Annam VL brings unique twist to Vietnamese cuisine on weekend summer nights
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A Southeast Portland restaurant is now offering a twist on its menu, with a different vibe, two nights a week.
Annam VL combines two of the owners' sons' names, An and Nam. The restaurant specializes in Vietnamese noodle soups from Wednesday through Sunday. But on Friday and Saturday nights, the kitchen on Belmont St. shifts to a different menu, and a different vibe.
"I try to be very intentional with what we serve here. We try not to serve something that's like you see a lot in other Vietnamese restaurants," said An Vuong.
Using a famous Vietnamese-American variety show known as "Paris by Night" as inspiration, the sons came up with the name "Annam by Night" for a fun and tasty concept.
An and Nam create everything from alcoholic cocktails, to ones without alcohol, like an iced coconut pandan drink, to sharable street food style dishes -- such as tôm nướng muối ớt, which is grilled shrimp with creamy lime sauce, or bột chiên, which is crispy, chewy rice cakes with eggs.
Their culinary skills stem from a family legacy that includes two other SE Portland restaurants: HA VL and Rose VL.
"We've always cooked at home. My mother taught me everything that I needed to know, and my grandma just gave me the confidence to do it for other people, for the public," An said.
This third family restaurant, which has been open for less than a year, is already feeling the love from fans.
"Belmont is amazing. We get a lot of our neighbors, even the local businesses here, they're really supportive, An said.
To share the love, the brothers use these nights as a chance to elevate others in their industry.
"We're here all summer and I'm looking to collaborate with a lot of local API businesses," An said.
Annam by Night will continue on Friday and Saturday nights through the end of August.
The brothers are already thinking about doing a winter version with ideas for cold-weather dishes like rice porridge and hot pot soup.