Austria’s oldest chef opens a new restaurant – Rolling Pin

Few chefs in Austria can recall a career as long as 82-year-old Thi Ba Nguyen, who pitched her tent in Austria in the early 1980s. As the eldest of ten siblings, she has been cooking for the family since she was a teenager. For several years now at the VINA restaurant in Graz, which eventually, with its approximately 30 seats, became too small for his growing fan base. That’s why the family-run restaurant moved to a new location this weekend: Kalchberggasse 7.

Few chefs in Austria can recall a career as long as 82-year-old Thi Ba Nguyen, who pitched her tent in Austria in the early 1980s. As the eldest of ten siblings, she has been cooking for the family since she was a teenager. For several years now at the VINA restaurant in Graz, which eventually, with its approximately 30 seats, became too small for his growing fan base. That’s why the family-run restaurant moved to a new location this weekend: Kalchberggasse 7.

The first impression of the new restaurant, which can accommodate a maximum of 80 to 120 guests, is alone impressive: the modern, olive-green furnishings were designed by architecture studio INNOCAD. What is striking is that the DJ booth has not only decorative purposes; It should be published once a month. The cooking is mostly done using regional and organic produce. Like the famous Vietnamese beef broth “Phở Bò”, which is traditionally served with flat rice noodles and organic beef. The team of about ten employees, which was already well coordinated on the opening day, most of them come from Vietnam. “We can of course best serve the authentic cuisine with those who have tasted Vietnam in their palates since childhood,” explains Robert Nguyen, the chef’s son, who serves as managing director and host.

What kind of wine goes with Vietnamese food?

The wine list displays a good selection of wines from excellent winemakers from Karl Schnabel (Gault & Millau Exceptional Winemaker 2020) to Weingut Kodolitsch, the world champion Styrian Sauvignon Blanc. Vietnamese-inspired cocktails are served at the bar.

VINA Hotel presents itself in a new way, but with the usual hospitable atmosphere. The dishes — from summer rolls to the city’s famous steamed banana boil — have an intimate soul food feel. Mama Nguyen beams with joy, summing it up: “The guests are all like my children. It’s important to me that they enjoy it, and that they are full and satisfied!”

Vina Restaurant.at