New French cafe, Mongolian BBQ bring ‘a little bit of fun’ to downtown SLO

Vietnamese cuisine, French pastries and Mongolian barbeque — San Luis Obispo restaurant owner Alexandra Nguyen wants to do it all.

Nguyen has owned Lotus Asia’s Best, a Vietnamese restaurant in downtown San Luis Obispo for seven years. Now, she’s bring French and Mongolian cuisine to the area as well.

“I wanted to bring a little bit of fun to San Luis,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen opened French cafe Petite Paris in Suite 4 at Mission Mall, 746 Higuera St. in San Luis Obispo, on Wednesday. She planned to open Mongo Madness, a Mongolian barbeque restaurant, in a neighboring Mission Mall spot, Suite 6, on SaturdayNguyen had been thinking of opening a downtown restaurant that would pay tribute to her French roots for about three years. When two suites opened in Mission Mall, it was the perfect opportunity for the ambitious restaurant owner.

“Paris is a city of love and lights, and I hold it very dear to my heart,” Nguyen said.

Petite Paris will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Nguyen said closing hours may extend to 4 p.m. depending on customer response.The cafe will primarily serve French-style breakfast and feature a bakery that offers regular and gluten-free pastries.

Nguyen said Mongo Madness, open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, is reminiscent of her original Lotus restaurant.