Chef Yia Vang didn’t just open a restaurant, he built a cultural restoration project.

The James Beard–nominated chef and founder of Union Hmong Kitchen joins us to share how food became his medium for storytelling, identity, and healing. Born in a Thai refugee camp and raised in Wisconsin, Vang now leads one of the most compelling restaurants in America, not just for its dishes but for its purpose. In this conversation, he opens up about hiring with intention, designing rituals for team connection, and redefining tradition in a modern context.

Takeaways

• Restaurants can serve as restoration projects, not just businesses
• Hiring should be about people who reflect your values, not their resume
• Systems should protect storytelling, not erase it
• Leadership is about lifting others into their own spotlight
• Menus can be acts of protest, healing, and cultural expression
• Authenticity is a lived experience, not a marketing strategy
• Cultural education is part of service, not separate from it
• Your kitchen culture reflects what you protect with your systems
• To honor tradition, you sometimes have to evolve it

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