The mural at Little Saigon’s Yaletown location.
Nghia “Mike” Tran feels like he’s crossed many finish lines. His restaurant franchise just expanded into Yaletown in May 2013, his third expansion since opening Abbotsford and Mission locations. He has a signature line of cooking products and beverages. They stocked the shelves of Overwaitea Food Group’s grocery stores in 2011. People enjoy Tran’s tastes across the province.
Vancouver food critics and dining enthusiasts: make room and reservations. Little Saigon’s getting big.
Little Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine Ltd. was founded by Tran in 2006. When he started working with his brother at a restaurant called New Saigon, he knew he wanted to start a franchise. It wasn’t money or fame that had Tran dreaming of owning a franchise. He did it to prove a point.
“It was pride that got me to open it,” said Tran. “I didn’t want to open it, but a lot of people told me I couldn’t do it. So I opened it.”
At first glance, he’s winning. Tran has launched three locations within a decade. He doesn’t believe it’s a success story, though. Yaletown is just another notch in a belt of accomplishments. The real finish lines are the times where he fell.
Little Saigon’s Abbotsford location.
Pre-Yaletown, Tran spearheaded all the restaurants by himself, at times without the necessary skill. He spread himself out too thin. Once, he almost resorted to closing both of his locations.
“When I fell down that time, I lost my arms and legs,” said Tran. “I had to use my face to push myself back up again. That’s how bad it was. I was below the negative.”
A fortunate companionship with his business partners kept him alive; a friendship with his “angels” who helped him keep his business open. Despite the divine intervention, the Yaletown location is still a whole new game for Tran. Attempts at applying lessons from previous struggles in Mission and Abbotsford are useless, so Tran tackles unfamiliar problems with new solutions.
Even his menu is prone to remedy. Portion sizes, ingredient additions, omissions and menu selections are all thoughtfully reworked when he feels the need for change. The menu, which Tran designed, is inspired mostly by his personal tastes, his family’s tastes and what he feeds his kids.
“I cook for my kids, Michael and Mylanna, and I can’t cheap out on them,” said Tran. “That’s why I don’t cook with MSG. First, I’m allergic to it. Second, how could I serve my kids crap?”
Even if pride made him start the franchise, the end was always about the family. Tran didn’t have a grasp of where he came from: He was adopted when he was a newborn baby. He wants his kids to have what he doesn’t, a starting place.
“I see my kids for, what, an hour a day? And I’m supposed to feed them MSG too? And feed them fatty foods?” asked Tran. “From the very beginning, it was for Michael and Mylanna. It was never about what other people liked.”
The new location is at 1263 Pacific Blvd., Vancouver.
