CODA BAKERY “ON THE RISE”

Since 2006, when Uyen Nguyen opened Coda Bakery in a tiny L-shaped space on Louisiana, diners have cheerfully packed themselves elbow-to-elbow at its little tables. When the Vietnamese restaurant expanded by a precious 9 feet, the table space doubled–and the place remained packed, the lunchtime line still stretching from counter to door. No wonder. Locals know about Coda’s fresh, made-to-order menu: plump spring rolls, bountiful noodle bowls, crisp-crusted banh mi sandwiches stuffed with flavorful fillings, and much more. The Food Network’s Guy Fieri visited in 2022 and was also blown away, calling Coda’s creamy housemade tofu among “the top best three tofus I’ve ever had in my life.”

The remodeled spot is still very small. Every day is “literally Tetris,” laughs Nguyen. To find a larger space, Coda is moving west. After sharing a parking lot with Talin World Food Fare for nearly two decades, the restaurant’s new location at 201 San Pedro SE will inhabit the Central Mercado with El Mezquite Latin Market.

This customized space will be nearly double the size, allowing Coda to keep its current recipes and add new dishes, like a selection of rice bowls. Nguyen says the new shop will also be “warmer, with a more modern atmosphere,” and plans to open it this summer.

It’s important to Nguyen to relocate near her original International District location, so Coda can stay near catering clients and Asian markets–and so loyal customers don’t “feel a shock.”