40-year-old Vietnamese restaurant wins American culinary award

The Vietnamese restaurant stands among six eateries across the United States selected for the 2024 America's Classics Award, given to "locally owned restaurants that serve quality food, have timeless appeal, and reflect the character of their communities."

Vietnam Restaurant serves a variety of dishes including spring rolls and sweet and sour shrimp soup. Photo courtesy of Instagram/eatatvietnam

Established by Thuyen Luu and Nhu Lai in 1984, Vietnam Restaurant sprouted its roots just five years after the couple immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam with only $30, as noted by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The restaurant is known for its wide range of selections, including barbecue platters, crispy spring rolls, vermicelli noodle bowls, soups and stir-fries.

The James Beard Foundation hailed it as "one of Philly’s favorite date-night destinations for classic Vietnamese cuisine," and "a model of consistency for decades", as reported by Eater Philly.

The James Beard Awards, started in 1990, are among the top honors in the U.S. culinary scene, celebrating excellence in cooking, hospitality, and media.

This year's America's Classics winners join a group of over 100 honored restaurants since the category began in 1998.

The award ceremony will be held at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on June 10.