The Thien Van Restaurant at 179-181 Keira St, which is located just down from the Regent Theatre, is operated by sisters Tuyet Van Lam and Wendy, and is for them a lifetime ambition fulfilled.
Both admit to having a love of cooking from an early age, they snapped up the chance to get right into the business when the premises became available.
Tuyet came to Australia from Vietnam in 1984 and went to school mainly to study English before she worked for a manufacturing company. She moved to Wollongong in 2005. Wendy arrived in our city in 2000 and worked as a waitress and in a kitchen. Their decision to come to Wollongong was influenced by their mother who earlier visited the city and loved it so much she decided this was the place to live.
The new restaurant is open seven days a week from 11am until late and has a BYO alcohol licence. They are presently working on a new menu for home deliveries, and there are specials for pensioners too.
Among the specials on the extensive menu are a range of tasty soups, but the favourites among customers include beef rice noodle soup and the king prawns and vermecilli hot pot.
Other favourites the sisters suggest are the Shang Tung shredded chicken and salt and spicy quail with fish.
And that’s not to mention the Thai basil chilli chicken, lemon grass pork chop with rice, a crispy skin chicken with tomato rice, a spring roll with vermecilli, the wonton and barbecue noodle soup and salt and spicy “soft shell crab”.
Meals range from $6.50 to $8.50 for lunch and you can purchase dinner for up to $14.80 which would buy you hot and garlic scallops.
There’s also a range of tasty omelettes including King Prawn and vegetable, and for the vegetarian there’s steamed vegetables in oyster sauce, stirred fried vegies with garlic sauce or stir fried Gailan in ginger sauce.
And for the kids the meals range from crispy chicken with chips to battered fish and chips.
Both sisters say that despite the difficult economic times people are still going out for dinner, particularly to eateries that are affordable and the Thien Van Restaurant certainly fits that bill.
You can make a booking or order a takeaway by phoning the restaurant on 4225 2888. | 
