A recently-closed Vietnamese restaurant will be revived for two nights only
Here's what you should know about New Dong Khanh's (brief) return to Chinatown.
When New Dong Khanh, a family-run Vietnamese restaurant that operated in Chinatown for 32 years, closed in early August, fans of the eatery wondered where they’d be able to find their new favorite bowl of pho.
But almost two months after its shutter, NDK is back — at least for a couple of days. On Sept. 29 and Sept. 30, the restaurant will pop-up at another Chinatown staple, BLR by Shojo, to bring back some of NDK’s most popular dishes.
NDK co-owner Leon Nguyen and BLR owner Brian Moy (who also owns Shojo and Ruckus, and who was a regular at NDK while it was in operation) have teamed up to resurrect the beloved restaurant, which was originally founded by Nguyen’s parents. On Sunday from 11 a.m.–8 p.m., and Monday from noon to close, diners will be able to order fan favorites like lemongrass chicken on rice, beef pho, a vermicelli bowl with fixings, and fried egg rolls. Additional dishes include a fried pork chop on rice, grilled lemongrass beef on rice, and a variety of summer rolls.
NDK will pop up at Chinatown’s BLR by Shojo.
“[We were] one of the few remaining Vietnamese restaurants that were here since the first wave of Vietnamese immigrants settled here,” Nguyen shared with Boston.com in an email. “Brian and I are both second generation owners, and Brian grew up enjoying the same food we have been pushing out for decades. He and I both agreed when we closed [that] Boston[‘s] Chinatown was missing a big part of authentic Vietnamese cuisine, and thus him and I decided it would be a great idea to bring it back so many can enjoy it again.”
This isn’t the last time that NDK will be making a comeback. When the restaurant announced its closure via Facebook on July 18, the post shared that “this is not the end, but just the beginning. We will be back soon.” Nguyen confirmed that sentiment, even hinting that a brick-and-mortar might resurface in the future.
“We want to keep a footprint in the Boston Chinatown area, so there is [a] great chance there will be other pop-up events as well as a potential new location,” wrote Nguyen. “[It’s] all in the works as we try to carry on the New Dong Khanh legacy my parents (now retired) started.”
Dine-in reservations for Sunday and Monday’s pop-up can be made on Resy; NDK’s dishes at BLR are also available for take-out.
New Dong Khanh at BLR by Shojo; 13a Hudson St., Boston; Sunday from 11 a.m.–8 p.m. and Monday from noon–supplies last; blrbyshojo.com
