In Germantown, full-service restaurants and cafés are a rarity, often coming and going with clockwork regularity. Residents still reminisce about the Ellen Rose, which closed almost 30 years ago. This may account for the palpable excitement on Germantown social media about the soft opening July 19 of Das Good Café at 322 W. Chelten Ave., former home to Rose Petals Café, which closed in 2018.

The contemporary Asian, Hawaiian-American fusion restaurant's eclectic menu reflects the wartime journeys of owner Anh Vongbandith and her husband and head chef, Anou, who traveled to the United States as young children from Vietnam and Laos, respectively.

Neighbors familiar with their other spot, Tipsy Café & Catering on Germantown Avenue, now strictly offering catering and school lunches, "already know our flavors and foods reflect my origins as a Vietnamese-American raised in Hawaii, combined with Anou's Laotian roots with a touch of Florida and Philly," Anh said. "We want our guests to feel like they are on a culinary journey."

Anh grew up in Hawaii, Anou in California, both influenced by hardship, hard work and a sprinkling of luck. Serendipity brought them to Philadelphia in the 1990s, where they met working at the Bellevue Hotel.

"We didn't date then since I was his boss, no dating," Anh laughed. "Still his boss now."

Anou, who had always worked in server and management positions, "just loves" the chance to run his own kitchen.

Anh, who develops the recipes and does the tasting, has always been interested in food – and creating and running a business. 

"Because my mother's mother was a farmer and her father a fisherman, my mom knew how to forage," Anh explained. "She cut fern and bamboo shoots. She made a hammock, hung it between two coconut trees, put me in it and fished all day."

That fish became a family staple.

"We would eat the fish, pickle it, sell it, barter or trade it, whatever it took," Anh said. "I grew up eating from the hooter to the tooter, taught never to waste anything. Weekends were fishing, rolling egg rolls, foraging, baking. Mom made more selling food than her job at a nursing home."

Due to a lack of good jobs in Hawaii, Anh said, she and a friend opted to go in search of greener pastures.

"We flipped a coin – it landed in Philly," Anh said. "We started out as ice cream dippers in South Philly sleeping on blankets on the floor."

It wasn't long before she'd enrolled in a restaurant and institutional management course at the Community College of Philadelphia, and is now three classes shy of a marketing degree from Temple University’s Fox School of Business.

"We are used to hard work," Anh said. "My philosophy is if you wake up with a smile you are in the right place. We do get tired, but we are excited. I love people. We love to cook. The coolest part is when you see that first bite, and they smile, and their head nods."

They are serious about the quality of the food. They cut their own fries and chips daily and make their own sauces, marinades and spice mixes. The burgers are a full half-pound of meat, and the shrimp and salmon are wild-caught. They also offer gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian items plus handcrafted teas and flavored coffees.

"We have no microwave because everything is cooked to order in 12 minutes or less," Anh said.

The restaurant is BYOB but can and will make a mean "mocktail" to drink by itself or to use as a mixer. Happy hour, which offers $1 off all appetizers and a $5 burger, is Monday through Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m.

The cafe is planning a grand opening on Thursday, Aug. 8, with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m.

"We invite everyone to stop by from open to close for free samples, and to meet the team," Anh said. "It's 10% off checks all day."

Meanwhile, customer reaction to the cafe's soft opening has been overwhelmingly positive.

Jennifer Woodfin, manager of Mt. Airy's Big Blue Marble bookstore said her family's brunch was fantastic. "I had been craving a local breakfast place and look forward to trying the rest of the menu."

"I had a chicken cheesesteak with chips, and they gave me a complimentary spring roll plus a refreshing fruit drink," said landscaper Nickolson Jeantel, who rolled up with his crew on day one. "I've been back three times. The food is amazing, the chef is cool and they know me by name. Just a great atmosphere."

Jeantel did his part to help them prosper by posting about his experience in a Germantown Facebook group. Other posts soon followed, prompting Direct Care worker Nadine Powell to try it for lunch.

"The grits were just right; the shrimps well-seasoned, and the service was great," she said. "Everyone was friendly. Prices are fair. I will be going back."

Das Good Café is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday brunch only, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit  dasgoodcafe.com.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled the name of the chef. It is Anou. Vongbandith, not Anu.