First Look: Four Sisters From-Scratch Vietnamese Kitchen Reopens

Chef Tuan Pham has reopened his renowned restaurant Four Sisters —Taste of Vietnam, a once-celebrated and highly sought-after restaurant in Fort Worth.

From its inception, Four Sisters' reputation was built on a warm atmosphere and inviting menu of fiery Southeast Asian flavors. Like many of our favorite eateries, Four Sisters was plagued by the pandemic. But with the help of a loyal following, Pham rode out tumultuous waves of inflation, labor shortages and social distancing.

Although things were looking up, he closed the doors of the original location on Main Street in Fort Worth in 2022 and reopened on Broad Street in a bustling part of Mansfield in the fall of 2023. This new location is a refreshing contrast to the mundane and uninspiring nearby chain-gang restaurants. The dining room is modern and chic, both timeless and current, a great spot for a first date or an impromptu meet-up with friends.

At some Vietnamese restaurants, the list of dishes can feel overwhelming, but the Four Sisters menu is easy to navigate. The menu is made up of some of Pham's most popular plates, all based on recipes from his mother and, of course, his four sisters. We decided to let the waitstaff point us in the right direction.
First, we went with nuoc mam fried wings ($8.50). These crunchy birds are brined and drizzled with a nuoc mam (fish sauce, sugar, water, chiles, lime and garlic) — very flavorful, with the perfect amount of heat. This could have easily been a meal all on its own, but the show must go on.
Next up were steamed wontons stuffed with chicken and swimming in a bath of black chili vinaigrette ($10). This was an absolute favorite at the table. The slippery and savory treats disappeared so quickly that we considered ordering another round, but we knew there was more on the way. The wontons were firm and yet soft and pillowy to the palate, and the spice level checked all the boxes.
We'd had enough chicken for the time being so next was the pork belly bao ($11), a welcomed guest to the party. The mini sammies have beer-braised pork belly in a lightly sweet soft rice bun. Tender pork was rich and booming with flavor. Sometimes baos buns can be on the sweeter side, but these were impeccably balanced.

Last but definitely not least were the steamed rice rolls ($14). Steamed rice sheets (also called banh cuon) were filled with ground pork and mushrooms and topped with pork sausage, bean sprouts, mint and fried shallots with a side of nuoc mam sauce. These are one of Four Sisters' limited-availability dishes as it takes a lot of work to perfect this sophisticated dish. The combination of the delicate stuffed rice rolls married with the crunchy texture of the fried shallots was stellar.

Finally, we had grilled pork noodles ($12). Vietnamese pork sausage comes with vermicelli noodles buried under fresh veggies, roasted peanuts and, of course, nuoc mam sauce. Like most Vietnamese dishes, this is light and flooded with fresh vegetables that you probably see only once a month.
We didn’t have room on the table or our stomachs for the crab-fried rice, but we definitely wanted it. The crab fried rice is deconstructed inside of the shell. We were told that those sell quickly, so it’s good to call ahead.

Also keep an eye out for specials; Pham told us that the menu will have seasonal dishes.

It’s easy to see why chef Pham has had a following since his humble beginnings at Tokyo Café and Shinjuku all the way to the second iteration of Four Sisters in Mansfield. It's also clear why Texas Monthly listed Four Sisters as one of the Best New Restaurants in Texas in 2019. We hope these from-scratch dishes, all at very affordable prices, have found a new permanent home.

Four Sisters is BYOB.

Four Sisters, 3806 E. Broad St., Mansfield. Daily, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.