Demi’s Noodle House in Palmetto expands. The tried-and-true menu needed no changes
After 10 months in design, and another 11 months in construction, Demi’s Noodle House recently celebrated its expansion and renovation.
Added were another 1,000 square feet of space, increasing seating from 40 to 60 at the Vietnamese restaurant at 1318 10th St W, Palmetto.
One thing owners Demi and Jeff Vangen didn’t tinker with is the menu.
“Demi is in charge of the menu. We do the cooking following grandma’s recipes, and there have been no changes in those for 300 years,” Jeff Vangen said.
Demi Vangen said the project started out to add new and improved bathrooms, and then took on a life of its own.
“I love it. It’s more than I expected,” she said this week.
In addition to a new wing, the building also includes an impressive entrance, reminiscent, perhaps, of the Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City, more commonly referred to as the Saigon Market.
That’s description is close, said Jeff Vangen. He actually designed the entrance based on architectural photographs he took in Hoi An and Hue, during one of the couple’s annual visits to Vietnam.
But more than merely copying from Vietnamese architecture, Vangen blended authentic colors, and used Feng shui to seek harmony with the environment.
The couple met in Vietnam, and after a traditional Vietnamese wedding, moved to the United States in 2004.
Demi Vangen learned Vietnamese cuisine from her grandmother, and worked in other restaurants before opening Demi’s Noodle House in 2015.
Today, she still performs the chef duties at Demi’s Noodle House. The first meal she cooked on the gas stove Wednesday was beef stir fry, served with a large scoop of jasmine rice.
There are a variety of stir fry combinations, where the featured ingredient is beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, tofu or veggie.
What a lot of diners come for are the soups, such as beef noodle (pho), chicken noodle, sweet-and-sour noodle, lemongrass and ramen noodle.
The menu also features daily lunch specials, such as shrimp fried rice, chicken fried rice, and hoagie roll sandwiches, a variety of appetizers, and a childrens section. Beer and wine are available.
“We receive a lot of support in the community. We have a following of local people,” Jeff Vangen said.
Demi’s Noodle House is open 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon-9 p.m. Saturday, except for 3-5 p.m. between lunch and dinner when it is closed. The restaurant is closed on Sunday.
Dining is casual and walk-ins are welcome.
“Your noodles are waiting,” say the Vangens.
For more information, call 941-301-1212 or visit http://www.demisnoodlehouse.com/.
