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Eye On Business: Thang Long Noodle Restaurant


Business is a family affair for the Tran’s at Thang Long Noodle Restaurant. Situated under the El tracks at 2534-36 Kensington Avenue, Thang Long prospers as one of the only truly health-conscious Vietnamese restaurants in the area.’

Phan Tran and his wife, Dung—both 69 years old—opened Thang Long Noodle Restaurant in 2007.

“Business has evolved,” said Tuan Tran, General Manager and 31-year-old son of Phan and Dung. “At first, it was all just Vietnamese patrons. But these past two-and-a-half years, we’ve noticed more of an influx of a mainstream crowd.”

Tuan also serves as assistant chef to his mother. “People have become more open-minded, more health-conscious and more enthusiastic about food from other cultures,” he said.

It’s the recent national health craze and culture-driven cooking that have set Thang Long above the rest. The Tran’s pride themselves in a slow-stewing process—which begins with Dung prepping the broth every morning at 4 o’clock—to extract the flavor from all their ingredients.
“That’s what sets us apart from other Vietnamese restaurants,” Tuan said, “is how long we take to get the product ready to serve our customers. When you take your time on something and really show it love, the people really see that and thoroughly enjoy it.”

The family business also comes full circle, as eldest daughter, Thu, shops every day at farmer’s markets and butcher shops all around Southern New Jersey. The Tran’s also purchase their chicken from right next door, at Macs Poultry, making all their ingredients locally sourced, daily.

Tuan, a Penn State graduate with a degree in Marketing, sees the business boom in Fishtown and Northern Liberties trickling down along Kensington Avenue, and credits that along with social media for their being able to succeed despite setting up shop in somewhat of a rough area.

“It’s made business here easier,” he said. “We have an Instagram [@thanglongphilly]. We try to have our pictures speak a thousand words and start a thousand conversations.” Tuan said their Yelp.com reviews and word-of-mouth have also paid off, while in January of 2015, the Philadelphia Inquirer rated Thang Long the best place for beef pho in the city.

Tuan said he knows the pho trend will finally hit its stride when people pronounce the word correctly. “People always pronounce it like, ‘foe,’” he joked. “I always tell them it’s ‘pho,’ as in, ‘…duh.’”

By mid-summer, Tuan plans to take the reins himself at Thang Long’s second location, as they expand to Northern Liberties. While they are still going through zoning and construction procedures, the Tran’s are hesitant to reveal the location just yet. But Tuan teases, “Expect a very contemporary Vietnamese noodle house that’s futuristic in its own way.”

Until then, expect the Tran’s to operate business in Kensington as usual: as a family.

“It’s that home-cooking flair,” Tuan said. “When you get invited to someone’s house and their mother’s cooking for you, that’s the flair we’re going for. We’re just here with a great product and great personalities to serve it to you.”

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