By Alex Lopez
Outstanding hospitality and great food keeps loyal customers coming back to NiBi Pho Bistro, which serves the best Vietnamese home-made soup in the City of Commerce. NiBi Pho’s Bistro is set in the Citadel Outlet Mall food court where a variety of restaurants are also found.
Being the only Vietnamese restaurant in the court, this place stands out from the rest promoting loyalty to all incoming customers daily. The small and cozy interior allows customers to sit and enjoy the view of the patio outside of the restaurant. NiBi provides chairs, stools and table sitting for only a few customers inside, hence the patio serves to the majority of people repeatedly coming back for the great food and service of this bistro.
During the slight wait time for the order to be ready, customers get the opportunity to view all the food being grilled and prepared. This may also entertain clients as they wait for their food. The menu includes of 17 meals and more. The items are divided in four categories of meats: beef, pork, chicken and shrimp.
The options are served in different dishes such as noodle soup, vermicelli, rice, salad and their new baguette sandwich. Spring rolls and egg rolls are also served as appetizers on the menu.
For vegetarians, simply specify no meat and the plate will be made a special order. Instead of meat, they have tofu and egg pancake as replacement to complement the meal.
NiBi has a variety of beverages on the menu including water, soda, teas, smoothies and boba is an option to drink. Anyone who knows and has tasted boba drinks needs to try these because they are simply the best.
When thinking about its name, some people might ask why “NiBi?” It is quite an original and unique name for a business being the first NiBi Pho Bistro in the country even the world. Tony and Olivia Nguyen are the owners of the one and only NiBi Pho Bistro.
They have two sons who also take part in running the successful restaurant. Ni and Bi are the Vietnamese nicknames of the two sons. Tony and Olivia decided to combine Ni and Bi together to create the family owned business name “NiBi.”
Pho is the type of food Olivia specialized in making at home since Vietnam, and “people love her food” said Tony. Tony also said “we use the exact recipes cooked at home, all natural so its got to be good.” Olivia makes her own mayonnaise and salad dressing, giving the baguette sandwich and salads much more flavor.
Tony is in charge of the business aspects in general. Tony surprisingly attended ELAC for only two semesters in 1979.
The favorite meal of choice for the average customer is the rice noodle soup, serving about 50 percent of the customers in an overall day. Tony also mentioned that he has seen customers “drink to the last drop of soup,” which has been an encouragement for the family to continue making Pho at work just like they make at home.
A bistro is a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting and NiBi Pho Bistro portrays it at its best. Located on 150 Citadel Dr. #F in the City of Commerce, NiBi serves and welcomes customers from the citadel outlets, businesses nearby, the community and even visitors from around the country.
People continue coming to the inviting family bistro as it is place of hospitality, great food and great people. Its business hours run seven days a week from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. all year except on Black Friday, November 25 when it was open for 24 hours. On Christmas it will be closed which is the only day the mall closes.
Otherwise, Olivia will be working “every day” of the year. She said thanks to Christmas she has one day off all year long. Call in an order now by calling phone number (323) 888-8526. Olivia, Tony, Ni and Bi will be more than happy to take your order. Also, ELAC students will receive a 10 percent discount with an I.D.
