Chef Yia Vang’s first style of America was the sugary fizz of Coca-Cola whereas flying to america from the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand when he was 4 years previous, in 1988. Ban Vinai held some 45,000 of Vang’s fellow Hmong in addition to different highland folks, a lot of whom had fled the Hmong genocide in Laos. These sips of Coke hinted at a brand new, unknown future — and uncovered him to a world of latest flavors.
Vang remembers resettling in Wisconsin, the place he wished that his faculty lunches matched these of the opposite children. Whereas that they had cold-cut sandwiches with white bread, meat, and cheese completely stacked and sliced, he introduced conventional Hmong meals, similar to grilled hen on rice topped with spicy pepper sauce.
At first, cooking was a family chore that Vang didn’t take pleasure in. But it surely led to an epiphany of the larger function meals performed in his tradition.
“I grew up cooking for my household. Meals drew folks collectively — that is one thing I seen at a younger age,” Vang says. “Whereas different children have been out studying soccer, I used to be studying the right way to slice, cube, chop, and cook dinner.”
These expertise led to a deeper understanding of meals and flavors. “The primary place I labored at was Italian. The second, a high-end BBQ-and-blues place. I’d go dwelling and eat mother and pa’s conventional meals, and I’d wish to infuse all these flavors collectively,” he says.
In 2016, Vang launched Union Hmong Kitchen as a pop-up in Minneapolis earlier than including a smattering of areas across the Twin Cities. He calls the hassle “the opening act and an accessible approach for folks to get Hmong meals.”
In 2024, he unveiled Vinai — a love letter to his mother and father and a particular, welcoming restaurant that embodies Vang’s perception within the connection between meals and neighborhood. His ventures have earned raves in Bon Appétit and The New York Occasions in addition to a slot on Iron Chef.
As Vang spoke with us concerning the common language of meals, he wove in tales that have been by turns gritty, heartwarming, expansive, and multigenerational. Come, sit at our desk and be part of the dialog.
Q&A With Yia Vang
Expertise Life | How is meals a communal expertise?
Yia Vang | In all of us there’s an urge to wish to share with others — tales, life experiences, moments. This stuff make us human. There’s at all times a meals or beverage component in that sharing. It performs the buffer.
When folks get collectively, meals is the second most essential factor there. Persons are the primary, however meals jump-starts the neighborhood. If it’s not there, it looks like one thing is lacking. Individuals wish to give to one another — even only a glass of water or a cup of espresso. As human beings, we have been created for neighborhood. We aren’t meant to be alone.
EL | The shirts for Union Hmong Kitchen learn, “Los Noj Mov.” What does this imply?
YV | It means “Come and eat.” It’s not a query. It’s really a declaration, which may be very totally different. Typically, whenever you go to folks’s homes, they are saying, “Are you hungry?” and it’s a query. We’re not asking in case you’re hungry; we’re simply saying “Come and eat. Come to the desk.”
Some of the unbelievable issues about that assertion is a narrative one among our household buddies tells. Rising up in Laos, whenever you journey to a distinct village, it could take you six to eight hours to stroll, and it’s a must to cease in different villages. The only [greatest] act of kindness is when households would come out and say, “Come and eat” or “Come and have a drink.”
Providing that to folks is displaying an act of grace, and there’s a pleading with them to return and sit on the desk. That’s the coronary heart of the Hmong folks, and it’s not about “Oh, do we’ve the suitable napkins or the suitable set of dinnerware?” It’s not about internet hosting a picture. It’s the pure coronary heart of “Sit down with us, come to our desk.”
EL | How did your youthful years in Ban Vinai and Port Edwards, Wis., inform your philosophy of meals being neighborhood?
YV | In Vinai, my dad labored within the butcher space. He introduced again the scraps they threw away to the household. There have been traces you needed to stand in together with your card to get rations like rice. Individuals grew gardens in little farm areas. It was a mixture of scavenging.
It was this concept that it takes an entire village, so my aunts and grandma stayed with us since everybody raised everybody. My grandma would carry me on her again.
Individuals at all times need me to say, “I made my meals.” I’ve advised producers I’m not going to say that — I don’t ever imagine that is my meals. I’m simply one other steward of it.
For me there’s a deep stage of care due to the stewardship of what was handed right down to me. I maintain that actually deep, and I believe that comes from the neighborhood I used to be raised in. You occur to be the subsequent one who has to steward this, and hopefully we are able to increase one other technology that stewards these meals traditions and retains them going.
EL | You’ve had some private well being challenges lately. How has that shifted your perspective on caring for your self and consuming?
YV | I used to be identified with sort 2 diabetes. On my left leg there was a muscular tear on the within; it grew and have become contaminated, after which my entire left quad bought contaminated. I needed to go to the hospital, they usually needed to minimize [the infection] out. I’m now lacking a part of my leg and have this actually cool scar.
I needed to relearn the right way to stroll. Even now it’s nonetheless just a little more durable for me to stroll. The muscle is rarely going to develop again.
[As a result], I’ve needed to learn to change my weight loss program. I’ve needed to get on totally different meds and learn to hearken to my physique as an alternative of pushing it.
I’m very aware of what I’m placing into my physique. Every part is increased proteins, extra greens, fewer carbs.
Assembly with the MIORA group [at Life Time] has additionally helped me suppose by means of how I’ll maintain my physique. As cooks, we all know that our greatest utensil is our physique, and if we wish to preserve doing this for the subsequent 20 to 30 years, we’ve to spend money on its well being. I’m excited to maximise the methods I can dwell a more healthy life.
EL | What’s subsequent for Vinai — and for you?
YV | I believe we’re proud of the place we’re, however we’re not happy. We’re going to maintain pushing the envelope. Now we get to be a spot the place individuals are coming. What we’re discovering out is individuals are coming from throughout the nation. Vinai has develop into this little vacation spot spot, however we additionally wish to be open arms to our neighborhood right here.
Charred Cabbage With Garlic-Ginger French dressing
This recipe appeared on the duvet of the March/April 2025 subject of Expertise Life.
