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.