He may have been born in Vietnam, he may be proud of his heritage and eager to share his culture with his many friends, but Benny Lai is a regular Philadelphia guy.

Benny, who left his native land with his parents and siblings in 1978, spent nine months in a refugee camp in Malaysia, then came to Philadelphia in October, 1979. Raised in West Philadelphia where his parents opened a grocery store, he attended junior high at Greenfield and high school at Lamberton High in the Overbrook section before attending Temple University. But even as a kid, Benny was helping out in the family business, working part-time as a dishwasher and busboy at the family's restaurant, Vietnam in Philadelphia's Chinatown. Then, when one of the servers and a kitchen worker left the restaurant, Benny quit school to help his mother and brother run the place. The three of them took care of everything for as long as they could. They would toil in the kitchen, where one day a week, they would make 500 spring rolls. But it was Benny's dream to make more of them; in the future, he hoped, they would have to make spring rolls every day! Then, in 1988, they were able to hire a kitchen staff.

Benny had big ideas. In 1990, he purchased the building, expanded upstairs, and built a new kitchen where the back yard used to be. In 1996, he bought the building next door, and that's when things really got cooking. One afternoon, his friend, artist and Chinatown resident Jesse Gardner, started sketching his ideas for a restaurant design, inspired by evocative photos he had taken of French colonial architecture in Vietnam. Benny liked what he saw, and he knew he was ready for the next step. In 1999, the renovations began in earnest. With Jesse's help, Benny Lai transformed Vietnam into 145 square feet of great visual style and dining pleasure.

And by the way, Vietnam turns out 5,000 spring rolls each week. Benny's dream has come true.

If you’ve been to our restaurant, you’ve surely noticed Tina Lai. She’s Benny’s sister, the woman with the charming smile and the welcoming personality. Born in Vietnam, the youngest member of the family of 10, Tina grew up in West Philadelphia. And upon graduation, she dedicated herself to helping the family with the growing empire, first in the West Philadelphia retail operation and then in the restaurant.