Order 01! Tam Tam Spices Up Downtown
This soon-to-open Vietnamese diner will give you something to sing about.
Quán nhậu, pronounced “wan nyao,” is the Vietnamese equivalent of a pub. These are lively, casual joints that invite you to pull up a plastic stool and spend hours on end drinking, eating and letting loose with friends. Quán nhậu are central to social life in Saigon and soon Tam Tam, a quán nhậu–inspired spot, will be central to Miami’s as well.
Maybe you soaked up a drunken Wynwood night with VFC wings at their 1-800-Lucky pop-up. Or maybe you were lucky enough to snag a backyard seat at one of their Phamily Kitchen Supper Clubs. Whatever the case – including if you snoozed on it (shame, shame! 😭😉) – the aromatic, layered flavors of Tam Tam’s traditional-with-a-twist Vietnamese fare are here to stay, because Chef Tam Pham and partner Harrison (Harry) Ramhofer are opening their very first brick and mortar this summer.
Tam Tam sits in what was once a wood-paneled Cuban diner, ventanita y todo, right across from the Miami-Dade County courthouse. The wood panels, florescent deli display and ventanita still stand, but floral oilcloth table covers, Asian-ish lo-fi sounds (playlist below) and the fragrant aromas of ginger, garlic and rau răm (Vietnamese coriander) swing us back to Saigon – before your plate even hits the table.
“It was making me mad that I couldn’t find a place for Vietnamese food. I’m talking beyond Pho and Bahn Mi, typical stuff. So I started cooking a lot of Vietnamese food at home,” says Tam. Eventually his roommates, including Harry, suggested they start a supper club. “They said why don’t we have a dinner where we just charge people for the ingredients, like a communal table.” And so, in 2019, Tam and Harry hosted their very first event: seven courses for 24 people, with an everyday kitchen and only a bistro lit backyard.
Tam runs the kitchen, while Harry handles operations and, as an experienced sommelier, the wine and beer selections, too. Partners in both business and in life, they can each draw a red string back to Vietnam; Tam is from Saigon, while Harry, originally from Florida’s West Coast, lived in Hanoi for about a year and traveled throughout the country.
It’s impressive to note that Tam has no formal training as a chef, though he has honed his skills in a few kitchens since. He’s working off of pure talent, people! A prodigy walks amongst us, leaving trails of rau răm and shiso in his wake.
So, let’s talk about what you came here for: THE FOoOoD! There will be two seatings, lunch and dinner, with different menus for both occasions. Daytime will see quicker, handheld options while dinner grants you a more tapas-style experience. The menu is split into three categories: small, main and sides. For a party of two, Harry recommends three small dishes, one main dish, one side dish and a bottle of wine.
For the traditionalists, there are spring and imperial rolls, steamed mushroom rice cakes (one of Tam’s dad’s favorite recipes), grilled eggplant and a creamy, coconut milk-heavy duck curry, done in the style of his mom’s hometown in Southwest Vietnam. There are also a few hands-on dishes, like a full fried snapper or grilled pork cheeks, made to assemble with rice paper rolls or lettuce wraps, herbs and pickles. More adventurous eaters will love the steak tartar with fire ant salt. (These little critters are mighty tangy, in a way that makes you go WOoO! ) Wrap it all up with an avocado mousse for dessert.
When we sat down, we slurped through the lemongrass mussels, which were swimming in a delicious milky coconut and cilantro broth. We DEVOURED the crispy, perfectly spicy Vietnamese Fried Chicken, a true fan favorite that people would Uber Eats by the bucketload during their 1-800-Lucky days. We washed it down with a soju tonic (try it at home!), while of course, getting into the subject of drinking. Quán nhậu fare is meant to soak up alcohol as much as it is to leave room for it, after all.
“Vietnamese food has a lot of flavors, so it’s about drinkability,” says Harry. “Go with light, maybe low ABV wines. You don’t want to pair a curry with something heavy.”
The beer list will feature Vietnamese and local brews, but the wine list is where it’s at. It’s dotted with plenty of natural and biodynamic options, as well as whites, chilled reds and rice wines. If you’re looking for something to carry you from start to finish, Harry recommends a crooner; it’s easy to drink, well balanced and medium-bodied. But if you’re more of a red, the sangiovese and gamay are excellent options.
Exotic lunch crunches, post civil ceremony celebrations (it faces the courthouse, after all), Vietnamese iced coffee to go from la ventanita, or standing weekly dinners with friends – Tam Tam is a perfect place to try Vietnamese fare, no reservations required.
Actually ordering takeout?! Here’s a playlist from the restaurant to help you turn up when you turn in.
Go on, get into to some trouble. Here are some upcoming events, openings and things Nat & Ash are excited about in the upcoming weeks.
Grab the popcorn – and some sunscreen. Rooftop Cinema Club has officially opened, and we’re ready to binge the classics all summer long.
BOGO SANDOS?! We’ve been hearing good things about this Gables deli, and right now, you can get two for the price of one.
Ya girl’s favorite fried chicken spot is open again. Head on over to Rosie’s this weekend for biscuits and “Southern American” fare.
MAGNUM MANIS. Yep, you read that right. Magnum ice cream has collaborated with Nails.INC to launch chocolate-scented nail polishes. Head to the Generator Miami Hotel in Sobe on July 8th and 9th from 2pm to 8pm for nail art and ice cream-inspired cocktails.