Sunshine Chefs

Yia Vang

Second Harvest Heartland

Chef Yia Vang was born in a Thai refugee camp and got his start as a dishwasher when his family relocated to central Wisconsin. Today he is the proud co-owner of Union Hmong Kitchen (a pop-up restaurant experience in Minneapolis, MN) and is working on a new restaurant concept called Vinai dedicated to Hmong food that celebrates and honors his family’s rich cultural history. Recently, Chef Vang shared a dish that will have your mouth watering.

This Spicy Mango Relish made with DOLE Chef-Ready Cuts Mango Cubes, takes just minutes to create but packs a big punch of flavor. “The relish can be placed on top of grilled fish, pork or chicken, but it’s important to use this relish for grilled meats because of the contrasting flavors of the smoke and char on the meat to the sweet and tartness of the mangos,” says Chef Vang.

The charity Yia chose to partner with is Second Harvest Heartland, an organization that works with food banks across the country to help provide hunger relief. A donation of over 1,000 DOLE® Fruit Bowls® was made on Chef Vang’s behalf.

To learn more about Second Harvest Heartland visit 2harvest.org and follow them on social media @secondharvestheartland.

For more delicious culinary creations follow:
Chef Yia Vang: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Union Hmong Kitchen: Instagram | Facebook
Vinai: Instagram | Facebook