Van Da
5-Course Modern Vietnamese Dinner Event
Yen Ngo and Hannah Wong, the forces behind this Alphabet City eatery, see themselves as “warrior women”—which is what Van Da means in Vietnamese. In other words, they are bravely confronting the challenges of the restaurant world. Owner Ngo grew up with this food, and Wong came to it after graduating from Williams College and spending a year traveling on a Fulbright scholarship around Asia. She then went to work at Daniel Boulud’s dB bistro Modern and Gramercy Tavern and helped run the kitchen at Battersby, before passing the culinary torch to newly hired Executive Chef Michael Gucfa (see his impressive bio below). Van Da’s menu is split between offerings representative of three Vietnamese cities: Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, and Hanoi. Here, you will find dishes that are seldom encountered in typical Vietnamese restaurants. “Everything I ate across the whole menu was great,” raves Eater critic Scott Lynch. Did we mention that Michelin named it to their coveted Bib Gourmand list for 2021? We'll be taking over the restaurant for this two-seating event, and both Owner Ngo and Chef Gucfa will be on hand to share stories, introduce the courses, and partake in a Q&A with attendees during dessert.
About the Host:
Michael Gucfa
Executive Chef
Chef Gucfa began his culinary career in his hometown of Las Vegas at Le Cirque before moving to NYC to further hone his craft at Cafe D'Alsace, L’Antagoniste, and Tao Group's Arlington Club. He then relocated to Singapore, where he spent two years as Executive Chef at another Tao Group property, Lavo Marina Bay Sands, before recently returning to NYC to take the helm at Van Da.
The Lineup
Each course will be plated individually.
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Julienned Green Papaya & Mango
with shiso, coconut cream, and chili-lime vinaigrette
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Sweet Potato & Shrimp Fritters
with pickled carrots, herbs, and nuoc chom
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Banh Duo
steamed rice cakes with minced shrimp and scallion oil | crispy mochi dumplings with mung bean and nuoc cham
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Mi Vit Tiem
roasted duck, caramelized fish sauce crust, blackened bok choy, and pandan rice
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Sweet Potato & Ginger Cheesecake
Van Da
234 E 4th St
New York, NY 10009
Event FAQs
- Do I have to bring printed tickets to the event?
- No tickets are needed.
- What does the ticket price cover?
- The ticket price covers the full cost of the meal.
- What dietary restrictions/food allergies can be accommodated at this event?
- At this event the chef will provide substitutions for critical food allergies/dietary restrictions but will not make menu adjustments based on food preferences (e.g distaste for specific ingredients/flavor profiles). If you have restrictions/allergies, please make sure to Update Your Dietary Restrictions within your Account Info before or after you purchase tickets, or email us at [email protected] after you purchase tickets to let us know.
- What must I bring to the event?
- Please make sure to bring a government-issued photo ID.
- Do guests need to be of a certain age to attend this event?
- Yes. All attendees must be 21+ to gain entry.
- Can I bring guests/non-members to this event?
- Yep! For this event, guest tickets are $75 + tax & tip, and you can bring up to 3 guests. Please note, guests are not allowed to attend unaccompanied by a member.
- What is the event ticket cancellation/refund policy?
- Cancellation requests made within 10 business days of an event are not refundable or transferrable to future events. Cancellation requests made prior to 10 business days will receive a full refund.
- What qualifies as valid proof of vaccination?
- To verify that you are fully vaccinated, and gain entry to the event, you must present to our event lead any one of the following forms of proof: your original physical vaccination card, a clearly legible photo of your original vaccination card, the CLEAR Health Pass App, the Excelsior Pass, or the NYC COVID Safe App. Please note, you will be only be considered “fully vaccinated” if it has been at least 14 days since you've received either (a) a second shot of the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, or (b) a single shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. More questions about this? Contact us at [email protected]
