By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor Published Feb 03, 2022 at 11:02 AM

There’s a brand new Vietnamese ghost kitchen coming to Common Cookhouse, the commercial kitchen at 924 E Rawson Ave.

Oxtail Noodle House is the name of the new concept, which will offer a variety of traditional Vietnamese dishes for pick-up and delivery beginning Feb. 10.

Behind the concept is Shim Lo and his wife Mauly, who saw the opportunity to add a bit of Vietnamese flair to the Oak Creek food scene.

“Ultimately, we would really like to establish a brick and mortar restaurant,” says Shim Lo. “But when the opportunity arose to open at Common Cookhouse, we decided to take advantage of it. Operating a ghost kitchen gives us a chance to introduce people to our food and develop a following. So we are excited for the opportunity.”

Lo says that his goal is to present Vietnamese food in the best possible way, starting off with familiar dishes and eventually adding new items to the menu as time moves forward.

On the menu

Guests can expect items like fried chicken wings tossed in savory fish sauce; fresh spring rolls (filled with vermicelli noodles, lettuce, cucumbers, steamed pork loaf/cha lua, shrimp, perilla and fried eggroll wrappers for texture) served with peanut sauce; fried egg rolls (filled with ground pork, bean thread noodles and carrots) and served with lettuce for wrapping and chile garlic sauce for dipping. 

Lo will also offer banh mi sandwiches featuring grilled meats (chicken, beef or pork) with pickled vegetables, cilantro and housemade pate, along with a traditional cold cut banh mi using cha lua (steamed pork loaf).

Guests can also order garlic butter noodles with shrimp (or tofu) or vermicelli with a choice of grilled meat (pork, beef or chicken), shrimp and an egg roll on the side.

And yes, there will be pho, including Oxtail King Pho featuring a choice of beef rib or oxtail along with beef brisket, eye of round, beef tripe, tendon and meatballs; a very special ribeye pho with Australian Wagyu and beef meatballs; or the Pho Bo Special, which features the a customizable slate of beef cuts. Vegetable pho with tofu, enoki mushrooms, Chinese broccoli, bok choy and bamboo shoots will also be available.

Lo says that the pho will be packaged with the ultimate care and served in a bowl that’s suitable for eating the noodle soup at home.

“We are excited to share our Vietnamese cuisine with the Oak Creek community and surrounding area,” he says. “And we want to give our customers as good of a carry-out experience as we possibly can.”

Lo says he’ll be sharing the full Oxtail Noodle House menu and ordering platform next week on both Facebook and Instagram.

Starting Feb. 10, Oxtail Noodle House will offer in person pick-up and delivery Thursday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor

As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.