Soall Bistro Readies for Soft Opening

Work inside Village Plaza's newest restaurant, Soall Bistro, was full-steam ahead Monday afternoon as sibling owners Mia Lunt and Tan Nguyen prepared to open their doors to customers later this week. 

The Vietnamese restaurant is opening on Bessom Street in the former home of and Lunt said a "soft opening" is planned for either Thursday or Friday. A grand opening, she said, will take place in the coming weeks.

The name, like the restaurant, is rooted in family. "Soall" is a combination of Lunt and Nguyen's mother's name, Soa, and the first letters of Lunt's sons' names, Logan and Liem.

Lunt said she and her brother, Tam, set out to fulfill their dream of opening a "casual place to share comfortable Vietnamese food from their childhood."

According to an excerpt from the restaurant's web page, which is expected to launch early next week, Soall Bistro "seeks to inspire culinary creativity among its guest chefs throughout the year."

"Soall’s mission is to share a menu that is culturally diverse and eclectic using only the freshest ingredients available from local markets," according to the site.

Although she said Vietnamese food will be the "staple" of the restaurant's menu, Lunt added that daily specials and guest chefs will keep customers on their toes.

"We will be offering Wi-Fi," Lunt said. "We want this to be a place that is very casual and very comfortable. A place where people can just come to hang out."

The restaurant's menu, which Lunt said is not yet set in stone, will offer egg rolls, spring rolls, stir fry, chicken, pork and tofu dishes as well as an assortment of soups, coffees and sweet teas. The menu also includes a wide variety of wines and micro-brews.