Michael Maxey with Charlene Pao's delicious homemade cupcakes.
I’ve reluctantly come to accept that when I eat Asian food, I’m not getting dessert because I don’t like green tea ice cream, fortune cookies or sliced fruit. But Charlene Pao at Mosa Asian Bistro is changing my mind with her assortment of homemade cupcakes for $1.50 each that tempt even a dessert snob like me.
I simply can’t explain how thrilled I was to see our server Michael Maxey waltz out a bin of cupcakes in three delicious flavors. Okay, he didn’t actually dance, but he seemed very pleased to suggest his favorite: red velvet. I went with his recommendation and couldn’t have been happier. The cupcake wasn’t too big or too small, the swirl of vanilla almond cream cream cheese icing was ample but not overpowering, and a sprinkle of rock sugar made each bite linger.
We also tried the chocolate with strawberry icing (made with fresh berries!) and discovered chocolate chips hiding inside the cupcake. There were chocolate cupcakes with pineapple icing, as well, but they had to wait for another day.
It’s easy to miss the second location of Mosa Asian Bistro, tucked beside and behind Bed, Bath and Beyond on White Station between Park and Popular. The original location is on Kirby, and my friend Leonard who eats there regularly gives that location high marks. Both Mosa's feature a fusion menu (Korean, Thai and Japanese).
Our lunch before the cupcakes was tasty and affordable. I had a Jiao Zhe Bowl ($7.50), a signature entrée for Mosa that served up seven chicken potstickers (fat and steamed); homemade chicken broth; carrots; sliced Napa cabbage and a hot dipping sauce. Anna liked her General Pao’s chicken and the mound of rice alongside ($7.75). We shared an order of steamed and salted edamame ($3).
Another nice feature of Mosa is that the menu changes periodically. New items on the current menu include a toasted crepe served with a black bean, edamame and corn relish (Yo Bing) and Korean BBQ Beef prepared mild, medium or spicy.
Mosa Asian Bistro, 850 White Station, 683-8889 and 1825 Kirby Parkway, 755-6755 (mosaasianbistro.com)
