Photograph by Paisley Stone
Pho Lang Thang, the Vietnamese eatery that drew wide popularity at Findlay Market, opened the doors to its new space on Race Street in early September. The Over-The-Rhine restaurant still serves its house favorites, like bánh mì sandwiches and pho, as well as a grab-and-go lunch menu, new appetizers, and tropical Vietnamese cocktails.
Brothers Bao and Duy Nguyen and their friend David Lee launched Pho Lang Thang at Findlay Market back in 2001. Serving authentic Vietnamese food in a casual setting, the business exploded. “I think in the beginning, we had no idea it would take off like that,” Duy says laughing.
Photograph by Paisley Stone
Now, they have the space for it. The new space hosts a full kitchen, a room dedicated to soups and broths, a sprawling bar, proper ventilation, and a downstairs, which they’d like to turn into a speakeasy or event space.
“The style that we kind of went for was like 1970s mixed with a little bit of California and Vietnamese style,” Duy says. “[We] went through our family’s photos and took inspiration from there. A lot of Vietnamese people came over after the war in 1975, our family being one of them.”
The menu continues to ring true to the owners’ Vietnamese heritage. In an effort to expand the menu, Pho Lang Thang will introduce two new appetizers per week throughout fall, adding about 12 new dishes in total. The new appetizers will focus on Vietnamese-style drinking food—shareable, high-protein dishes, like lettuce wraps you can build yourself. The new apps pair perfectly with their expansive beer, wine, and recently debuted cocktail program.
“Vietnam is a tropical place, so all of our [craft cocktails] are really bright and layered,” says Managing Partner Danny Yant. “Visually, it’s kind of one of those things where, once one gets sent out to a table, everybody sees it as it’s going [by] and says I want that.”
Photograph by Paisley Stone
Pho Lang Thang is currently closed on Mondays, which the owners say is temporary while they settle in. The new OTR location is open Tues–Sun 11am–10pm and closes one hour later on Fridays and Saturdays.
Pho Lang Thang, 1828 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 376-9177
Click through our gallery to view more photos of Pho Lang Thang’s new space:
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