The influences of Vietnamese immigrants in South Louisiana are many, especially when it comes to food. From banh mi sandwiches to pho and Vietnamese-Cajun seafood dishes, Vietnamese cuisine is a staple of New Orleans’ food scene.
Nga Vu was 5 years old when her parents came to New Orleans. She grew up in the family corner store in New Orleans East, and the family work ethic launched her own entrepreneurial career. At various points in her self-directed career, she and her husband, Shawn Tran, owned and operated a Korean restaurant, a floral and event business, a catering hall and most recently, City Market, the grocery store at 1101 Elysian Fields Ave. that opened in June.
The food hall took over the former Beauty Plus store in the building her family has owned for 20 years. From the start, the idea wasn’t to open an Asian food court, although three of the six stalls serve Asian dishes. Kim Son Express, a Houston staple, offers Vietnamese food, including pho, vermicelli with lemongrass-marinated pork, shrimp or tofu, and fresh spring rolls. Kokosushi is a vegetable-friendly poke bowl and sushi shop where you can build your own poke bowl. Suga Hut, run by Vu’s daughter, is the place for inexpensive banh mi on crispy dong phuong rolls, plus fresh bubble tea and juices.
Bywater Burgers & Wings serves what its name suggests, alongside grilled and fried chicken, as well as deli sandwiches and fries. Marigny Market, run by Vu’s son, Anton Tran, offers fried seafood in po-boys and both traditional and Vietnamese-Cajun seafood stews, as well as some Dong Phuong retail products. Zoe’s Bakery is the third location of the popular Covington-based pastry, cake and bread shop, with treats and coffee on tap.
Hibachi Grill from the popular Nori Guys pop-up was supposed to be in a seventh space, but the deal fell through. Vu is looking for another operator.
“I want everyone to be on the same page,” Vu says. That includes running a cashless business. “I wanted to offer pizza here, but the vendors I spoke to didn’t want to sell cashless. We’re not in a rush to fill the gap. The right opportunity will come along. Rome wasn’t built in a day. My vision is that I don’t want people to come and go. I want people to want to stay. I’m trying to set everyone up for success.”
Unlike most other market halls, each vendor has a fully equipped kitchen with an extractor hood for frying.
She didn’t actually want to open a market hall in the building. But just before the pandemic, her long-term tenant decided not to renew the lease and everything changed. “When Covid hit, no one wanted to take the risk and open a store,” says Anton Tran. “We didn’t want to give up the building. So we came up with this idea and my dad and I came every day to do the renovation. We’re jack-of-all-trades. This is my family. We never just sit on the couch and relax. We like to keep busy.”
The building’s transformation includes striking murals by local artists on the exterior and an airy, bright white interior filled with lush plants. An additional wall of windows provides natural light and views of the street.
At 55, Vu talks about slowing down, but not too much. “This is a brand new startup, so there’s a lot to learn,” she says. Her idea is to give other entrepreneurs a chance at the life she’s built for herself and her family. “I’ll probably never retire,” she says. “I’ll work until I die. But I wouldn’t mind slowing down a bit.”
