regular customers. Order the imperial spring roll or the crispy pancake stuffed with shrimp that for once is not oily and is instead quite crisp. Both are served with green lettuce leaves and a mixture of herbs that rival the selection at an Asian grocery but taste more alive. You may not recognize your surroundings, but the flavors you experience will conjure the heart of Vietnamese cooking.