Why Bengaluru’s newest Thai-Viet restaurant is not serving pad Thai or pho

I know when I see ingredients such as chayote, snake fruit and betel leaves, that I am in for something different. It calls itself a Thai-Vietnamese restaurant, but FOMO – Flavours of Modern Orient, trades in the classics for new and lesser-known dishes. You will not find any coconut milk in the Thai jungle curry here, instead authentic Northen Thai and regional Vietnamese are on offer.

Pan Asian restaurants are passe now, as regional Asian seems to be the flavour of the season. Thai restaurants are many in Bengaluru, but Vietnamese is a less popular choice. FOMO is located at one end of Indiranagar’s 100 feet road (near Toit). We visit the day they open their lunch service. The interiors are in shades of earthy colours, with a play on light and shadows. It is rather empty and dark, but I can see how the interiors will be much more charming in the evening.

Interiors of FOMO
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Let us start with the coffees. Vietnamese coffee is the obvious choice, but we also try a salted coffee. This one is topped with a cream foam that has a sprinkle of flaky salt. I am instantly won over by the flavours of this.

Between the banh

Here is something I have not seen before, the banh beo. Steamed savoury rice cakes traditionally served with toppings of mung bean paste and pork floss. Think the idli’s Vietnamese cousin. Here they come in the small ceramic plate they are steamed in, with minced pork and mushroom, fried shallots and a creamy mung paste. You mix it all together and go for a bite. It is gooier than an idli, and the textural toppings make it fun. The grilled chicken wing is not like a regular wing. The chicken is stuffed with a sticky rice paste and marinated in a smoked koji hot sauce. An interesting twist on a classic.

 Banh beo, steamed rice cakes

Our phone cameras instantly come out for the grilled jumbo prawns. The visually striking dish has two butterflied prawns, that are charred with a choo chee pla sauce (a red Thai sauce) and topped with crispy kang kong leaves. It is citrussy, garlicy and spicy. Another new dish I try is the salapao. Reminiscent of a bao, this Thai steamed bun has a crispy crust on top. We opt for a chayote (you may know this as chow chow) and asparagus filling. The filling is tossed with a green paste, and the bun is served with a peanut and sawtooth coriander sauce. I am not a fan of baos so this was a pass for me.

Salapao Thai steamed buns

The starters are more exciting than the mains, but options include dishes such as Thai baked seabass, mushroom karpow, and slow braised pork belly. You can pair these with pad mee korat noodles, or fresh rice noodles.

The desserts sound better on paper. The impossible cake is a caramel flan with layers of chocolate cake. It is tasty, but nothing you cannot get anywhere else. We end with a seasonal mango pannacotta. It is easy to fall in love with a fresh mango dessert in the middle of a scorching summer.

FOMO impresses with its novel take on well-known cuisines. You will not miss your pad Thai when you dine here.

₹2,500 for two. At Indiranagar. Closed on Mondays. For more details call 8147938808