Jojo's Cafe is South Philly's new spot for Vietnamese coffee, Bánh mì and desserts

ByWendy Daughenbaugh WPVI logo

Monday, May 8, 2023

Jojo's Cafe is a new spot for Vietnamese coffee, Bánh mì and desserts

At Jojo's Cafe on West Passyunk Avenue, you can get nearly a dozen varieties of Bánh mi, traditional Vietnamese desserts and coffees.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- At Jojo's Cafe on West Passyunk Avenue, you can get nearly a dozen varieties of Bánh mi -- from the signature with pork, ham and liver pate; to tofu, chicken or Vietnamese pork BBQ lemongrass.

Along with the sandwiches, owner Jojo Tran makes traditional Vietnamese appetizers, like spring and summer rolls, and a homemade beef stew slow cooked in a pressure cooker.

Tran says it's so juicy and tender, it transports people back to their hometown and mom's cooking.

Tran was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City. She came to the United States with her younger sister in 2005 because, she says, there are not a lot of opportunities in Vietnam for women.

She went back to high school to learn English and then got a bachelor's degree from Temple University in finance and management information systems (MIS).

While working from home during the pandemic, she started cooking more and got rave reviews from family and friends who encouraged her to open a restaurant.

She opened Jojo's Cafe last fall, making everything from scratch. That includes desserts, like sticky rice with black-eyed peas called Che Dau Trang and sticky rice with corn, known as Che bap. The Banh bo is a sweet, salty and savory treat, made with steamed rice cakes and a coconut sauce.

Jojo's Cafe is part Vietnamese market with everything from rice snacks and jackfruit chips to ginger candy and an herbal concoction Tran calls the beauty drink.

She makes smoothies too, and she's known for her sugar cane drinks and her Vietnamese coffee-a four bean blend, served cold brew style with hazelnut cream rather than condensed milk to make it healthier.

Her goal is to have customers feel like they're walking into their own kitchen.

And though she's still working full-time for the gas company, Tran is already making plans to open an authentic Vietnamese restaurant within the next two years.