Italian gets Asian twist with Cool Beans Bistro

Posted by samantha on Apr 11, 2014 in What I've Done

Entrepreneur Mai Nguyen came up with the concept for Cool Beans Italian Bistro, fusing her Asian background — she’s Vietnamese — and her love of Italian food. The two cuisines are similar in their pasta bases, she said.

And while the idea of Asian and Mediterranean influences may make you think twice, it is a perfect combination to create truly flavorful and unique dishes to pique your palate.

On the menu: The first of these delicious combinations is the Wings del Mediterraneo, an appetizer featuring chicken wings seasoned, breaded and tossed with cherry peppers and crumbled feta cheese, creating a delicate blend of heat and mellow.

The Focaccia Italiano may look like a pizza and eat like a pizza, but it doesn’t taste like your usual pizza. It starts with homemade focaccia bread — made from scratch each day — and topped with mozzarella cheese, seasoned and roasted ground beef, Italian sausage, tomato, parsley and red onion, but what really makes this a specialty is the way the mixture of flavors pop when you add a little lemon juice.

Another example of the melding of cultures and tastes comes in the form of Tilapia Authentica. Nguyen’s hometown of New Orleans can be found with a slight Cajun seasoning on a fresh, roasted tilapia filet, which is topped with sautéed tomato in a creamy, light lemon butter sauce. It is paired with parmesan green beans al dente.

Grab an appetizer for $6 to $9. Pasta and seafood dishes are less than $15, and made-to-order pizzas start at $11.95 for a small and $16.95 for a large. Soups and salads are between $4 and $6. Sandwiches are less than $8.

Finish up with a sweet treat, such as “Sweetalicous” white chocolate bread pudding, a brownie supreme, or the Ultimate Turtle Cheesecake, all for $5.25 a serving.

The bistro has a full bar and will soon be stocked with a large selection of wine, as well as domestic and imported beer.