James Beard-nominated Chef Yia Vang reflects on accomplishments, looks to future
Award winning chef reflects on journey and future
Renowned Minnesota Chef Yia Vang was recently named a James Beard semifinalist and has won numerous 2024 awards for his restaurant, Vinai. As Vang continues to rise in the restaurant world, he reflects on his journey to where he is today and how returning to his roots will usher in the future. FOX 9’s Chenue Her has more on the story. Watch parts one and two in the video above.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - As Chef Yia Vang continues his rise in the restaurant world, he reflects on getting to where he is today and how going back to his roots will usher in the future.
Sharing mom and dad’s Hmong food
The backstory:
Chef Yia Vang is coming off a highly successful 2024 as he launched his newest Minneapolis restaurant, Vinai, serving Hmong food.
For Vang, the food at his restaurants, Vinai and Union Hmong Kitchen, is inspired by the food he enjoyed as a child growing up in a Hmong home. He often talks about the restaurants being love letters to his parents.
Since launching Union Hmong Kitchen, Vang has been one of the pioneers ushering Hmong cuisine onto a more mainstream platform.
A moment of reflection and thanks
Taking a look back:
In the last year, Vang has added numerous awards to his list of accomplishments. From "Best Restaurant" to "Best Chef" recognitions, he added another prestigious recognition to his name: another James Beard semifinalist nomination.
Reflecting on the last few years and the work it took to get to where he is, Vang reflected on those before him.
"I think the word I use is ‘determination’ and when I say that, it’s not about my determination but the determination that was drawn from those who have paved the way for us. I think about that a lot," he said. "I think in the last year, that’s been the craziest part like this spot about a year ago, was literally empty. It was gutted out, like none of the walls were here. Nothing. So just to be sitting in this spot in one year and think oh my gosh we’re six months into this, it’s pretty crazy."
Vang said his visions are all starting to come together and, as it does, he continues to draw inspiration from one person: his father.
"I think that everything that we’ve honored to be given in the last six months that we’ve been open through everything from Union Hmong Kitchen to the State Fair, through awards there at Union Hmong Kitchen, the thing that I really enjoy is that it builds on each other. The thing I always say to our staff is that this is actually where the work begins and that’s firmly what I believe. I think that’s my father in me. I think that’s a lot of Hmong dads, right? It’s like… you did good at school and it’s great, son but, it’s like… this is where the work begins," Vang said.
Turning back to move forward
What's next:
Recently, Vang announced a major change at Union Hmong Kitchen as part of his plan for the future. The pop-up turned brick-and-mortar restaurant will no longer be a sit-down restaurant serving Hmong cuisine, but turn back to the model it operated under in its early days. Vang said it stays true to the Hmong spirit and roots.
"The idea of Union Hmong Kitchen was like… what if a Hmong kitchen can unify people? That’s how we got the name so drawing from that, how can we go back? How can we go back to our roots? Our roots was setting up in parking lots, going into people’s homes, doing all these different things. So we were like what does it look like for us to go back to that? So, using that space to be like hey what does it look like to invite people to use that space and do pop-ups?" he described.
Union Hmong Kitchen will continue to use its space to host pop-ups, events, and also cater events. Vang said his team already has catering orders for several weddings.
"We want to be able to bring Hmong food to you. You and I both know Hmong food is best when it’s packed up and taken to someone’s house," he said.
That idea Vang described comes from the Hmong custom of packing lunch to-go for your guests when they leave your home, whether it’s leftovers after a celebration or just a fresh lunch to make sure the guests have food on the road.
The Twin Cities is home to one of the largest Hmong populations in the nation. As his food grabs attention, even in places where Vang’s Hmong roots and food are still largely unknown, he will continue to find ways to bring people together through it.
"I think that’s why we have this thing I call our humanity, our human soul to understand, hurt, pain, brokenness. You don’t have to be Hmong to understand that. You can be anybody," said Vang.