Taste With Tori: Hen Vietnamese Eatery Brings 'Modernized Flare' To Traditional Family Recipes

Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook  | Twitter

CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBS) -- A childhood dream comes to life at one Cherry Hill restaurant. Vittoria Woodill visited Hen Vietnamese Eatery to show us how two friends have joined forces to put a new spin on their parents' recipes.

Stirring up a tornado of flavors on your taste buds is Hen Vietnamese Eatery, a strip mall stop taking new spins on what mom and dad brought back from Vietnam.

"A lot of the technique is from my mom, I grew up in the kitchen, he grew up in the kitchen," Tam Phung said.

"Their food is good, but we twist it up with modernized flare." Andrew Ma said.

It's owned by Phung and Ma, who built every interior detail by hand.

"Even the lamp, we made ourselves," Ma said.

The duo had a dream in mind that goes way back to the Kensington neighborhood in Philadelphia where they grew up.

"We spoke about it when we were hanging out as kids, and then we left it on the backburner, we reconnected and this came about," Ma said.

Taste With Tori: Catahoula Brings Taste Of New Orleans To South Philadelphia

While it's been hard work, for them, the name says it all.

"'Hen' in Vietnamese means 'lucky' and we feel really lucky to be together and be in the community," Phung said.

The duo serves up steamed rice cakes.

Next, a golden noodle bowl with pork riblets, quail eggs and veggies.

And finally, rotisserie chicken served with its own juices.