XL 2004 Dining Guide

Sisters Tâm Bui and Tran Ngoc know the flavors of Vietman

Photos by Ricardo B. Brazziell/AA-S
Tâm Bui, left, and Tran Ngoc reflect Vietnam's influences in their food. Above, the banh mi thit nuong sandwich is grilled pork on French-style bread, and French cream puffs are a specialty of Tâm's.

It came down to this: Open a restaurant or a dry-cleaning place.

Sisters Tâm Bui and Tran Ngoc chose food, a decision that has been a boon to fans of Vietnamese fare ever since.

Their Tâm Deli & Cafe, on Lamar Boulevard just north of U.S. 183, is a bright, sparkling little spot for a wide range of Vietnamese food that reflects influences from across Southeast Asia and the region's former colonial power, France.

That cuisine isn't something they created or studied; it's what they grew up with in Vietnam.

They're serving it now in Austin because of an unusual set of circumstances.

In the early 1970s, Tran was a student at the University of Texas during the height of the Vietnam War. After the fall of Saigon, she found sponsors for family members, allowing her father, two brothers, future husband and sister Tâm to relocate to Austin in 1975.

The sisters moved into space that had been occupied by a Vietnamese restaurant and expanded the menu significantly, sticking to the simpler dishes they knew well.

"This is very basic Vietnamese food that we eat at home," Tâm says. "We don't try to make it fancy."

Of course, fancy is in the eye of the beholder.

There are many customers who would put Tâm's cream puffs in that category, especially those who order the delicate pastries for weddings or other special events.

One of the first things that Tâm does every morning -- she and Tran are there by 7 a.m. six days a week -- is to prepare the cream puffs. She typically makes 120, and most days they are gone by 3 p.m. On a recent Saturday, she made 650 to fill special orders.

Tâm and Tran have even been known to work on their one day off to cater items for their regular patrons.

"The best thing about this kind of business is you get to know the customers," Tâm says. "If they like something, they tell you, and that makes us very happy."
-- Dale Rice