Family brings Vietnamese food to Folsom with new restaurant Tran Kitchen
A family of immigrants hopes to bring Vietnamese food to Folsom with a new restaurant.
Tran Kitchen, 424 E. Bidwell St., opened earlier this month and is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
The family moved to the United States in 2016 from Vietnam. It is the owner’s dream to open a restaurant, his wife, Tram Huynh, said. The owner, Henry Tran, is inspired to open the restaurant after seeing his mother work in the kitchen.
“My mom worked in restaurants back in Vietnam, moved here and was working in restaurants,” Tran said. “You kind of want to keep that going and have your own restaurant, and introduce Vietnamese food to people in Folsom.”
Tran’s mother, Son Che, is the restaurant’s head chef. While pho is a traditional Vietnamese dish on the menu, Huynh said Che’s bo kho ($16.99) is one of her favorites. Bo kho is a house-made beef stew served with noodles or as a sandwich, according to the menu.
“It’s the perfect balance between sweet and savory,” Huynh said.
Tran Kitchen is the family’s first restaurant, and they are excited to be in Folsom. Even though the family resides in south Sacramento, Huynh said, they picked the location because there’s not as many Vietnamese restaurants compared to other communities, and its proximity to key landmarks like the Folsom Premium Outlets and Folsom Lake.
“This location is in the middle of the two,” Huynh said. “There’s not many Vietnamese restaurants here.”
Tran Kitchen has appetizers like egg rolls, spring rolls, tofu salad and fish sauce wings, according to the menu. Appetizers range form $8.99 to $13.95.
House specials include bo kho and bun bo hue, which is a spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup, according to the menu. Additional entree options include pho, rice plates, vermicelli and sandwiches. Entrees range from $8.99 to $20.99, according to the menu.
Restaurant-goers can get water, soda, Thai iced tea, Vietnamese coffee, taro fresh milk, coconut juice and coconut jelly to drink. Beverages range from $2.99 to $8, according to the menu.
