Tâm Tâm Brings Vietnamese-Style Dining to Downtown

If you're longing for a taste of Vietnam — minus the flight — look no further than Tâm Tâm.

As Miami becomes increasingly saturated with fusion-style Asian cuisine, a new restaurant from a pair of local, self-made chefs provides a welcome pivot from the city's pho-forward establishments with its quán nhậu-inspired dining.

Situated in a small strip of eateries at the corner of NW First Street and NW First Avenue, the outdoor façade may be unassuming, but the inside is anything but.

Instead, it's a bonafide time capsule of wood-paneled walls, hand-painted tabletops, and floral oilcloth upholstered barstools that boasts large street-facing windows with a full-frontal view of the Miami-Dade Courthouse steps.

Tâm Tâm was conceived by owners and partners Tam Pham and Harrison Ramhofer, a restaurant born from their mutual disappointment with Miami's Vietnamese options. And while both come from a background in hospitality, Pham — with no formal chef training — will tell you his role as chef still feels foreign.

"I've always enjoyed cooking," Pham tells New Times. "But a lot of it was, and still is, trial and error."

Over the past few years, what started as the Phamily Kitchen supper club in the couple's home has since evolved into a series of successful pop-ups throughout Miami and a partnership with restaurateur Brian Griffiths, who also owns and operates Over Under and Low Key.

Elevating a pop-up to a full-service restaurant doesn't come without its challenges. Thankfully, the duo say they had Griffiths to lead the way.

"We wouldn't have been able to do what we've done without him," says Ramhofer.

Despite its diminutive space, Tâm Tâm was created as a gathering space for large groups. The venue's previous occupant, Diana's Cafe, was considered a downtown institution, operating at the corner spot for over 20 years. Remnants of its former theme include the long, curved bar mirrored, a ventanita-style window, and a deli-style glass display case.
"When we took over the space, we wanted to pay homage and be thoughtful to preserve what was here before," says Ramhofer. "The space told us what it wanted to be."

And when the space quietly whispered "bathroom karaoke" as well, Tâm Tâm delivered. As if emerging through beaded curtains into a zebra-print wallpapered nirvana isn't alluring enough, each bathroom comes complete with karaoke mics.

"We always knew we wanted to incorporate karaoke into the restaurant somehow," says Ramhofer. "But our space is limited. I suggested the bathrooms as a joke, but everyone liked the idea, so we just went with it."

Ambiance aside, what Tâm Tâm really delivers is the food. Tam says he draws inspiration from traditional Vietnamese dishes, including his mom's cooking, while sticking to what has become the restaurant's signature mantra: drinking and food.

"It's ambiguous. It gives me a lot of creative flexibility. I can just come up with something, and as long as it's delicious, pairs well with wine, and is fun to eat," he explains. "That's drinking food."

You will get messy and sticky, but you won't regret a single bite. These dishes are meant to be eaten with your hands and without shame.

Take the Tâm Tâm chicken wings tossed in a garlic-kissed sauce that'll have you unapologetically licking your fingers.

While many dishes come and go, don't miss the signature, always-on-the-menu "Lamb Situation," wrapped and cooked in betel leaves, the cure for any spicy-sweet, chewy, crisp craving.

There are also sumptuously spiced lamb meatballs served alongside rice noodles, a heap of fresh herbs, and a fragrant nuớc chấm sauce. Or the "Jungle Steak" Wagyu tartare, plated alongside edible flowers, fresh sprigs of Vietnamese coriander, and flavored with a fire-ant salt (a Vietnamese delicacy made from blending dried fire ants with salt, chilis, and spices) that is as lovely as it is delicious.
Don't miss the owners' favorite: escarole, a street-style dish of leafy bitter greens elevated with shrimp crumbs, fresh herbs, and scallion oil.

"It's not a conventional Vietnamese dish, but when we're done, the flavors are 100 percent Vietnamese," says Ramhofer.

That very pursuit — the goal of striking the ideal marriage of authentic flavor and experience — requires the duo to source only the freshest ingredients.

"We go ourselves to local farms and Vietnamese grocers to get the betel leaves, Thai basil, and other herbs. Even the Vietnamese coffee. We insist that everything be the real thing," says Ramhofer.

To encourage drinking, a wine program has been thoughtfully curated to include all-natural, zero-intervention wines. A classically beautiful albariños or light and bright rosé are served alongside an ever-changing list of chilled reds and salty whites, presenting something for every palate.

So, what's on tap at Tâm Tâm?

"At the moment, we want to keep the concept centralized around drinking and having fun at night," says Pham. "We do have plans for lunch, but that will be part of a separate project. Adding lunch items like pho or bahn mi to the menu would change what we are."

Luckily, Tâm Tâm is unlike anything else in Miami — and aims to stay that way. What you'll get is a full-sensory experience with cuisine you can't find anywhere else. It's the type of place where you can feel the people behind it care about what they serve, the people who serve it, and the community where it's served.

Just as if you were in the family dining room — but with a lot more people to share the experience.

Tâm Tâm. 99 NW First St., Miami; 786-359-4647; tam-tam-mia.com.