Kathy Manning & Tung Nguyen on their Vietnamese restaurant Hy Vong & new book, Mango and Peppercorns
Katherine Manning and Tung Nguyen and widely regarded as the restaurateur duo responsible for popularizing Vietnamese flavors in Miami at Hy Vong. The two met when Katherine, then a University of Miami grad student, volunteered herself and her home to help resettle refugees after the end of the Vietnam War. Their new memoir, Mango and Peppercorns (Chronicle Books), tells the story of their odd-couple friendship, their pioneering restaurant, and a refugee experience that’s as unique to them (and Tung’s daughter Lyn) as it is relatable to the countless refugees they call their neighbors.
Katherine and Tung joined chef Michael Beltran at Ariete in Coconut Grove, a stone’s throw away from the home where much of their story plays out, to share some of their story and reflect one of the most consequential restaurants South Florida diners have ever known.
[Editor’s note: there are portions of this interview that might be tough to hear. We didn’t expect all the rain we got while recording on Ariete’s patio, which got a little loud. Thankfully, everyone but Nick managed to stay dry.]
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Mentioned on this podcast
Mike Beltran recommends Glory Road
Katherine Manning recommends the book Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
Nick Jiménez recommends Vice’s video on the Story of Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me”
Tung Nguyen recommends eating at Kon Chau Chiese Restaurant in Miami
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