By Benjamin Ramos http://Sofritoinmysoul.blogspot.com
Mom-and-pop restaurants are the
culinary backbone of our communities. Often overlooked and
underestimated, these restaurants serve us comfort food, give us a place to
relax, and provide sanctuary from the stress of daily life. They allow us to
reconnect with our community and with ourselves. Any time I need that
type of TLC, I go to Com Tam Ninh Kieu and indulge myself in the amazing
flavors of Vietnam.
Located in Kingsbridge Heights
in the Northwest Bronx, Com Tam Ninh Kieu is a small mom-and-pop Vietnamese
restaurant on Jerome Avenue; this section of the neighborhood is home to a
small community of Vietnamese and Thai immigrants. The decor is simple:
there are 9 tables; a take out counter; and a large flat screen TV mounted on
the right wall. The restaurant is clean, simple and comfortable.
It’s a wonderful place to talk with friends, read, or write a review.
Com Tam Ninh Kieu's patrons
are a cross section of the neighborhood. On any given night, you can
overhear conversations in English, Vietnamese, Spanish or certain West African
languages. This diverse clientele speaks volumes about their food and
ambiance.
Like many other mom-and-pop
restaurants, your dishes are cooked to order so service will be slow.
This is part of Com Tam Ninh Kieu's charm! Don't look at it as your food taking a long time to cook. See it
for what it really is: your food is being artfully crafted by wonderful chefs
who are taking their time to cook you a delicious meal.
The last time I visited, my
server was an older woman whose toothy smile and welcoming demeanor set the
tone for a wonderful visit. I couldn't
help, but think of her as my Vietnamese abuelita (Grandmother in Spanish and
pronounced “ah-bweh-lee-tah”). All of
Com Tam Ninh Kieu’s wait staff is attentive and welcoming.
As I looked over the menu, my
abuelita said, “A big boy like you needs good food…soup… or pork chops.” I love
pork chops more than anything or anyone, but I wasn’t in the mood for pork so I
carefully perused the menu for the right order. Com Tam Ninh Kieu’s menu is divided into eight sections: Khai Vi
(Appetizers), Pho Bo (16 Beef Noodle Soups), Pho Kho (3 Beef Stews), Pho Ga (4
Chicken Rice Noodle Soups), Mi (2 Egg Noodle Soups), Dac Biet Hai San (3
Special Seafood), Bun (7 types ofVermicelli), and Com Dia (11 Rice Plates with
Pork Chops, Beef or chicken).
As I looked over the appetizers,
the words “Vietnamese Fried Egg Rolls” caught my famished eyes. According to my
abuelita, they’re made fresh everyday and are, “…very good!” Intrigued, I
decided to order them; she smiled and assured me I would love them. The
Appetizers section also features: Fresh Spring Rolls (Clear rice paper rolls
with vegetables and shrimp); Fish cakes (Breaded fish patties fried with herbs
and spices); and Shrimp cakes (breaded shrimp patties made with herbs and
spices).
As I tasted the egg rolls-5 to
an order- I realized my abuelita was wrong!
The egg rolls weren’t good; they were amazing! Warm and crispy,
the rice paper wrap made a delightful crunch as I bit into them. The
moist stuffing (ground pork and chicken with mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, and
kohlrabi) was savory and delicious. A tangy dipping sauce (a mix of
vinegar, chili paste, and garlic) was paired with the rolls, which added a
wonderful heat and acidic flavor to the dish.
My abuelita asked me what I
thought of the egg rolls; she beamed with pride as I complimented the delicious
appetizer. She told me they were made from a special family recipe.
I asked her what made them special and she gave me a sly toothy smile and
replied it was a secret. She snickered, tussled my hair, and then asked
for my dinner order.
Com Tam Ninh Kieu’s dinner
menu features an enormous selection of soups, stews and rice plates.
Their most popular dish is the Pho Bo (pronounced “fuh bah”), a traditional
Vietnamese soup made with white rice noodles in clear beef broth, green and
white onions and slim cuts of beef (such as steak, fatty flank, lean flank,
brisket, tendon, tripe, or meatballs). Their menu features 16 varieties of Pho
Bo each with a different combination of beef cuts.
My abuelita
recommended the Special Combo #2, which is a Pho Bo that combines all the
beef cuts together in one soup. She
said it was their most popular Pho and assured me it was delicious. Like any good grandson, I followed her
advice and ordered the Special Combo #2.
Served with a side dish of
bean sprouts, basil, lemon and jalapeño pepper slices, the soup was served
piping hot in a large bowl; the portion is generous to say the least. The
addition of Hoisin sauce (a Vietnamese/Chinese condiment made from soybean
paste, garlic, chilies, various spices, sugar and vinegar) and Red Chili paste
added a wonderful sweet and spicy seasoning to the already savory beef
broth. The plentiful beef cuts were
tender and delicious. The bean sprouts, basil and jalapeños provided a nice
crunchy texture, in contrast to the long soft rice noodles. The Pho was simple, delicious and
satisfying; I could see why it’s a neighborhood favorite.
Com Tam Ninh Kieu might be
hard to pronounce, but the food speaks very clearly for itself. So if you are interested in delicious South
East Asian food, then head up to the North West Bronx and visit Com Tam Ninh
Kieu! Remember to say hi to my abuelita!
Go taste for yourself! ¡Buen provecho!
Com Tam Ninh Kieu
2641 Jerome Ave
Bronx, NY 10468
(718) 365-2680
HOURS: Open 7
days from 9am-10pm.
ATMOSPHERE: Casual, warm, fun and inviting.
SERVICE: Good.
SOUND LEVEL: Conversational.
KID FRIENDLY: Yes.
RECOMMENDED DISHES: Pho Bo.
BEVERAGES: Vietnamese hot coffee, ice coffee, and
various sodas.
