A few nights ago, I stood on stage holding Crab Hot Lau’s Vancouver Magazine Gold Award after being named Best Vietnamese Restaurant in Vancouver for the third year in a row.

And honestly, when I heard our name being called, everything felt like it slowed down for a moment.

The lights.
The applause.
The people around me.

It all felt a little surreal.

Because in that moment, I was not thinking about awards or success.

I was thinking about how far this journey had come from a very small family kitchen many years ago.

When I first came to Canada, I was simply cooking for my family and close friends.

The foods I grew up eating in Hải Phòng.
The flavours I missed.
The meals that reminded me of sitting around the table with family back home.

At that time, Vancouver already had many incredible restaurants and many different Asian food communities.

But I still felt there were certain Northern Vietnamese flavours that many people had never truly experienced yet — especially traditional Vietnamese hotpot culture and the flavours from Hải Phòng.

I kept asking myself:

“What if I could bring a small part of those food memories to Vancouver?”

That simple idea slowly became Crab Hot Lau.

In the beginning, everything grew very slowly.

First cooking for family. Then for friends…

And somehow, over time, that small kitchen slowly turned into a restaurant.

The journey was never easy.

Like many small family-run restaurants, there were long days, quiet nights, and moments where I questioned myself many times.

But one thing I always believed was that the food had to feel honest.

Our Vietnamese crab hotpot was never created to follow trends.

It came from real Northern Vietnamese cooking traditions — where broth is slowly prepared for hours, where meals are meant to be shared together, and where people gather around the table not only to eat, but to spend time with each other.

Over the years, one of the most meaningful things for me has been watching more international guests slowly discover Vietnamese hotpot culture for the first time.

Many guests arrive not knowing what to expect.

Then they learn how to slowly cook vegetables in the broth, share noodles into each other’s bowls, wrap fresh herbs together, and experience the communal style of dining that is such a big part of Vietnamese food culture.

Some first come for the Rice Field Crab Hotpot.

Others discover us through our Hải Phòng crab spring rolls, red noodles, pho, or Northern Vietnamese family-style dishes.

And little by little, Crab Hot Lau became more than just a restaurant.

It became a place where different cultures, memories, and people could connect through food.

Today, Crab Hot Lau has grown into three locations across Vancouver.

But even now, I still feel that the heart of everything remains the same as the beginning:

Bringing warmth, sharing, and Northern Vietnamese flavours to the table.

Winning Vancouver Magazine’s Best Vietnamese Restaurant award for the third year in a row is something I will always feel grateful for.

But honestly, what means the most to me are the quieter moments along the journey.

Seeing families return again and again.

Watching parents introduce Vietnamese food to their children.

Seeing guests bring friends back to share dishes they love.

And hearing people from different backgrounds say:

“This was my first time trying Vietnamese hotpot… and I loved it.”

For me, those moments are more meaningful than any award.

Tomorrow, we will still return to the kitchen.

Still preparing broth.
Still wrapping crab spring rolls.
Still cooking carefully the same way we always have.

And I think that is the most beautiful part of this journey.