Iron Chef Vietnam Brings Grab & Go Food Shop to Gaslamp

One of Eater's most anticipated spring openings is Sovereign Vietnamese Kitchen + Bar, the modern Vietnamese restaurant from Alex Thao (Rama, Lucky Liu's) that's a comeback of sorts for master chef Michael 'Bao' Huynh, who is known as the official Iron Chef Vietnam and once had several acclaimed restaurants in New York City.

Sovereign is scheduled to open in mid-May, in the former Royal Thai space at 467 5th Avenue in the Gaslamp, but you'll be able to taste Huynh's cuisine sooner than that. Food Shop, a casual component of the concept, will debut on Friday, May 8. The grab and go eatery will be open at 11 a.m. on weekdays with extended late night hours on the weekend.

Food Shop's menu ranges from spring and summer rolls to varieties of pho and bowls of vegetables, noodles or rice topped with everything from chili shrimp to organic tofu. Chef Hunyh previously ran a group Vietnamese sandwich shops in NYC called Baoguette, deemed as having the "Best Sandwich of America" by GQ Magazine; Food Shop will also feature his take on banh mi, from the classic rendition with pate and cold cuts to BBQ beef or chicken, with an optional fried egg.