Vietnamese and pizza? Bronx restaurant serves both
Vietnamese and pizza? Bronx restaurant serves both
A Bronx pizzeria is putting a bold twist on tradition—serving up both Italian and Vietnamese cuisine under one roof. VPho & Pizzeria, run by husband and wife duo Michael Tran and Elizabeth Lee, took over a longtime Italian pizza shop and transformed it into a cultural mashup. Now, viral dishes like Banh Mi pizza and steaming bowls of pho draw crowds for lunch and dinner in Morris Park. FOX 5’s Richard Giacovas gives us a taste.
Bronx, N.Y. - VPho & Pizzeria in the Bronx serves two distinct cultural cuisines under one roof: Italian and Vietnamese.
Couple turns traditional pizzeria into new cultural fusion
The backstory:
Sorrento's Pizzeria was a long-time local favorite in an Italian neighborhood before the owner retired. The original owner's neighbor, Michael Tran, decided to buy the restaurant.
Tran and his wife, Elizabeth Lee, preserved the menu for about a year before deciding to incorporate Vietnamese food.
VPho & Pizzeria, a one-of-a-kind eatery offering both Italian and Vietnamese cuisine, has become a hot spot in the Italian neighborhood.
Food served at VPho & Pizzeria
Bánh mì and penne alla vodka
Dig deeper:
The two menus stand on their own, each offering an assortment of grub to potential customers.
Customary Italian plates like baked ziti and lasagna can be enjoyed alongside traditional Vietnamese rice dishes and soups. The only overlap between the two menus are the baguettes, used as both a side for the penne and the basis for the bánh mì.
Authentic food
Local perspective:
Lee and Tran attribute the restaurant's success to not only the quality of the food, but the care put into making it.
"I cook for me. If it’s good for me. It's made for my family….It's good for customer," Tran said.
The Source: This article uses information from FOX 5 NY reporter Richard Giacovas' interview at VPho & Pizzeria.