Octopus in West Philly. Yes. It’s true. When it opens on January 14, Grill Fish Café, just off 47th and Baltimore (814 S. 47 St.) will serve up the seafood next to its sister restaurant, Vietnam Restaurant. Clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp, European sea bass, steamed, grilled- just like they do in the South China Sea. Grill Fish makes it a hat trick for Benny Lai’s Vietnamese cuisine offerings to Philly folk (his other spot is located in Chinatown).

Coming soon. Vietname Restaurant in the background.

In August, Lai traveled to Vietnam and took in some special recipes that he’ll be offering at Grill Fish, a 32-seat locale with a liquor license. “The neighborhood has a lot of people who want to see more seafood,” Lai said. “I’m going to try to introduce it to [them.]”

“Menu tasting. Menu tasting. And more menu tasting,” was posted on the Café’s Facebook page October 17, which called for an October or November opening. “Mmmmm this is really fun.”

The space formerly held Vietnam Restaurant, until Lai moved it to larger digs next door two years ago. Over those years, Lai brainstormed, waiting for the right idea for a place to take over the spot.

On the other side of the restaurant, some of the best Vietnamese hoagies in town!

In August, City Paper, reported that the stars were behind the selection for the opening date. In the form of cosmology, that is. But when we saw workers hanging a new sign outside of Grill Fish on Thanksgiving morning, we figured the day was coming close.

One more addition to West Philly’s own restaurant row, coming right up!

–Lou Mancinelli