And do you know why? Because Vietnamese cuisine is a very traditional cuisine, closed to other influences, for example from Western Europe. If you open yourself to a different philosophy of cooking, other ingredients, you develop automatically, even involuntarily, while in others it is simply traditional through and through. In the case of Vietnamese cuisine, you can be sure that around the world you will eat the same Vietnamese dishes and smell the same smells that bring back memories of a place you have already been to.
J
– No, absolutely. This is due to the Vietnamese culture and the general closure of Vietnam as a country that has been isolated for a very long time for political reasons. In my opinion, modern gastronomy is about experimenting, drawing on tradition, and at the same time constantly searching for flavors and creating combinations that will surprise and delight the palate.
– Yes! This is the compass that shows the direction we want to go. That's why our menu is divided into North, Central and South, exactly like Vietnam. My soul is Polish, and my body is completely Vietnamese (laughter). I'm looking for my identity a bit.
– No, I was born in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Dad studied at the Warsaw University of Technology as part of a student exchange program, then became a doctor of mathematics. My mother was also a mathematician. In the 1980s, they made a very brave decision to leave their comfortable life and move to Poland, specifically to Warsaw. In that system it was possible and relatively easy, although for them, without knowing the language, it was a journey into the unknown. In this way, just before the transformation, we landed in the heart of Europe. I was two years old then, I only know it from stories, then my sister was born here in Poland.
– This is a bit complicated. My parents are very Vietnamese, very conservative and attached to the culture that shaped them, although in our house Polish and Vietnamese traditions overlap quite a bit. I speak very little Vietnamese, so we mainly talk in Polish. I used to feel 90% Polish, the rest was “Vietnamese”. Now I think I would rate it at 70%. Pole and 30 percent Vietnamese.
– I went to Polish schools, took the international high school leaving exam, and although I studied in the USA, I had and still have Polish friends. When I was younger, I really wanted to be accepted and perceived as a Pole, not a stranger, although my parents often warned me that I would always be treated as an “other” here. However, as I got older, my approach also changed a lot. The older I get, and I'm 32 now, I see how much my parents' culture and their values are also mine. How has the perception of certain behaviors and family relationships changed? How much what I wanted to free myself from comes back to me with a vengeance. I thought I had become immersed in Polish culture and approach to life, but not entirely. Let's take at least the hierarchy of family relationships.
– It's true, my parents have been running a classic POL-VIET bar in Ochota for 24 years. I worked with them there. You probably know it from Asia – in such places, the owner and his family usually work to cut costs. It was no different in our case, but I needed something more. Because these, as we call them, POL-VIETS or “Chinese”, created 25 years ago, were primarily intended to satisfy the tastes of local customers. It wasn't real Chinese or Vietnamese cuisine. In the times of my parents, almost a quarter of a century ago, it was also something that allowed one to adapt, adapt, to be accepted in the new, yet quite hermetic and culturally homogeneous Polish society.
– Because they're not bad. They have their customers. Even the famous monosodium glutamate, used quite often in Asia to this day, is not that bad. However, the flavor can also be extracted using appropriate techniques or processing. People from my generation have a slightly different approach to cooking and that is why places like mine can be created. It was a natural need, I missed a place in Warsaw with really good Vietnamese cuisine. The one I know from home.
– Exactly. I imagined Labàn from start to finish, including the fact that I decided to pair Vietnamese food with wine. In Vietnam, you don't drink wine at all, and you don't serve alcohol with food. This is quite a unique, but also a good idea. Guests appreciate it, and I am very glad that we offer great natural wines that perfectly complement the dishes. Because food is also about the entire casing and the way it is served. Look at this wine glass. I really wanted it to be made of thin glass, although it is much more expensive than regular glass. However, since we have great wines here, I want them to be served in the right glass. This is also important – as much as the content.
– Wow, seriously! I can make scrambled eggs. But the best in the world, I learned from Gordon Ramsey (laughter).
– No, whatever. From YouTube (laughter). However, I can clearly define what is good and how it should be done to make it perfect, and my people can do it.
– I have quite unique life experience that allows me to determine a person's characteristics at first glance. I just look and know. Let's call it “learned intuition”. I know what motivates whom and what they are like. He doesn't even have to say much.
– It definitely had a big impact. I have always been different here, it is obvious at first glance that I am Asian and this sometimes aroused distrust, exclusion or suspicion. But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I played poker professionally for six years and it was a real school of life. Now, as an entrepreneur, I can transfer these risk estimation and assessment skills, a developed sense of observation and sensitivity to nuances to business. It may seem like a long way off, but running a business and poker have a lot in common. When you play professionally, you have to make people feel good about you and want to come back again and again. It's exactly the same with a restaurant – we create experiences here, not just serve food.
– It bothered me a bit that people were being preyed upon in a certain way. They are stripped of their illusions, put under pressure and given false hope. I traveled all over the world playing and earned some money. However, I ultimately came to the conclusion that this is not what I want to do in life. However, it was undoubtedly a very educational and invaluable experience.
– To be honest, it was the best time for such activities. Here in Warsaw, people willingly supported local businesses, and I also built quite a lot of social capital and had someone to lean on. In addition, the state offered shields for entrepreneurs, so it worked out really well. It was a lot of work, and once we opened, I was as tired as I was happy. The guests ate and I went to the other side of the street, stood there for a good 10 minutes without moving and watched, spellbound, what was happening inside. Like I was watching a movie. I felt fulfilled and happy then, I remember this moment very clearly. At the beginning, we were just a small local restaurant, like many in the area. We were mainly visited by people who lived or worked nearby. However, Robert Makłowicz gave us a real kick.
– On the contrary (laughter). It was a weekend, all the tables were occupied, more people came and suddenly someone asked for a seat. I say that unfortunately we don't have anything free, and Mr. Makłowicz's manager checks whether it's true. I replied that I was sure and I would invite you at another time. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I didn't know who this man was, my crew's eyes widened and they told me that I had just lost such a huge opportunity. However, I decided that all guests there were equally important to me. What was I supposed to do? Telling someone to leave to make room for someone else just because he's famous?
– My parents helped me a lot, they have been in this business for over two decades. As I said, sometimes, due to cultural conditions, it can be perceived in a rather specific way, but they still offer advice and are very involved. However, I make all the decisions, after all I am an adult (laughter). However, it must be clearly stated that gastronomy is a difficult piece of cake, probably even more difficult every year. Not only because of the rising prices of everything. I have my own family now, time flies and it can't be spent only at work. And here, as you see, there is always something to do.
That's why, as part of work-life balance, I recently decided that we will be closed on Mondays. You can't work hard 7 days a week, even if you enjoy it, because in the long run it will do more harm than good. Especially when, like me, you like to have everything under control. There was a moment when I fell into depression. I realized then that this is not possible, but sometimes you have to let go, because there are important and more important things in life.
– Details, they are the most important. Sometimes a small change can create a wow effect. For example, we have rice cooked in broth, which we use instead of water. This is a total game changer. I make sure to use the highest quality products, not only because we already have highly educated guests in Warsaw, but primarily because it affects the final taste of our dishes. For example, farm chicken has a completely different meat structure than that sold wholesale in discount stores.
These are the details that determine quality. Ultimately, we take our guests on a journey, we want it to be an interesting and good experience.
– Yes, these stands are a permanent element of Vietnamese street food. This is simply mastery in the literal sense. You specialize in one specific thing and you do it to the best of your ability, bringing it to perfection. It's also about cutting costs – you don't have a lot of them, so you can earn more. I have also seen similar concepts, apart from food trucks, in Los Angeles, for example – there are pubs that open only for lunch and operate for a few hours in the middle of the day. We haven't heard about it yet, but it's definitely a bigger trend, especially in large cities.
– I love Polish cuisine, especially the floury version, i.e. all dumplings and dumplings. I also love żurek. I love milk bars in general! Minced meat, potatoes and beets are my must-have. If you asked me to choose, I don't think I could say which cuisine is closer to me – Polish or Vietnamese. Warsaw's culinary scene is developing very dynamically. I am happy that we are noticed and appreciated internationally. There are plenty of great, truly world-class restaurants here. I love this city for this too. I keep setting the bar higher and higher for myself, I would like to not only have the best Vietnamese restaurant in Warsaw, I simply want to have the best restaurant in Poland and that's what I strive for.
– Well, obviously you can't cheat nature (laughter).