I'm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for a few book-related events this week. Yesterday, I cooked with the folks at Lantern, a nationally acclaimed restaurant that's been featured in publications such as Gourmet and Saveur. Chef/owner Andrea Reusing's smart, local, sustainable take on Asian cooking is a model for such types of restaurants all over. I met a local farmer who delivered her luscious lettuces and leafy greens, the shrimp were from Georgia and the crab were lively blue crabs full of roe and tomalley.
Our sold-out dinner for 60 (ahem, that's 1 seating folks) with Spanish sherry and wine pairings by Andre Tamers of De Maison Selections went exceptionally well because Andrea has an amazing, tight staff. Theirs is a small operation and the kitchen is comfortable, not huge, just right. Restaurant cooking is teamwork and you laugh while prepping and picking a good 50 pounds of blue crab and you holler and follow orders like as if you're in a battle zone once service begins.
A good restaurant experience is at core about the food, but also about the management, kitchen staff and the wait staff, who know to bring out the food at the right moment, and to pace things for diners. Guests at a restaurant have no clue what goes on behind those waving kitchen doors because they're great sound insulators. But lots of conversation and strategic management goes into a fabulous meal. At the end of the day, dining at this caliber nurtures the belly and soul and entertains on many levels too.
So as a restaurateur, can you replicate that in other locales for the sake of making more money? Or do you stick to your roots and make good food for your community?
Alice Waters doesn't want cookie-cutter Chez Panisses. Andrea Reusing, who has a family, doesn't have designs on expanding to other cities with mini Lanterns. Charles Phan has Slanted Door and takeout versions called Out the Door -- all in San Francisco. Sophie and Eric Banh of Monsoon happily succeed and are satisfied with their eateries in Seattle. David Chang keeps his Momofukus tight and small in Manhattan.
In our little Vietnamese food and restaurant world, we have Michael Bao Huynh -- a Saigon native who's had restaurants in New York City (Bao 111, Bao Noodles, Mai House), Los Angeles, and the latest is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I'd read that he was looking into opening in Saigon too. Most chefs stay in their cities (e.g. Joachim Splichal) while others with well-honed management teams go domestic (e.g. Wolfgang Puck and Tom Colicchio). But going international is another level of ambition altogether.
You can't be all over the place to keep quality and standards up. Many things can go wrong on a regular moment-by-moment basis in a restaurant. HOWEVER, demand for Vietnamese food is so high these days that someone has to fill the void.
With exception to Pho 24 from Vietnam, which serves a tiny limited menu dedicated to you know what, I've not been to a [good] successful Vietnamese chain restaurant. Is that possible? What do you think that takes? Let me know your thoughts...
william says
I know of a few successful Viet franchises. Being Viet myself and lucky enough to live in Los Angeles/Orange County, I frequent several of them.
First on my list is the Viet fast food chain called Lee's Sandwiches, http://www.leessandwiches.com/. They serve up a really tasty sandwich made on their own crunchy baguette. Rumor has it that they started as a catering truck in San Jose, they now have locations in Oklahoma and Texas as well numerous locations in California.
In the pho arena there are
Andrea Nguyen says
William, you're right. I'd not included and neglected Lee's and Pho Hoa because they're places that I don't frequent much because they're okay, not great, in my opinion. I suppose you may agree since you go to Pho 79. On the other hand, Pho 24, based in Vietnam and with outlets in the major Viet cities and a few cities in Asia, charges about double for a bowl of pho (compared to a place for nguoi binh dan lao dong -- your average laborer/working person). But a bowl of pho from Pho 24 is admitted
Joel says
In New Zealand there is a chain named Hansan Vietnamese Restaurant in Auckland. The owners are Cambodian refugees and two of the shops are their own while a third one is a franchise: http://www.dineout.co.nz/restaurant.php?rest=1600&Restaurant=Hansan_Vietnam_Restaurant
I recall that there was a very renowned pho chain (I think we went to Pho Pasteur) in Boston when I went to visit my brother in the US back in 2000. We ate at their flagship outlet that was more Asian in layout. The other ones,
Foodie_H says
With all due respect, Michael Huynh doesn't really keep to his own roots, so to speak. If you've tried Mai House at all, you'll know it's not really vietnamese food. I don't think of him or his restaurant whenever I think of vietnamese food. The essence of Vietnamese food is in the local, the humbleness, and the authentic quality. Just b/c MH was born in Saigon does not mean he has created all three qualities in his restaurants.
That being said, the one thing that makes Vietnamese food so gr
Robyn says
If Hubert Keller can do it why not a Vietnamese chef? You could argue that Per Se and French Laundry don't exactly count as a 'chain' but they are 'of' the same chef and on opposite coasts (I've not dined at either).
Or, if Pho 24 could do it, why not another chain - though the secret to their success may be the concentration on one dish and its variations.
I just spent a day cooking in a professional kitchen as research for an article and, like you, I was struck by how much a real esprit de cor
Simon Bao says
I have to take exception to some of Foodie_H's remarks. I have not been to Mai House and can't pass judgment on the quality of the food - and having seen Mai House's "Chef Spike" make bad goi cuon, I'm keeping a skeptical but open mind about it.
But I'm familiar with the menu at Mai House and I do believe that is Vietnamese food. Certainly not "Your Mother's Viet Food." But it is recognizably Vietnamese food. It is simply a menu that offers the dishes that make sense in an upscale Tribeca "d
Andrea Nguyen says
Love that we're all thinking straight and keeping to our opinionated selves. I've only sampled Bao 111's food at an industry conference and agree with Simon that it's recognizably Vietnamese food. However, it wasn't flavorful food.
What I'm hearing is that Mai House,etc. doesn't offer food to folks that says, "I'm Vietnamese!" That's fine, but if a chef/restaurateur is banking on offering the public Vietnamese food, then the food should scream (or squeak?) that it's Viet. At a certain price poin
Simon Bao says
Andrea, to me there's always something a little *comical* about any restaurant offering "Vietnamese cuisine" where the centerpiece of the dining experience isn't rice. Either bowls of steamed rice or rice noodles or other noodles.
If one is looking for the essence or heart of Viet cuisine, start there. Start with rice. "An com." Rice is to Viet cuisine precisely what bread once was to all the European and Middle Eastern cuisines. Sure, today when one talks about French cuisine one can talk
Simon Bao says
Andrea, I haven't thought this through yet but... a chain or empire of excellent Vietnamese restaurants may face an additional challenge that isn't faced by others.
Let me use Tom Colicchio and his chain of "Craft" restaurants as an example. Though one could just as easily use The Empire of Emeril or Next Week's Next Bobby Flay restaurant as examples. When an American chef/restauranteur wants to expand and create a chain, she/he can usually count on a big giant pool of chef talent to draw from
Joel says
Andrea, I think one can still make it cheap and garner respect among the public. For example, for Cantonese cuisine in Hong Kong (a native Cantonese cultural region), not everyone needs to be the Forum Restaurant (the one famous with the prized abalone delicacy). There is also space for a noodle stall that charge HK$18 for a bowl of wonton noodle on Wellington Street in Central - and there are plenty of wealthy elites willing to rub shoulders with ordinary working class people just to get a bo
Robyn says
Andrea - you asked, 'How can we elevate Asian cuisines to a level where they get the kind of respect they deserve?' This is a matter of changing Western hearts and minds. For most people the ultimate respect goes to fine dining establishments which, by definition, charge more for their food. Very few Americans are willing to view Asian food as something that one would spend a fair bit of money on.
Years ago there was a resto in San Fran called, I think, Jin? (locals help me out here). It was ope
cakewardrobe says
I just found your class at ICE!! I'm so happy! Going to sign up with my mum! 🙂
Minh-Nhu Nguyen says
Hi everyone
I'm heading to Ny for the first time next week.
I had intend on going to Bao111 amd Mai House, but now having second thoughts. Is it worth it just to see what all the fuss is about? Which one do you think I should choose?
Is there an area that is predominately Viet(food) in NY?
Andrea Nguyen says
Robyn, you're thinking of Jai Yun -- which is still in Chinatown and for $40 a person, you let the chef make the call. I recently heard from a Chinese-American woman that she felt that restaurant was too expensive. As compared to what? As compared to the other cheap places around the corner in Chinatown -- but as my mother says, "You get what you pay for."
Yes, we're willing to pay for "rustic" Italian and French fare but not Asian fare. Just on Tuesday, I went to SPRQ in San Fran and we had a v
Minh-Nhu Nguyen says
Andrea, Check out the menu from the folks @ The Red Lantern (The ones who wrote the cookbook Joel mentioned)in Surry Hills in Sydney.
http://www.redlantern.com.au
I think the food is very Viet and the prices are reasonably high.
They're always very busy!
keith nguyen says
Michael Bao Huynh is no longer associated with Bao Noodles / Bao 111 - try his latest joint - Bun Soho - htttp://www.bunsohonyc.com
Joel says
Andrea, yes I believe you went to the very one that I described. Only three toppings for the noodle soup are available: wonton, dace fish balls, and poached premium grade beef slices (whatever that means), and other than that poached vegetables are available as side dishes.
I would suggest it is a special case of being able to survive in the Hong Kong food service industry doing the most un-HK way. Just as what you have witnessed in America, over in HK almost everyone likes to take the quick
Andrea Nguyen says
Joel, we'll just have to keep hoping and looking for the good places to eat!
Keith, thanks for the lowdown.
Sabrina says
This is an interesting question you pose.
I live in London where the Viet cuisine options are largely geographically limited to mom-and-pop shops in Hackney (East London) and Viet restaurants have the reputation of offering good value (read: cheap).
I believe that there is a real void of Viet restaurants in London (and globally) who are able to offer not just good food but also ambience and service. But there is no reason why there couldn't be a Viet restaurant chain that resembles internationa
Miki the american chef says
When I dine at restaurants I pay attention not only to the food quality and appearance but to have the manager runs the place.
I often hear arguments and panic staff in the kitchen that definitely influence the quality of the food.
I know most people don't pay attention to that but from my experience nervous people around food effects it's taste.
What is weird is that in Vietnamese Restaurants I have noticed a lot more tension around the staff then other restaurants.
Kamagra says
Once I had the the great opportunity to taste Vietnamese food it's perfect because it had rare and spicy flavors, I took my mother to a restaurant like that and she was astonished.
Air Conditioning in South Florida says
I think it's possible.
Viet food is great, it's not borring and has a lot of varieties and tastes.
I know some restaurants come a little pricy, but if quality is good and food as a amzing I I've see in this blog I sure think it is possible
Canada Goose Jakker says
There is no such thing as a great talent without great will - power.
Red Bottom shoes sale says
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
marlon says
I would suggest it is a special case of being able to survive in the Hong Kong food service industry doing the most un-HK way.
Jon says
Hi Sabrina - did you ever start your Vietnamese restaurant in London? I'd be keen to try it if so. Or are you still looking for an opportunity?