Sunny Phanthavong
Owner, Vientiane Bistro
Philadelphia, PA
“If I had it my way, I would totally resurrect ‘Blue Tent style.’ Blue Tent helped my family survive, and that’s exactly how we have to do things sometimes.”
“There was a chainlink fence, with this blue tarp over it. You would go up to the fence, push it gently aside, and we felt like we were walking through the door into Laos.”
A memory that lives only in the hearts and minds of those fortunate enough to experience it, “Blue Tent," as known by locals, was once West Philly's speakeasy for south-asian cuisine.
Now, nearly 20 years later, owner Sunny Phanthavong tells the story of a first-generation family of immigrants and their journey from Blue Tent to Bistro.
Hello everyone!!
My name is Sunny Phanthavong, born and raised in West Philadelphia. I first got into the family business not by choice, but by necessity. It was ‘all hands on deck,’ and it was a hustle to survive.
We wanted Lao culture to live in Philly, and underground is where it lived…so that's what we did. We started a restaurant that ran for 5 years. Eventually, the business grew too big, the police began questioning our operation, and we were forced to shut down. But that didn’t stop our hustle. So in 2002, we established Vientiane Cafe.
To be honest, I never thought I'd own my own restaurant, but rather take over the family business. Fast forward to 2018, taking over the family business was still out of the question. I had to make moves to grow the family business, and my wallet. So, I put on my big-girl pants and opened up Vientiane Bistro.
I didn’t always work for my family; after some disagreement, I stepped away for a little while. I actually got hired at Forever 21 to be an assistant manager. I always had a thing for fashion and modeling, so I was content working there until I could no longer balance the new-mom life at 19 years old, and returned to my family’s business for more flexible hours.
Pandemic 2020, the year of the eye-opener! What a rude awakening! We are at a standstill instead of progressing. We are actually in fear of the upcoming winter months...will we be forced to cut staff? Will we be able to make rent each month? I’m sure these questions are on every business owner’s mind.
If I had it my way, I would totally resurrect “Blue Tent style,” which is why I started this hot chili oil side hustle to help promote myself and supplement income. Blue Tent helped my family survive, and that’s exactly how we have to do things sometimes.
Coming from Blue Tent, I definitely feel like I have maintained that home-like feel for Vientiane Bistro; it’s all I know. I know everyone by their names and what their favorite dishes are--even if you only come once a month, I will remember you. I call it my 6th sense, a gift of remembering.
I love to sharing and introducing new dishes to everyone who comes in. I can never name a favorite dish because they’re all so good! But if I must, I would choose the Naam salad. I would request this for every party as a kid and now we have it available every day!
It’s a red coconut curry rice that we fry in a ball-shape and later crumble in a mixture of lime juice, lemongrass, garlic, cilantro, scallions and topped with crushed peanuts. We eat this dish as lettuce wraps, the perfect combination of textures and flavor explosions. Yum!