At Vinai, Open-Fire Cooking Pays Respect to the Hmong People - Eater
"At Vang’s Minneapolis restaurant Vinai, the open-fire cooking can take the form of the Vinai feast, in which flame-grilled meats and seafood — along with rice, noodles, and vegetables — are laid out on a bed of banana leaves, or as Vang refers to them as 'nature’s tinfoil.' The groundbreaking restaurant was recently awarded a spot on Eater’s 2024 list of the best new restaurants in the country. Named for the refugee camp in Thailand where Vang was born, Vinai pays respect to the nomadic culture of the Hmong, a people with roots throughout Laos, Thailand, and other areas of Southeast Asia. For the feast, a communal meal meant to be eaten by hand, Vang builds a fire with Minnesota oak and charcoal. He stuffs red snapper with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and shallots before placing the fish in a grill basket over the flames. Deboned chickens are next to cook, the fat dripping from the basket, followed by pork accompanied by a 'Hmong sofrito.' Ribs seasoned with a coffee rub also cook low and slow over the fire. And head-on shrimp are marinated with salt, fish sauce, and chile oil before taking their turn in the heat." - Monica Burton
