Traditional Vietnamese cuisine comes to Over-the-Rhine

Findlay Market is poised for yet another new tenant, but this one will be slightly different from the new bakery and pet store that have recently opened up shop in Ohio's oldest public market.  Pho Lang Thang is expected to open mid-July 2010 and will feature authentic Vietnamese food served in a quick, dine-in restaurant that seats about 35 people.

Located in the former Paula's Cafe on the north side of the market house in between the Internet Cafe and Madison's, Pho Lang Thang will transform the 1,200 square-foot space over the next month thanks to a three-way partnership between two brothers and a friend who all have deep roots to Vietnam.

"We are trying to stay true to Vietnamese culture including the way the food is prepared," explained Duy Nguyen.  "All of our recipes are a fusion between our families' recipes and our own unique style."

Nguyen explained that the name Pho Lang Thang helps explain the ethos behind the new restaurant with "Pho" being the national dish, and "Lang Thang" meaning 'to wander.'

"Lang Thang is part of a saying that our parents would always yell at us meaning, 'From night till day, all you do is wander.'  It's not a nice saying by any means - it is really saying we have no direction in life and all we do is party and wander the Earth," owner David Le said.  "But we are re-empowering the word and using it to describe someone with more of a free spirit who is passionate about life and doing what they love."

The three partners are all residents of Over-the-Rhine and excited about the new restaurant's location in their neighborhood, and the opportunities that it presents.

"Findlay Market is a great place for culinary businesses to get started because of all the support there, and we thought the people shopping at Findlay Market would be most open to trying authentic Vietnamese food," Nguyen explained.  Nguyen also said that they intend to buy as much of their food from Findlay Market vendors as possible.

Pho Lang Thang will be open from 9am to 6pm during Findlay Market daily operations, but Nguyen stated that they intend to stay open later at least one evening each week.  Entree items will cost between $4 to $8 and feature the staple Pho dish - a beef soup with rice noodles that makes for great comfort food and evidently serves as a great hangover cure.

Also on the menu will be a Vietnamese sandwich called Banh Mi that Nguyen said has been growing in popularity on the East Coast and features a choice of meat, pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro, cucumbers and jalapenos on a special French bread baguette.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
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Photography by Tiffani Fisher