Yia Vang (RPA: Yia Vaj, Pahawh: 𖬕𖬤 𖬖𖬰𖬜; born 1984) [1] is a Hmong -American chef in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Vinai is Chef Yia Vang's Northeast Minneapolis Hmong restaurant illuminating Hmong food, flavors, and stories.

One of seven siblings, Chef Yia Vang was born in a Thai refugee camp where he lived until his family resettled in central Wisconsin. A trained chef who started his career working as a dishwasher, Yia uses food to tell a story and believes that every dish has a narrative.

Sep 24, 2024 · After four years of developing and ironing out every last detail, Minneapolis chef Yia Vang finally opened the doors of Vinai (pronounced VEE-nye) in late July—and people are excited to get an even bigger bite of Vang’s traditional Hmong flavors and dishes.

Dec 16, 2024 · Chef Yia Vang believes in a simple concept when it comes to food: every dish has a narrative. Over the past several years, he has taken that concept beyond his own kitchen to TV shows, podcasts, public speaking appearances and magazine cover stories.

Jan 28, 2025 · Renowned Minnesota Chef Yia Vang was recently named a James Beard semifinalist and has won numerous 2024 awards for his restaurant, Vinai. As Vang continues to rise in the restaurant...

Yia Vang is a celebrity chef and the owner of Union Hmong Kitchen and Vinai set to open in 2022. He is a resident of Wisconsin, United States. He is set to appear in the Netflix show Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend which premieres on June 15, 2022. He is a trained chef who began his culinary career working as a dishwasher.

Jun 15, 2022 · Chef Yia Vang, best known as the mastermind behind the Minneapolis-based Union Hmong Kitchen, was determined to wow the competitors and judges alike through his soul-filled wholesome food.

Dec 15, 2024 · At Vinai, chef Yia Vang embraces the bold flavors in dishes like Crabby Fried Rice, grilled double-cut pork chop and mango apple cucumber (MAC) salad. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Jun 9, 2022 · Yia Vang never wanted to be a chef. It’s a surprising confession from the celebrated Minneapolis Hmong chef, who’s developed a deep fan base thanks to his award-winning pop-ups, jovial...