Vinai
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA | SEPTEMBER 2021
Vinai is the refugee camp in Thailand, where Chef Yia Vang was born in. Vinai is also Chef Yia’s upcoming restaurant in Minneapolis, “a new restaurant honoring the past, present, and future of Hmong cooking”. We could try a dozen ways of describing his cuisine but we’d always fall short—Chef Yia speaks of his roots, his food, and his project with such eloquence that you wish he was sitting across the table, sharing his stories as you enjoy a Vinai Feast, on a regular basis. In his words, “Hmong food isn’t about a particular kind of produce or product. Hmong food, I believe, is an idea”.
Rooted in community, shared food, and communal dining, a Vinai Feast was the most wonderful way to bring food to our table for our very first Supper in Minnesota.
In mid-September, we gathered at the beautiful Little Hill Berry Farm in Northfield, about 40 miles from Minneapolis. Tucked in slowly-turning blueberry bushes, we set our table to be covered in banana leaves in preparation for an evening of delicious food and true connection.
Let us take you through this most endearing gathering as you scroll down this page. We hope it’ll evoke some of the magic of the evening and you’ll want to join us on a future dining adventure!
WELCOME
On the way to the table, our cocktail station was the first stop to welcome our guests to the gathering. A refreshing Brother’s Bond Bourbon cocktail featuring freshly harvested berries from the farm, spring rolls, and banh mi awaited as guests made their way through the blueberry field.
A MENU BY CHEF YIA VANG
A scrumptious, communal feast, including Szechuan peppercorn crusted lamb—sourced by American Lamb Board—among other grilled proteins and bright vegetable-forward sides and bold sauces.
WELCOME
Mushroom Spring Rolls
Shrimp Spring Rolls
Bahn Mi Sliders
Cocktail Brothers Bond Bourbon Fruit Smash
VINAI FEAST
Hmong BBQ Pork
Szechuan Peppercorn Crusted Lamb
Whole Grilled Fish
Hilltribe Chicken
Khao Sen
Roasted Root Vegetables
Purple Sticky Rice
Fermented Mustard Greens
Pickled Peppers
Mama Vang’s Hot Sauce
Tiger Bite Sauce
Rodney Strong Vineyards 2018 Chalk Hill Chardonnay
Rodney Strong Vineyards 2017 Reserve Pinot Noir
Rodney Strong Vineyards 2015 Symmetry
DESSERT
Pineapple Coconut Pound Cake
Local Cider
WINE PAIRINGS
Delightful wines from Rodney Strong Vineyards, in Sonoma County, were the perfect pairings to the incredible feast. 2018 Chalk Hill Chardonnay to go with whole grilled fish; a 2017 Reserve Pinot Noir to pair Hmong barbecue pork, and an exquisite 2015 Symmetry red wine to compliment Szechuan peppercorn crusted lamb.
SECRET LOCATION:
LITTLE HILL BERRY FARM
It was a beautiful sunny and breezy day at Little Hill Berry Farm, just outside of Minneapolis, where the air feels much cleaner and the pace slower—just how we like our Suppers to feel. As we arrived at Little Hill Berry to set up our table, the farm stand was selling pints of fresh berries, making for a really lively morning as the locals came to pick up flats of berries and take a short stroll through the farm!
It was truly special to see our guests enjoying the feast as the sun set and the moon rose behind the trees. After hours slowly eating away at the scrumptious feast Chef Yia laid on the table and sipping Rodney Strong wine, we had to bid farewell to a perfect early autumn gathering! Until next time, Midwest!
