Van Đa Owner
Ms. Yen Ngo explains, “this is a story of my journey in food, modern in spirit, but anchored by my heritage.” She trained as a chef and worked in fine dining restaurants in Washington D.C., Santa Fe, and San Francisco before settling in New York.
“Van Da has dishes I grew up with and loved as a child, specific recipes I never see here in the States: authentic, but clean vibrant-flavored elements of Vietnamese cuisine.”
Executive Chef
Mary Celine Bui is a native Filipina with deep ties to the Phillipines' capital city, Manila. She attended the premier culinary program at De La Salle College of St. Benilde, where she earned her Bachelors in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management. After five years of cooking and managing kitchens in Manila, Celine went to Key West before landing in New York City. She found a home at Andy Ricker's celebrated northern Thai institution Pok Pok, where she began to become more versed in the flavors and cuisines of Southeast Asia. At Pok Pok, she met her Vietnamese husband, Jay. Now, at Van Da, Mary continues to develop her knowledge of Vietnamese cuisine and culture.
"Before going on a class field trip to Vietnam in 2009, I knew very little about Vietnam. But I fell in love with the food and the culture. Little did I know that I would fall in love all over again in New York City and find myself fully immersed in Vietnamese cuisine and life."
Beverage Director
Andrew Pisano grew up in Philadelphia, Detroit, and Miami. He is an alumn of The Standard, Brucie, the Fat Radish, and Gramercy Tavern.
“I don’t think people expect to find great natural wine at a Vietnamese restaurant. Well, maybe we can push that perception aside here. I buy mostly from smaller producers who grow all kinds of interesting varietals. It’s great seeing people discover things that they never even knew they liked. This kind of reflects the food at Van Da — there are things people might be unfamiliar with, but once you try it you can’t believe what you’ve been missing.”
“With the cocktails I wanted to focus on bright, clean flavors — sweet, sour, spicy, herbaceous — and vibrant colors. There’s something for everyone, from light and fresh, to smokey and spicy, to serious and spirit-forward."