We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lá Dinner Club a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lá, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
We’re foodies at heart! As Vietnamese immigrants, sharing our culture through food and drinks has always been something we’re super proud of. On top of that, as working professionals, we’re always looking for ways to connect with others and build a sense of community. The idea for our business started with our love for what HongDao in NYC (and Cookie Dao!) created—a Viet dinner club that showcased Vietnamese cuisine in such a unique and elevated way. We thought, “Why not bring something like that to Dallas?” The city is full of amazing food, but there aren’t many places where Vietnamese dishes get to shine in an upscale and intimate setting.
So, we decided to create a monthly dinner club with three-course meals and a signature drink, giving people a chance to sit down, relax, and enjoy a different side of Vietnamese cuisine. Our goal was to show that Viet food isn’t just street food (though we love that too)—it’s diverse, welcoming, and can be totally charming and fancy when done right.
What got us the most excited was solving a gap we saw in Dallas: there weren’t enough places that treated Vietnamese food as both approachable and refined. But for us, it’s not just about the food—it’s about the whole experience. It’s about bringing people together around the dinner table, sharing stories, and celebrating culture. The early feedback has been incredible, and it’s made us even more passionate about creating a space where food, community, and culture come together in a really special way.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Lá is brought to life by a passionate team of three—Jasmine, Vy, and Thu—who share a deep love for food, whether it’s through cooking or eating.
What makes Lá stand out is the experience we aim to create for our reserved guests. Inspired by *Tết Đoàn Viên* in Vietnam—a time when family gathers from near and far to celebrate together—Lá is all about connection. Each dinner is a unique journey with its own theme, from the decor and conversation topics to the menu and drinks—no two evenings are ever the same. For instance, during our Mid-Autumn Festival dinner in September, we designed a menu and experience tailored to the holiday, including Ube Snow-skin Mooncakes handcrafted by our talented baker, Susan.
In today’s world, where technology often keeps us looking down at screens instead of engaging with those around us, we believe genuine connection is more important than ever. That’s the essence of Lá—bringing people together, face to face.
We’re proud of our hardworking team, who pour their energy into making each dinner unforgettable, even while managing their full-time jobs. It’s incredible to see their dedication and creativity come to life. We’re equally proud of the community we’ve built—guests who return not just as diners but as chefs, collaborators, and friends.
Lá isn’t just a dinner—it’s a place where everyone belongs, a space to enjoy food in a thoughtful, intentional way. We truly believe food tastes even better when shared with great company.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When we decided to launch our first dinner club in Dallas, stepping into a new market felt daunting. We were starting from scratch, without a reputation to lean on. We didn’t have big-name chefs or long-standing connections with local influencers—just a fresh idea and a passion for creating something special. The biggest question was: how could we convince people to join us for an event when we had no established credibility? At first, we hesitated to promote ourselves, feeling like we hadn’t earned the spotlight. But we quickly realized that waiting until we felt “ready” might mean never starting at all. Resilience became our foundation—not just in overcoming doubts but in embracing the fact that we were new and unpolished.
The challenges we faced were not small. Financing was a constant obstacle as we worked to build something meaningful without an endless budget. Our team, already balancing full-time jobs, had to dedicate extra hours to this venture. Planning each dinner meant testing and perfecting recipes multiple times before they made it onto the menu, ensuring every detail met our standards. Finding the right location was another hurdle, but we pushed through with determination and creativity.
What kept us moving forward was our incredible team. Everyone brought fresh ideas to the table and worked tirelessly to bring them to life. We started small, hosting intimate dinners for friends, family, and early supporters who believed in our vision. Each event was personalized, showing that even though we were new, we had something unique and memorable to offer.
The journey wasn’t easy. There were moments when self-doubt crept in, but resilience kept us going. We learned that being new wasn’t a disadvantage—it was an opportunity to define ourselves. We’ve grown, not by waiting for perfection, but by starting, adapting, and showing up with passion every single time.
How’d you meet your business partner?
Jasmine first stumbled on the idea from Cookie, and it instantly sparked her curiosity. She reached out to Winnie (Thu), an old colleague, and Vy, her high school upperclassman, to share the concept and dive deeper into how they could make it happen. Although the three had kept in touch occasionally, this idea brought them closer than ever. Over a brainstorming session at a rooftop restaurant, they started turning the vision into reality. Their significant others joined in too, offering fresh perspectives and helping to shape the plan. From there, it was all about connecting with fellow food enthusiasts. They began hosting intimate dinners, inviting friends and new faces to share meals and gather feedback. That’s when Susan, a passionate foodie with a flair for baking, entered the picture. She instantly fell in love with the concept and became the club’s “baking wizard,” leaving her delicious mark on every gathering.
As each guest brought in new connections, Lá blossomed into a close-knit community in the heart of DFW. What started as a small, intimate gathering quickly grew into something much bigger—an ever-expanding circle of food, friendship, and shared experiences.
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Image Credits
Huan Nguyen and Michelle Lam