
7

"Set to open in late August in the former Ngon Bistro space, Khue’s Kitchen began as a year-long pop-up at Minneapolis natural wine bar Bar Brava in late 2022, serving a modern Vietnamese menu that included chile-flecked fried chicken sandwiches and caramelized baby back ribs. Owner Eric Pham poured his life savings into the project—from “Tooth Fairy money” to his first wages at Quang and later work at Spoon and Stable—had just finished hiring a Gen Z staff, and signed the lease earlier this summer; after a devastating late-night fire on August 11 he arrived around midnight and waited as the St. Paul Fire Department investigated, but the cause remains undetermined, the damage is extensive, the building has been condemned, and Pham, blindsided and uncertain about the future, has launched a fundraiser to support his team." - Justine Jones