Welcome to Food Envy, where we’ll highlight different dishes from Time Out Market Miami that we think you’re going to love—partly because we do. This week, we’re feeling something crunchy, with a kick like the Cajun-spiced crispy shrimp bao buns at Pho Mo.
RECOMMENDED: Guide to Time Out Market Miami
Hungover, feverish, famished or frozen to the bone—no feeling is strong enough to get me to drink soup. Warm broth in any form, even soul-soothing pho, is just not appealing. (No offense to pho lovers!)
Fortunately, Pho Mo serves more than its namesake. When the craving for Vietnamese strikes, I head to the Time Out Market Miami eatery and load up on bao buns. Pillowy and toothsome, the handheld bites are stuffed with either five-spiced roasted pork, salt n peppa tofu or Cajun-spiced shrimp.
If you’re down with shellfish, do yourself a favor and go for the crispy shrimp. Yes, it’s fried, but you’d never tell from the lightness of the dish. There’s practically zero oil in the thing. Inside there’s a bit of crunchy slaw and sliced carrots that help cut through the richness of the spicy sriracha aioli and fish-sauce vinaigrette—which, combined, give it just the right amount of heat. It’s the most satisfying mix of flavors and textures, and it all fits neatly in my palm.
Bao buns come in orders of one, two or three. While soup, no matter how tasty, is typically a one-and-done deal. Go for the baos and savor more of a good thing—simple as that.
