Yen Ngo
East Village, Manhattan
Van Da stole our hearts right from the jump. We showed up as soon as they opened to a semi-empty restaurant preparing all of those last minute details for service. Yen Ngo, the owner, gave us a tour and quickly retreated to the kitchen to start cooking a three-course meal for us to try. While devouring grilled corn with scallion oil and Vietnamese larb salad we sipped on three colorful cocktails the bartender whipped up. The Cha Ca La Vong (fried skate) came out last. It was perfectly fried and was accompanied by bun noodles (our fave), shrimp sauce, and fennel. Truly a perfect meal for a warm spring day.
What’s your full name and where are you from?
Yen Ngo, I am from a small town in Vietnam called Da Lat (big coffee-growing region). I grew up in Washington DC, St. Louis, and Baltimore and have been in NY since 2000.
What is your title and where do you work?
I am the owner of Van Da & the Aviary (upstate New York) - hopefully, you can visit there too :). I am mainly at Van Da and go upstate whenever I can.
Was food a big part of your upbringing?
Very much so, I am the youngest girl of 12 kids. Meal times with 11 siblings were chaos and special. I think when you grow up poor, the first memories of pleasure involve food with your family. I remember more food memories during those times than all the extravagant meals I have now.
What are your earliest memories of dining out?
Eating out is a huge part of life in Vietnam as it was so accessible (street food stalls were at very street corners & they sold so cheaply). Most of the time, with the more complicated dishes, it is much cheaper to eat out than if making them at home. I went to the market to get groceries everyday with an adult and we would always have either a meal or at least a snack before coming home to cook. Lucky me!
If you could give a piece of advice to someone who wanted to pursue your career, what would it be?
This is a very tough & demanding industry. Pursue it because there are nothing that you love to do more - but never get into it for financial reason. There are much easier way to make a living!
What do you think working in this industry has taught you?
Think outside of the box
Learn to solve any problems to make it work
Be resilient
Your staff are your greatest allies
What's your favorite dish/drink on the menu?
The Hue dumplings are my favorite dishes. They are bite size snacks that take forever to make. They came from the Imperial city of Vietnam where food was invented and cooked for the royals so things take time. Not only do they have so much history behind each dumpling but they are decadent and refined.
My favorite drink is the But Vien Street (Vodka, Meletti, salt & Vietnamese coffee). It’s rich and beautiful.
What is your favorite place to go out and eat at and what are you ordering?
This is tough as it is changing all the time. We are so lucky to be in this city with so many talented chefs - I really can’t narrow it down to 1, I can’t even narrow it down to 5!!
You’re on a desert island, what are the 5 kitchen items you need to run your business?
Knife - obviously
Lighter - I have no patience for rocks
Rice cooker - you can make anything, you actually can fry in a rice cooker too (do we have electricity)
A cast iron pan
