Vietnamese taro soup, typically made with pork ribs and taro root in a clear broth, is a home-style dish that rarely appears on restaurant menus. On Buford Highway, you will find it at restaurants that cater to Vietnamese families seeking the flavors of home cooking. It is a humble, comforting soup that rewards those who seek it out.
Huong Viet Restaurant top-pick
Huong Viet is one of the few restaurants on the corridor that regularly offers canh khoai mon, often as a weekend special. The taro is cooked to that perfect midpoint where it is soft enough to yield but not so dissolved that it turns the broth cloudy. The pork ribs add a gentle sweetness and depth, and the clear broth is seasoned with fish sauce and a scattering of scallions. It tastes like something a Vietnamese grandmother would make.
Com Vinh Nam best-value
Com Vinh Nam includes canh khoai mon on its rotating daily specials, and when it is available, it is worth ordering. The version here is heartier than most — larger taro chunks, more rib meat, and a slightly richer broth. The taro retains its purple-tinged creaminess, and the broth carries the subtle sweetness that properly simmered pork ribs provide.
Pho 96 hidden-gem
Pho 96 occasionally features canh khoai mon as part of their home-style specials menu. Their version is straightforward and comforting — clear broth, tender taro, and pork ribs that have been simmered long enough to release their flavor into the soup. It is not always available, so check the specials board when you arrive.nnCanh khoai mon is the kind of soup that makes you feel like you are eating at a Vietnamese home — and that is the highest compliment.