Canh khoai môn — Vietnamese taro soup with pork ribs — is a home-style dish that rarely appears on restaurant menus in Philadelphia. It's the kind of thing Vietnamese families make at home, not typically what they order out. Still, a few of the full-menu Vietnamese restaurants in South Philly will have it or can make it upon request.
Nam Phuong top-pick
Nam Phuong's massive menu is the most likely place to find taro soup in Philadelphia. Their family-style approach covers the home-cooking dishes that smaller menus skip. When taro soup is available, it's a warming, slightly thickened broth with soft taro chunks and pork ribs — the definition of Vietnamese comfort food.
Vietnam Restaurant best-value
Vietnam Restaurant's four-decade-old menu has weathered many seasonal rotations, and taro soup sometimes appears as a special. The kitchen's skill with pork-based soups — their oxtail and clay pot dishes prove it — means they can execute the dish properly when it's on. Ask your server about daily soups.
Vietnam Cafe hidden-gem
Vietnam Cafe maintains a similarly extensive menu to its Chinatown sibling. Their lemongrass beef soup and duck noodle soup demonstrate comfort-food expertise, and their soup (soup) section occasionally includes taro-based options. It's a neighborhood spot where regulars know to ask about off-menu home-style dishes.nnTaro soup is everyday Vietnamese cooking — the kind of dish Vietnamese grandmothers make, not the kind that gets Instagram attention. But these three kitchens can deliver it when the craving hits.
Recipe for This Dish
Learn how to make authentic Canh Khoai Mon at home with our curated recipe collection.
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