The husband and wife behind a Vietnamese restaurant in Duluth are opening their second metro Atlanta restaurant next week in Avondale Estates.
Dinh Tran and Khanh Dang, who opened Khanh Vietnamese Phở & Sandwich in Duluth last year, are slated to open Vietvana Phở Noodle House Aug. 16 at 2831 E. College Ave in the former Our Way Cafe space. Our Way Cafe closed in 2018 after 30 years.
Both born in Vietnam (Dang is from Saigon and Tran is from Hue), the couple want Vietvana, “to be a place where they prepare Vietnamese food the way they remember it,” according to a press release. The restaurant’s name “reflects the idea of Vietnamese food meeting nirvana.”
Tran started cooking at a young age, competing against his brothers. Their mother, Tina Nguyen, won local food contests and now helps in the restaurant too.
"We know that everyone has different memories of their native food," Tran said in a prepared statement. "Atlanta has many great Vietnamese restaurants. For us, Vietvana represents the food and flavors that we remember and crave from our childhood homes and that we want Atlantans to try. Vietvana is a cultural experience that appeals to Atlantans who love to explore new food. We love Vietnam and we love Atlanta, and we think this restaurant combines our love of both."
Tran and Dang developed their own phở noodle recipe, including homemade broth made with onions, shallots, ginger, garlic and beef bones and noodles made in-house.
Customers can build their own pho, with a choice of broth, including a vegetarian broth, and proteins such as steak, tendon, tofu and squid.
The couple also collaborated with a local French bakery on the recipe for their banh mi bread batter, and make Vietnamese ham in their kitchen.
Besides pho and banh mi, the menu, which makes use of locally-sourced ingredients as much as possible, includes a variety of bun, com, salads, soups and appetizers including Hue-style meatballs, crispy tamarind prawn and grilled beef in betel leaf. There are also several vegetarian dishes and desserts.
Beverages include Vietnamese iced coffee and a selection on milk teas and smoothies.
The 4,600 square-foot restaurant includes an outdoor patio and a 2,500 square-foot test kitchen. The space will feature murals depicting Vietnam.
Vietvana will be open 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday.
2831 E. College Ave., Avondale Estates. 404-963-2757, vietvana.com/
Scroll down to see the full menu for Vietvana:
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