Title:Contributing WriterLocation:Minneapolis, MinnesotaEducation:B.S. in Interpersonal Communications, University of Wisconsin-La CrosseExpertise:Hmong food, Hmong culture, grilling, open fire cooking- James Beard Award Nominee for Best Chef Midwest and Best New Restaurant- Chef/owner of Union Hmong KitchenExperienceYia Vang is a James Beard Award-nominated Hmong American chef who was named Eater’s Twin Cities Chef of the Year in 2022. He’s competed on Netflix’s Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, hosted Food Network’s Stoked, hosts the Hmonglish podcast, and most recently premiered Feral, his thrilling new cooking and culture series, on the Outdoor Channel.Yia is the owner/chef of the James Beard Award-nominated restaurant Union Hmong Kitchen, located in Graze Food Hall in North Loop Minneapolis and specializing in Hmong cuisine. The stateless, nomadic community’s history reveals itself in its spicy, smoky, mouth-walloping cuisine, marrying influences from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Southern China. His latest project is Vinai, the forthcoming Twin Cities restaurant devoted to “the past, present and future of Hmong cooking.” Vinai is named after one of the largest refugee camps in Thailand, where Yia was born and where 90% of Hmong people ended up prior to moving to the Midwest after the Vietnam War. His vision for Vinai is to create a home for his Hmong food that celebrates his parents' legacy and tells his family story through food.EatingWell, aDotdash Meredith Brand, has been publishing award-winning journalism about food, nutrition and sustainability since 1990. Our mission is to share flavor-packed recipes from around the world, celebrating fresh ingredients and the farmers, artisans and chefs who bring them to our table. Through science-backed nutrition advice and smart stories about sustainability, we help readers live their best lives. Learn moreabout usand oureditorial process.
Title:Contributing WriterLocation:Minneapolis, MinnesotaEducation:B.S. in Interpersonal Communications, University of Wisconsin-La CrosseExpertise:Hmong food, Hmong culture, grilling, open fire cooking- James Beard Award Nominee for Best Chef Midwest and Best New Restaurant- Chef/owner of Union Hmong KitchenExperienceYia Vang is a James Beard Award-nominated Hmong American chef who was named Eater’s Twin Cities Chef of the Year in 2022. He’s competed on Netflix’s Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, hosted Food Network’s Stoked, hosts the Hmonglish podcast, and most recently premiered Feral, his thrilling new cooking and culture series, on the Outdoor Channel.Yia is the owner/chef of the James Beard Award-nominated restaurant Union Hmong Kitchen, located in Graze Food Hall in North Loop Minneapolis and specializing in Hmong cuisine. The stateless, nomadic community’s history reveals itself in its spicy, smoky, mouth-walloping cuisine, marrying influences from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Southern China. His latest project is Vinai, the forthcoming Twin Cities restaurant devoted to “the past, present and future of Hmong cooking.” Vinai is named after one of the largest refugee camps in Thailand, where Yia was born and where 90% of Hmong people ended up prior to moving to the Midwest after the Vietnam War. His vision for Vinai is to create a home for his Hmong food that celebrates his parents' legacy and tells his family story through food.
Title:Contributing Writer
Location:Minneapolis, Minnesota
Education:B.S. in Interpersonal Communications, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Expertise:Hmong food, Hmong culture, grilling, open fire cooking- James Beard Award Nominee for Best Chef Midwest and Best New Restaurant- Chef/owner of Union Hmong Kitchen
Experience
Yia Vang is a James Beard Award-nominated Hmong American chef who was named Eater’s Twin Cities Chef of the Year in 2022. He’s competed on Netflix’s Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, hosted Food Network’s Stoked, hosts the Hmonglish podcast, and most recently premiered Feral, his thrilling new cooking and culture series, on the Outdoor Channel.
Yia is the owner/chef of the James Beard Award-nominated restaurant Union Hmong Kitchen, located in Graze Food Hall in North Loop Minneapolis and specializing in Hmong cuisine. The stateless, nomadic community’s history reveals itself in its spicy, smoky, mouth-walloping cuisine, marrying influences from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Southern China. His latest project is Vinai, the forthcoming Twin Cities restaurant devoted to “the past, present and future of Hmong cooking.” Vinai is named after one of the largest refugee camps in Thailand, where Yia was born and where 90% of Hmong people ended up prior to moving to the Midwest after the Vietnam War. His vision for Vinai is to create a home for his Hmong food that celebrates his parents' legacy and tells his family story through food.
EatingWell, aDotdash Meredith Brand, has been publishing award-winning journalism about food, nutrition and sustainability since 1990. Our mission is to share flavor-packed recipes from around the world, celebrating fresh ingredients and the farmers, artisans and chefs who bring them to our table. Through science-backed nutrition advice and smart stories about sustainability, we help readers live their best lives. Learn moreabout usand oureditorial process.
