There is something unique about Vietnamese cuisine. Flavors are diverse, alive, and the ingredients – fresh and crisp. Typical options include banh mi (crusty bread sandwich), spring rolls (fresh or fried), and the one and only pho – a hefty bowl of noodles, veggies, a variety of meat options, and flavor galore.
In addition to taste, Vietnamese cuisine simmers, if you will, in traditional Eastern medicine and philosophy – ying and yang in a soup pot. To properly prepare pho, balance guides the recipe - when sour is added, something sweet must compliment it. Time and love are also essential ingredients. Carefully simmered for hours, and in some cases days, the base of the soup is generally made using beef or chicken bones along with other ingredients like flank steak, onion, ginger, and spices. What kind of spices? Lots – including star anise, roasted ginger, roasted onion, black cardamom, coriander seed, fennel seed, and cloves.
Clockwise from top: Grilled Pork with Vermicelli at Com Ga' Ninh Kieu, Shrimp with Egg Noodle at Com Ga' Ninh Kieu, Com Ga' Ninh Kieu in Atlantic City, Pho Life owner Rosita Nguyen, Pho Life Vietnamese Restaurant
Once your bowl is served to you, customize your soup by choosing from a heaping plate full of interesting garnishes including Thai basil, bean sprouts, Thai chili peppers, lime wedges, and hot chili sauce. It’s a must do to boost the flavor to your liking.
Locally, the Atlantic City area is lucky to have several options for Vietnamese cuisine – whether pho or other specialties. Let’s visit a few and hear from their loyal customers. So, grab a pair of chop sticks and a wide pho spoon to experience local Vietnamese favorites.
Located on the Black Horse Pike in Pleasantville, New Jersey, Seven Sisters offers traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Pho options are plentiful – including steak, shrimp, and chicken. In addition, Seven Sisters offers a vegetarian Pho jam-packed with innovative flavor.
- Satiated and Satisfied Customer – Lynne Scheurer-Foster, New York City
“Going for a meal at Seven Sisters means you’ll be greeted warmly by owner DK and welcomed into their brightly lit, clean restaurant. You’ll enjoy a wonderful meal made with the freshest food that’s cooked with love and skill by his wife, Tran, and served with love and care by the Seven Sisters team. We especially love the summer rolls with their delicious peanut sauce.
All of their soups are great whether served with the Vietnamese “broken rice” or vermicelli noodles. It feels lovely to be taken care of at Seven Sisters - so much more than just a yummy meal!”
Pork Bahn Mi Sandwich, Brandi at Pho Life, Crispy Egg Rolls over Vermicelli
Adding to Ventnor’s ethnic eating options, Two Sisters, a family affair, offers Vietnamese specialties like Ban Mi sandwiches, summer rolls, and pho, of course. In addition, an impressive drink menu quenches any thirst with various Vietnamese coffees and teas.
- Satiated and Satisfied Customer – Bob Slipakoff, Ventnor, NJ
“While enjoying a cup of Vietnamese Egg Coffee at 2 Sisters in Ventnor, I felt like I had been transported back to my vacation in Hanoi. My friend and I happily chatted with the owner and his daughter while the specialty brew was prepared. Don't expect a quick delivery of your order like at Starbucks or Dunkin because this sweet, velvety smooth and bitter at the same time elixir is prepared by slow dripping the coffee and combining it with a frothy layer of egg yolks mixed with sweet condensed milk. The process will take 8-10 minutes. So, relax and enjoy slow coffee culture - a smooth sweetness that has been called Liquid Tiramisu.”
A perfect spot in the Mays Landing area to get a warm and filling bowl of Pho. Pho Life, a cozy Vietnamese noodle house, features over a half dozen pho options ranging from the Pho House Special - beef bone broth simmered over 24 hours with aromatic herbs to the vegan version of pho – a mushroom soup base with aromatic herbs. Perfect for Vegan diets.
- Satiated and Satisfied Customer – Cindy McLaughlin Meli, Ventnor
“Loved going to Pho Life – it was such a healthy lunch spot when I worked in Egg Harbor Township. My favorite was the chicken Pho – healthy and tasty with plenty of chicken and fresh veggies. So good.”
Cơm gà Ninh Kiều
This gem, located in the heart of Atlantic City, takes its name from a Vietnamese chicken and rice dish popular in Ninh Kiều, an urban district in Mekong Delta’s Cần Thơ City. Of course, the restaurant offers traditional menu items like pho - over a dozen versions. In addition to a robust menu, the decor at Cơm gà Ninh Kiều makes you feel like you are in an exotic place featuring enormous statues of famous Vietnamese leaders towering over the parking lot.
- Satiated and Satisfied Customer – Marshall Pressman, Sarasota, Fl
The renovated restaurant will not disappoint diners, nor will their warm, informative, and engaging wait staff. I recently visited with my wife. We challenged both our senses and tastebuds by selecting the Summer Rolls - fresh, flavorful, and complimented by a delicious rich peanut dipping sauce. The pièce de resistance proved to be the Stuffed Grape Leaves. Our dinner was completed by a simple yet delicious addition of Grilled Shrimp with steamed rice - the meal was extraordinary, yet harmonious and congruent!
Additional Vietnamese options:
· Little Saigon, Egg Harbor Township
