Down Home Ethnic Eating
Tram's Kitchen is like having a Vietnamese mother who knows exactly how to endear you with her cooking. Tram is actually the name of the family's daughter who they struggled to rescue from Vietnam. It's quite a story but she made it and may even be your waitress while you are there.
I love the food! The most important item not to be missed are the Spring Roll appetizers. These are fresh, not fried, with vermicelli noodles, giant basil leaves and crispy vegetable shreds rolled into a thin, soft, chewy, translucent wrapper and served with a delicious peanut sauce for dipping. I swear Mrs. Tram puts something in these to make them addictive as I find myself yearning for them at all hours of the day and night.
You can't go wrong with any of the main dishes but again I have my very favorite not to be missed and that is the soup. I have never tasted such a good Sate broth and my friends swear by the Pho. The broth comes in a bowl with an assortment of wonderful rice noodles and vegetables with your choice of chicken, pork or tofu along with a plate of crunchy bean sprouts, fresh basil leaves and slices of lime that you add to your liking. In addition, there are lots of different sauces on the table to try with all of the food.
Tram's is located at 4050 Penn Avenue in between Bloomfield, Garfield, and Lawrenceville. They are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 10:00 or call ahead for a special menu or takeout: 412-682-2688.
