Vietnam Kitchen is Sticking Around (Thank Goodness)
Alex Lam at Vietnam Kitchen, circa 2018. Photos by Kevin Gibson
Back in 2017, I began working on my book “Unique Eats and Eateries of Louisville,” and Vietnam Kitchen was one of the first local restaurants to make it onto my short list of places to include in the book. The restaurant, which had been around a quarter of a century at the time, with its unique ordering system, quirky decor, mini-condiment bar at every table and vast menu, was a shoo-in.
In recent months — actually, years if you want to get technical — rumors circulated that owner Alex Lam was ready to retire, meaning the restaurant might close its doors for good. A recent closure seemed to confirm those rumors. The impending loss of this local culinary stalwart had fans pleading for what might be their last K8 ever.
But the news this week was hopeful. LEO Weekly’s Robin Garr was the first to report that Lam’s son, Phillip, has agreed to take over operations so his dad can retire, by way of Garr’s Louisville Hot Bytes website, with forum member Ron Johnson reporting he had spoken to the elder Lam about the happy development: “During dinner there last week I spoke to the owner about the sale of the restaurant and the six-week closure. Good news. Their son has decided to take over the business. They are up and running again full steam. The owner and his wife will continue to stay involved for the next several month to ensure a smooth transition to the son. So, we will continue to have [Vietnam Kitchen] for the foreseeable future.”
The Courier-Journal expanded upon this news. We don’t know yet that Phillip Lam can fill his father’s shoes as a restaurateur, but it sure beats the heck out of closing outright. And I suspect Alex and Kim Lam will be available for consultation going forward in case things get hairy.
In light of this good news, here’s an excerpt from the aforementioned book, including a few photos and bonus quotes.
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Vietnam Kitchen
All you have to do is order the “K8”
I had heard about Vietnam Kitchen for years, from people all around me. So much so, in fact, that when I finally went myself, I actually expected to be disappointed, so much was it built up. But I wasn’t, because it’s that delicious. There’s a reason it has been one of Louisville’s favorite eateries for the better part of a quarter-century in its tiny, nondescript spot in Iroquois Manor.
With light blue walls and a clean, colorful ambience, right down to the blue and white floors, it’s a treat just to walk into the place, where the aromas of a wide range of soups and noodle dishes emanate from the kitchen. When you sit down to order, be sure to read the description carefully, as most of the menu items are in Vietnamese, with English to tell you what’s in the dish. And when you order, don’t worry about trying to pronounce the dish. Just tell your server the letter and number of what you want. For instance, the bún bò xào xã, a stir-fry dish, is J4 on your menu. Just say, “J4.” Alternatively, you can simply point at a picture—menus are available with photos of the dishes, if you are more visually oriented. (This also makes it tough to choose sometimes, because it all looks so tasty—but that’s a good problem to have at any restaurant.)
You also need to be cautious of the heat. The bò … er, J4 is marked with two asterisks. One asterisk means it’s spicy. Two means it’s really spicy. A few dishes carry a three-asterisk warning—as you guessed, those dishes are really, really spicy.
Alex and Kim Lam came here in the early 1980s with a dream to bring Vietnamese cuisine to the United States. After years of hard work and saving, the Lams finally had enough to make that dream a reality and opened Vietnam Kitchen in 1993. Alex Lam, speaking at a World Refugee Day event in 2013, said they came in a boat with 146 other people—the boat was so small, there wasn’t room to lie down.
“It was like a fishing boat,” Alex Lam said. “About the size of the restaurant. We didn’t have any radio to connect to, to contact anybody. I said, ‘Just sail the boat.’”
Asked if he was frightened during the uncertain journey, he said, “Yes and no, because I [wanted] to get out, so I didn’t care.”
After five days and six nights, they arrived in Hong Kong, where they spent eight months in a refugee camp. They were resettled in Louisville by a Catholic Charities organization and began their life here.
“It was not easy at first as we were new in the business,” Alex said at the event, “but through hard work, dedication, many sacrifices, and tremendous help from my family, we have become a successful restaurant and well known throughout the community.”
SIDEBAR: Perhaps the most popular dish on the menu at Vietnam Kitchen is the hủ tiếu saté, better known as the K8 (pictured below left). Louisville food writer Robin Garr posited in 2013 that the restaurant had likely sold more than 50,000 K8s over the years and mused that a McDonald’s-esque “More Than 50,000 Sold!” sign might be a fun addition. So far, that hasn’t happened.
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