MINNE SOTA CHEF
YIA VANG U N I O N K I TC H EN Transforming Regional Cuisine, One Dish at a Time MATT FRANK, COMMUNICATION & MEDIA SPECIALIST
Lately, Yia Vang of Union Kitchen has had an active presence in local media platforms and at well-respected food establishments throughout the Twin Cities. Over the past two years, he's taught a series of Southeast Asian cooking classes at The Good Acre, hosted now-legendary pop-up dinners at Cook St. Paul and Lowry Hill Meats, and developed expertlycrafted dishes for home-meal-kit service Local Crate. Co-founded by local chefs Yia Vang and Chris Her, Union Kitchen is a full-service culinary enterprise centered around Hmong American food. According to Vang, Hmong food is not limited to specific geographical products, places, or produce. Rather, it is a cooking philosophy that has been shaped by historically nomadic habits, a strong cultural connection to living off the land, and building family bonds through this relationship. Inspired by Hmong migration throughout Southeast Asia, Southern California, and the Upper Midwest, Hmong American cooking is a combination of regional cuisines, cultures, food traditions, and culinary techniques.
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