THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Fiona

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Fiona Restaurant Review:

About the chefs: Former Gjelina Group pastry chef Nicole Rucker solidified her “Queen of Pies” reputation with accolades in the baking world, not least as a National Pie Championship blue ribbon winner. Shawn Pham started out at The French Laundry, cooked at Craft and The Bazaar by José Andrés, and lived in Vietnam before opening his own contemporary Vietnamese restaurant, Simbal, in DTLA. At Fiona, their collaboration strikes a happy balance of elevated American baking and modern Vietnamese cooking, and somehow it really works.

The décor: Fiona fills the all-day niche Fairfax needed, and for breakfast, lunch or dinner it’s a charming, airy spot with classic penny tile floors, simple wood tables and chairs, and a tempting bakery case. Locals linger to chat over coffee, breakfast and lunch, and dinner brings in a neighborhood crowd delighted to find some authentic Vietnamese cooking nearby.

Likes: Delicious bakery goods, and fine, modern Vietnamese dishes.
Dislikes: The best pies can run out by dinner.

Food & Drinks: Drop in early for a buttermilk biscuit or blueberry scone with El Salvadoran micro lot drip coffee; there’s also a broad selection of Bellocq teas. Breakfast and lunch offer toasts, salads, sandwiches (including banh mi) and a Vietnamese breakfast plate with two eggs, Vietnamese sausage, and chicken liver mousse with a baguette. Dinner is more ambitious. A refreshing shredded cabbage and chicken slaw salad with a ginger dressing, crispy shallots, cilantro and mint is perfect to share. Don’t miss one of Pham’s best dishes, the unique sweet potato pancake which arrives like a giant crispy latke topped with umeboshi crème fraîche, Fresno chiles, bacon lardons and chives. A well-executed Vietnamese beef stew adheres to the classic, with tender short ribs bathed in a silky anise broth, and the rich herbal duck noodle soup is also pleasing. Chocolate chess pie, seasonal berry crumble or carrot cake make an ideal end to a savory meal. A select beer and wine list offers offbeat boutique choices that pair nicely with the menu.