ST. LOUIS — A new restaurant offering dishes with Asian and Latin flavors is coming to the St. Louis area in January.
Siblings and St. Louis-area natives Amy and Phil Le are the owners behind Saucy Porka. They learned their culinary skills working at their mother’s Chinese restaurants in south St. Louis County and St. Peters, they said in a news release.
Amy has been in Chicago for 20 years working in the restaurant industry and Phil has spent the last 19 years in St. Louis with the restaurant group So Hospitality. The two are reuniting to bring Saucy Porka to the St. Louis area.
Amy and her husband John Keebler opened the first Saucy Porka in downtown Chicago in 2013 and the second location opened five years later in the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood.
The menu features dishes that blend the flavors and spices of Latin America, Puerto Rico and Cuba with those of Asia, according to the release. While pork is the star of the menu, the restaurant also will offer a variety of dishes for those who don’t eat pork.
“It’s a hybrid of multicultural inspirations and childhood comfort foods,” the release stated.
Some of the dishes offered at Saucy Porka include chorizo egg rolls, Asian paella, Saucy Porka-signature bacos (bao tacos) and an assortment of Banh Mi sandwiches.
The design of the St. Louis restaurant features contemporary and rustic vibes with wood floors and Spanish tiles. The centerpiece of the dining room will be a mural of Amy and Phil as children, created by artist Khanh Le, who is also their cousin.
“The décor of the restaurant is special to us, and I think it’s a reflection of the food, and represents the love and impetus behind Saucy,” Amy said. “When we look at this mural, we see ourselves as kids who have come full circle and continued our family traditions.”
Saucy Porka’s new restaurant will be located at 3900 Laclede Avenue. It will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
Saucy Porka will open Jan. 24.
