Inside Món Việt Cafe’s modern, wood-accented dining room, diners slurp their way through the Phan family’s past. Rich, aromatic phở broth arrives steaming-hot in stone bowls, with noodles and meat served on the side.
Arlington has no shortage of Vietnamese restaurants, but the family behind Món Việt — which translates to “Vietnamese dishes” — takes pride in its recipes’ origin. A portrait of Kimem “Mama” Duong hangs beside the story of more than 200 recipes she memorized and passed down to her five daughters.
In 2016, the sisters opened one of Bến Thành Plaza’s first few businesses on East Pioneer Parkway to share their mother’s recipes. The shopping center has since grown into a thriving Vietnamese market.
Manager Bảo Anh Phan, one of the sister’s daughters, arrived in the U.S. that year at 15. She spent weekends wiping utensils, cutting vegetables and toasting bread in the kitchen’s heat. Phan didn’t know how to cook, but watching customers enjoy the food made her want to learn, she said…