New Vietnamese bistro opens in Warner Robins. Seafood is the specialty 

Quang Pham is a colorful character.

The 75-year-old Vietnamese native likes to wear a black special forces beret with the Latin motto translated into English as, “From Oppression We Will Liberate Them.”

He enjoys painting in oils. He’s a self-proclaimed freelance journalist, and he also said he’s skilled in electrical, plumbing and air conditioning work.

He’s made a lifetime in opening and operating restaurants, serving as the chief cook, and teaching others to do the same.

His latest venture

On June 10, Pham opened Saigon Bowl, a new authentic Vietnamese bistro in Warner Robins that he owns and operates with his wife of 15 years, Thao Le. They live about 3 miles from the restaurant.

The restaurant is at 810 Ga. 96, Suite 600/700, in the former 96 Vietnamese Cuisine location in the Century Market Plaza that also houses Cinnaholic, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Another Broken Egg Cafe, Jeremiah’s Italian Ice and more.

Pham’s also planning to open, with a business partner, a new restaurant, De Nhat Lau & Oc, near the Hong Kong Market in the Atlanta area.

He opened his first restaurant, long since closed, “right on the pier” of Newport Beach, California, in 1986, he said.

‘Everybody likes the seafood’

Of all of his various talents, Pham is a master in the kitchen — insisting on preparing a savory lobster dish called “tom hum rang muoi,” or lobster roasted with salt, on a recent Telegraph visit to the restaurant.

The dish involves pre-salting lobster pieces, then adding them to butter with bell peppers and onions to a skillet that’s tossed over high heat while sprinklings of seasoned salt are added.

“I cook very good seafood, so everybody likes the seafood,” Pham said.

Le, whom he taught how to make the dishes, also cooks in the restaurant.

In its soft opening phase, the restaurant currently offers a limited menu of appetizers, Vietnamese soup dishes known as pho, rice paper rolls, vermicelli noodle dishes and rice plates.

The chicken pho includes white chicken, pho noodles and a special chicken broth. Chili oil that’s on the table can be added to spice up the dish.

The shrimp rice paper rolls are served with a peanut sauce, and the fried vegan spring rolls come with a sweet and sour sauce. The chili oil, peanut and sweet and sour sauces are housemade.

The restaurant has been experiencing some hiccups since first opening, including issues with its internet service with its payment and phone systems tied in to the service. The bistro also has been short on staff.

More authentic dishes coming soon

Once all the kinks are worked out, the restaurant is expected to start offering its extensive full menu that includes a host of appetizers, rice and noodle dishes, Vietnamese sandwiches called banh mi, special seafood dishes made with lobster, crab or prawns, house special soups, salads, more pho choices, chicken wings, fish and salmon, and noodle stir fried plates.

The menu also includes a wide selection of smoothies, frappes, lemonades, fruity teas, Coca-Cola products as well as fresh squeezed orange juice and nuoc mia, a calamansi sugar cane drink.

Pham chose to name the restaurant Saigon Bowl because most people are familiar with the largest city in Vietnam, the former Saigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City, and are likely to associate Vietnamese cuisine with bowl dishes, he said.

He was asked to share some dishes that first-timers to Vietnamese cuisine should try.

“Pho is very good,” Pham said. “I believe that people like it.”

The soft opening menu includes eight varieties of pho, including beef and steak options, seafood and shrimp choices as well as a chicken and a vegan offering. Additional pho options on the full menu include lobster, Wagyu beef and oxtails.

From the full menu, Pham also suggested trying the “com bo nuong,” which is barbecue short ribs, the “my xao hai san,” which is the seafood stir fried noodle dish, and the “my soi lon xao dau hu,” which is tofu lo mein.

Pham also recommended all of the special seafood dishes.

The bistro, which retained the tables and booths of the former restaurant, can seat about 40 people. Pham said he plans to hang some of his oil paintings inside.

“I never advertise a lot,” Pham said. “People come by, stop by, and say, ‘Wow,’ and talk to their friends.”

The restaurant hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The phone number is 478-359-3005. The restaurant has received 4.6 stars based on nine Google reviews as of Friday.

This story was originally published June 23, 2025 at 6:00 AM.