Gabriella’s Vietnam has a few more months left on East Passyunk Avenue before one of Philadelphia’s most acclaimed Vietnamese restaurants closes its doors. The restaurant is being displaced by a real-estate sale, but chef-owner Thanh Nguyen is searching for a new home rather than abandoning the concept. For regulars, that leaves a finite window for lemongrass clams, catfish hot pot and other regional dishes before this South Philly chapter ends.
Nguyen began looking for another location last fall after the building was sold, according to The Inquirer. Gabriella’s has continued operating under a month-to-month lease, and an agreement with the new owners will allow it to remain open through mid-December. Nguyen is also hoping the next location can accommodate a full liquor license and a larger cocktail and bar-snack program.
A Himalayan Restaurant Is Planned For The Passyunk Space
The incoming owners, Bharat Bist and Gigi Giri, plan to open an unnamed Himalayan restaurant in the building in early 2027, The Inquirer reports. The couple operates Mount Masala in Voorhees and Nepali Momo Kitchen in Spring Garden, and their new menu is expected to pair Mount Masala’s hearty stews with Nepali Momo Kitchen’s steamed momos. Giri described the project simply: “I have a dream to do something different.”
Gabriella’s Vietnam opened in 2021 in the former home of Saté Kampar and quickly became a standout on the East Passyunk dining corridor. Visit Philadelphia highlighted the restaurant for bringing dishes from chef Thanh Nguyen’s native Saigon to the neighborhood, including vermicelli platters, sizzling catfish and steamed water fern dumplings.
Nguyen’s Restaurant Story Is Moving, Not Ending
Gabriella’s earned national attention for pushing Philadelphia diners beyond the familiar pho-and-bánh-mì shorthand and toward the regional breadth of Vietnamese cooking. Its next location is still unknown, so the restaurant’s fans have a practical reason to keep an eye on Nguyen’s search: the Passyunk address has an expiration date, but the chef’s ambitions clearly do not.
