In 1980, Hoàng Lâm Flamenco was 24 years old and living in Vietnam. That year, like millions of refugees trying to survive in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, she boarded a boat, leaving her birthplace on a dangerous journey to a new home.
She eventually settled in St. Louis, finding a place that has welcomed refugees and immigrants from many parts of the world. In the decades since her arrival, she has made her mark here — especially in the realm of Vietnamese food.
In 1992, Lâm Flamenco opened a Vietnamese restaurant, Truc Lam. The restaurant’s long operation, as well as the dramatic journey its owner took to get to St. Louis, have made it “a fixture of the Tower Grove South neighborhood,” according to food writer Ileana Martinez, who profiled Lâm Flamenco in the latest issue of Sauce Magazine.
“It took a very hardworking person who went in, day in and day out, almost every single day for the past 30-plus years. She also had a lot of support from her family,” Martinez said Tuesday on St. Louis on the Air.
The menu, which once included over 300 items, was steadily reduced to around 100 dishes over the following decades. Martinez praised Lâm Flamenco’s take on Bánh mì. She also noted Truc Lam’s “massive serving” of traditional Vietnamese noodle soup:
“You can't go wrong with the pho,” she said.
Featured in this conversation:
- Truc Lam (3737 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, MO 63116)
To learn more about Truc Lam, Vietnamese cuisine in St. Louis, and to hear from Truc Lam owner Hoàng Lâm Flamenco, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our
