Stratford’s TD Vietnam Palace celebrated its new ownership on Dec. 12 with a ribbon cutting and luncheon for members of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce.
Located at the Stationhouse Square shopping plaza at 2505 Main St., the restaurant is known for having a railroad caboose which makes up part of the dining area. The TD in the restaurant’s name once stood for “Tom and Dina” Nguyen, who converted the former diner into a Vietnamese restaurant and owned it until Kate Sun and husband Ming Lin became the current owners.
“We actually took over eight months ago,” Sun admitted as the staff served a selection of popular lunch items including spring rolls, desserts, and other light fare. “But we were slowly setting everything up to get ready. We treat it like a home. We really put our efforts into it, me and my husband.”
Sun said she was excited to reopen the caboose for dining, as well as provide an updated and expanded menu featuring vegetarian and vegan options alongside rotating desserts and a bigger emphasis on the dine-in experience. A liquor license also distinguishes the new ownership and helps build the atmosphere of the cozy eatery.
Sun also noted improvements to the takeout experience which makes up a significant part of the business, such as providing reusable bowls for to-go orders instead of packing pho in a cheaper cylindrical container.
“It’s family,” Sun explained when asked what motivated the couple’s decision to take ownership of the Palace. “We have a five-year-old son, and we want to provide him with all the best, so we started our new business so we can have more time to spend with the family. Even from the start it takes time to build up the business, but I think we’ll definitely keep doing better.”
According to Sun, the Stratford business community has been both supportive and welcoming and she appreciated the personal interest local officials have taken, including Mayor Laura Hoydick, who encouraged the couple to host the belated ribbon cutting.
“I always love sharing good news,” Hoydick explained. “And they’ve had a really successful transition from Tom and Denise to Kate and Lin. Their food’s delicious and they’ve improved the establishment. You can have wine or beer with dinner or even lunch now and they’re opening up the caboose again. They just seem like a really great couple. It’s a great business opportunity for them and we want them to be successful.”
Hoydick characterized the ribbon cutting as a continuation of the city’s successful Shop Small and Shop Local campaigns coordinated by the economic development office in November.
“We need to continue that throughout the whole year because, obviously, our small business is the mainstay of our economy here,” she said. “Businesses like TD Vietnam are really what Stratford’s all about.”
Hoydick also observed that TD Vietnam contributed to the diverse dining options across Stratford.
“We have another Vietnamese Restaurant up at the north end of town, several Chinese restaurants, with a Jamaican restaurant, and a Turkish restaurant,” she continued. “We are used to different types of foods, and we love that uniqueness. I think because of the quality of their food and their establishment here in the shopping center I think Kate and Lin stand a really good chance of being successful.”
