Campus Connection

UWL alumnus Yia Vang on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” newest restaurant success

A UW-La Crosse communication studies graduate finds himself in the spotlight, once again, as one of the Midwest’s most celebrated chefs. 

Yia Vang, ’10, the mastermind behind Twin Cities restaurants Union Hmong Kitchen and Vinai, showcased his Hmong-inspired dishes to a national audience on a recent episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on Food Network.

“Being featured on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ was amazing,” Vang says. “It was fun from the production side to see how the show is done and processed through. We have done shows like this before, so we were able to keep up with the fast-paced production that this show puts on. There's a lot of prep to get ready and pre-production that has to happen before they come by. In a way, you ‘see how the sausage is made.’” 

This is not the first time Vang has been featured on the national stage. In 2022, he participated in Netflix’s “Iron Chef,” showcasing his skills in a high-pressure, timed cooking competition.  

“On ‘Diners, Drive-In and Dives,’ I learned a lot from interacting with Guy Fieri and enjoyed seeing how he envisions the scene set-up,” Vang says. “Watching him work as the host of the show was very enlightening.”

Vang hosts two food shows himself, “Relish” and “Feral,” which are in their fifth and third seasons, respectively. 

“The biggest challenge of being a guest on a show is turning off the ‘hosting’ mentality,” Vang shares. “I already understood the production side of it. For example, how the crew shoots food scenes and what producers are looking for. Shows like this are sometimes called ‘dump and stir’—all the food is set up and there's an interview and cooking scene.” 

The shows Vang hosts explore food in different, adventurous ways. “Relish” delves into the stories behind favorite dishes in the Twin Cities food scene, whereas “Feral” follows Vang as he travels the country, hunting invasive or unconventional animals and educating viewers on resourceful food sourcing. 

Both shows align with Vang’s take on Hmong-inspired cuisine. 

“In Hmong culture, our DNA is intricately woven into what we eat. It tells the story of where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going,” Vang says. “No matter where Hmong people go, we make use of the produce and products around us.”

Those who dine at any of Vang’s restaurants can see how his connection and devotion to the cuisine brings it to the next level. His newest restaurant, Vinai, was featured on New York Times’ “Best 50 Restaurants” list. 

“We're so honored and happy to be on this list. The whole team was and is very excited,” Vang says. “This is a huge list with many great restaurants from around the country. Since we've opened, reservations have been booked out for four to five weeks. But don't worry, we have open seats in our bar area, which I believe are the best seats in the house.” 

Though Vang is now well established in the Twin Cities, he still connects back to UWL and La Crosse, where he maintains friendships with former professors.  

“Many of my former UWL communication studies professors have joined us for dinner at our shops,” he says. “We hope to see more UWL staff come up this way to visit the newest restaurant.” 

Since being on the New York Times’ list, Vang has seen more people coming from out of town to enjoy dinner at his restaurants. 

“The one thing I told our team was, ‘The work isn't done yet. It only begins from here.’” 

Yia Vang is the Executive Chef and Owner at Vinai, a new restaurant in Minneapolis, MN that
honors the past, present, and future of Hmong cooking. Vang is a trained chef with extensive
experience at top restaurants across the Twin Cities. In 2016, Vang started nationally acclaimed Union Hmong Kitchen. In July 2024, Vang opened Vinai, located in Northeast Minneapolis. Vang spearheads the kitchen at the restaurant and crafts a menu that features classic Hmong dishes that illuminates family-style, prep-heavy, and quick-serving dishes that welcome all to the table.Vang has been featured in the New York Times, Nat Geographic, and Bon Appetit, as well as showcased on PBS, CNN, among others. Most recently, Vinai was featured on the New York Times' 2024 50 Best Restaurant List.

Listen to Vang's posdcast "Hmonglish," about the convergence of Hmong and American culture through the eyes of a Third Culture Hmong kid.

On Nov. 13, Vinai was also named a 2024 Best New Restaurant in America by Eater.