A restaurant that combines the tastes of both Vietnam and Thailand is set to open along Route 1 in late October, snagging the retail space that once housed Street Tacos.
Pho Thom, owned by Vietnamese restaurateur Ha Tran, will feature a Vietnamese and Thai menu complete with pho — a chicken or beef noodle soup — pad thai, curry and grilled meat dishes from the two countries. With a healthier, unique Asian menu and proven success at other local restaurants, Tran said her eatery will stand the test of time in the ever-evolving world of College Park business.
“I just wanted to open something that’s new over there [on Route 1],” Tran said. “Around there, I didn’t see any Vietnamese restaurants or Thai restaurants.”
This restaurant marks the second business venture for Tran, who owns another in Falls Church, Va., called Hai Lua. While Hai Lua offers an exclusively Vietnamese menu, Tran expanded Pho Thom’s options to include Thai food as well.
“My food, I believe, is really good,” Tran said. “You can eat pho like five times a week and you won’t get sick of it.”
While downtown College Park is home to many Asian restaurants, including Chinese shop Panda and Japanese spot Kiyoko — the latter of which sits just two doors down from Pho Thom — Tran said her business should find success because it is a healthier option to other Asian restaurants along the corridor.
While some Asian cuisine is typically cooked in fatty oils, Tran said Vietnamese food is traditionally prepared without those ingredients, making it much healthier.
College Park Economic Development Coordinator Michael Stiefvater said the restaurant will provide a new taste to students perusing Route 1 dining options.
“It’s going to be the only Vietnamese place in the city,” Stiefvater said. “We look forward to having it, and I think they’ll actually do pretty well.”
Jim Wey, owner of the local restaurant China Café, said with the lack of parking and an already unfriendly business atmosphere in College Park, new businesses don’t pose any further challenges than those already present.
“All this area is competition, it’s not new,” Wey said.
Senior community and behavioral health major An Ha said Pho Thom’s location is more convenient than Pho VN One, another Vietnamese restaurant in Beltsville, but was skeptical of the health-food claims.
“It’s not fried food like some of the other places,” he said. “As for pho, it’s not that healthy, but it’s a better alternative.”
Some students said it will bring new culture to the existing options along Route 1.
“Mostly around here there’s American-style or fast food places,” said Nicholas Caviglia, a sophomore engineering major. “It would probably be good for students to get interested in different types of food.”
bach@umdbk.com
