Inside the kitchen of Chef Yia Vang

At Vinai restaurant in Minneapolis, Chef Yia Vang pays homage to his Hmong heritage through the universal language of food. A master at combining traditional flavors with modern culinary techniques, this three-time James Beard award finalist trusts Vollrath cookware to recreate his favorite family dishes at Vinai. Here are the top 5 pieces of cookware Chef Yia can’t live without.

Brazier 

The heavy-duty hero of any kitchen, the brazier is Chef Yia’s favorite piece of Vollrath cookware. Whether it’s the durable stainless steel construction or the even-heating induction-ready clad bottom, Yia said everyone in his kitchen wants to use the brazier. “This pan works very well for us when it comes to all our prep that needs to be braised. Hmong dishes revolve around using off-cuts of animals, and these cuts need time to braise. The brazier does just that. We sear our short ribs, braise it, and then put it into the oven for five hours to get that perfect soft, tender pull,” Yia said.

Carbon steel fry pan 

Ideal for chefs who love the toughness of cast iron but don’t love its weight, carbon steel fry pans handle the heat with durability that won’t weigh you down. “At Vinai (our restaurant) this pan is one of the hardest-working pans we have. It's been beat up and tossed in and out of the oven but keeps coming back for more. Simple to season and gives the perfect sear on our string beans for one of our favorite dishes,” Yia said. Available with a natural or nonstick finish, carbon steel cookware is compatible with all ovens, grills, and cooktops, even broiler and induction. 

Centurion® saucier 

Great chefs like Yia love the saucier for its uniquely curved sides perfect for whisking as you cook, not to mention simmering, reducing, boiling, searing and sauteing. “You'll find the saucier in two parts of our kitchen. In the back of the range with some soup or stock working in it, or above our wood-fire grill with beef tallow and garlic confit. This small but strong pan has the perfect round bottom to keep our sauces from breaking and conducts enough heat to keep it warm. The strong handle holds true, and it’s easy to move quickly around the kitchen,” Yia said. 

Carbon steel wok 

“In any Southeast Asian kitchen, a strong wok is the heartbeat of all our fried rice. The width is great for tossing and constant moving of the rice, so each kernel of rice gets the perfect fry. We also love that it heats up fast but doesn't burn the rice,” Yia said. “Everyone knows that when you’re cooking fried rice, you're looking for the ‘wok hei’ or what the Cantonese call ‘the breath of the wok’ ... It's the smoky char aroma that's created by the heat of the wok. This pan does just that.” For precise, energy-efficient power that heats up fast, the Vollrath carbon steel wok pairs perfectly with our induction wok range. 

Tribute® Tri-Ply fry pan 

Tribute is one of the industry’s top-performing cookware lines thanks to its stainless steel Tri-Ply construction, unmatched performance on any cooking surface, and lifetime guarantee. It’s also Chef Yia’s favorite line. “What I love about the Tribute [fry pan] is I know that it's going to be able to take a beating. It's been a game-changer for our kitchen,” Yia said. “From things as simple as heating up a cup of sauce, to a complex sear on a sensitive fish, this pan does it all. It is strong enough to sear and go inside your oven, and it's easy enough for a simple saute.” Chef Yia said his experience with pans that didn’t work the way they were meant to is why Vinai loves using Tribute fry pans. 

Learn more about how Vollrath helps Chef Yia Vang tell stories about his heritage through food. 

VIEW CASE STUDY