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Veranda in Coral Springs: Thai-Vietnamese Flavor Journey From Maine to Coral Springs

Veranda in Coral Springs. {Photos by Han Okcuoglu}

Where Yellow Yolk used to be in downtown Coral Springs, Veranda Kitchen and Bar appeared. Assuming it was Italian or Mediterranean based on the name, we went in blind. We left as new fans, happy and full, loaded up with Thai and Vietnamese takeout for the next day as well.

Our waitress, Sonka Nguyen, actually turned out to be the co-owner with her husband. This was the third store, as it appears that the extended family and in-laws own a Thai restaurant in Maine, located on Veranda Street, hence the name.

When Sonka and her husband moved to Parkland, they wanted to find a place to combine the best parts of both restaurants.

It was still the soft opening weekend, so she explained that the entire family came down from Maine to help out. They even drove down some of the best dumplings we’ve ever had. Almost everyone working was related, and the chef was her sister-in-law.

The location is beautiful, slightly tucked away, with a nice patio area and some newly remodeled interiors, including an upscale bar. We started with some unique cocktails that included an actual giant stick of lemongrass. I hoped that was a good sign of things to come, and it was.

Appetizer for two at Veranda.

We ordered the appetizer for two ($35). The prices are slightly higher than other options around, but the portions are very large, and for this type of quality, we had no complaints. We could barely order our entrees after unsuccessfully trying to eat everything. There were items in the mix that were above average (chicken wings, crab rangoon, and shrimp bikini), to legitimately great (like aforementioned dumplings and the homemade sauces that came with everything).

Six homemade sauces.

Those sauces elevated certain items like the beef and chicken satay to something greater. They have two different peanut sauces, one with hoison that is buttery smooth, but it’s the sweet and savory earthiness of the second peanut sauce that had us excitedly coming back for more. There was also spicy chili sauce, Thai cocktail for the shrimp, a ginger soy sauce for the dumplings, and a fantastic, liquid, sweet and sour sauce with crushed peanuts. It was a lot of fun experimenting with different combinations.

Pan fried pork dumplings.

Sonka said New England dumplings are better than what she found here. The Florida ones she finds are chewier and starchier. New England dumplings have crunch but thin skin. And the pork filling is outrageously good, well-seasoned, and fills almost every inch of the dumpling.

Shrimp summer rolls ($10) were one of the freshest and best ones we’ve ever had. You want that audible satisfying crunch of the vegetables and cucumbers. The pickled carrots that come with almost every dish are so balanced with acidity that I could eat a giant bowl of them by themselves.

Shrimp summer rolls.

You can tell they consider the ingredients they use; everything is fresh and packed with flavor.

There’s a ridiculous crunch on the chicken and shrimp egg rolls ($10). It has carrots, noodles, and taro, but most interestingly, it’s wrapped in the same rice paper as a summer roll and then deep-fried. Huge portion like everything. It wasn’t mushy or greasy as one might expect. One dip in the sweet and sour sauce and we knew it was something special.

Rare beef pho

I heard the beef pho ($19) was also special, and it lived up to the hype. It was slightly more expensive than almost any other rare steak pho I’ve ordered. Once I tasted the 24-hour slow-simmered broth, I understood why. This felt like the healthy, aromatic soup that I’m going to order over and over whenever I get sick. It wasn’t as thin or tart as other ones I’ve tried, and the meat was definitely a higher grade than the other options I’m accustomed to in West Boca or Margate.

Fried spring rolls.

According to Sonka, the separate dessert menu is coming soon. This will include items from Pastry is Art and Lady M, including their Green Tea Mille Crepes.

The service was gracious and outstanding, and the story of a whole family coming together to support each other over 1,500 miles away is hard to root against. The quality of the food and the techniques with which it was made had us delighted by the end. Hopefully, Veranda turns into a staple of downtown Coral Springs for many years to come.

Veranda Kitchen and Bar

2864 N University Dr, Coral Springs, FL 33065

Sun – Thurs 11:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Fri – Sat 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

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Author Profile

Han Okcuoglu

Han Okcuoglu is a curious foodie, Turkish-American and resident of South Florida for over 35 years. He graduated from FAU with a degree in Information Systems Management. He also writes food reviews on various websites and social media groups. He loves to see new restaurants and mom and pop shops get the attention they deserve and flourish.