Yia Vang of Union Hmong Kitchen Made Some of the Best Food We Ate All Year. So Why Is He So Afraid of Failing? | Bon Appétit
"Planned as the Twin Cities’ first brick-and-mortar restaurant devoted to the past, present, and future of Hmong cooking, the concept—developed by chef Yia Vang and partner Dave Friedman—will source ingredients from Minnesota’s Hmong farmers, be filled with plants as a nod to the chef’s mother, and feature a communal wood-fired backyard grill inspired by family gatherings. Funded via a Kickstarter backed by 899 patrons that exceeded its $75,000 goal by more than $20,000, the project is intended as both a tribute to the chef’s parents and a platform to raise the profile of Hmong cuisine, host guest pop-ups and residencies, and eventually provide seed money for other Hmong chefs, though the team acknowledges anxiety about opening and surviving the first year amid the COVID-19–era restaurant landscape." - ByAshlea Halpern
