A chef change and upcoming New Years celebration have kept Mi Linh owner Dee Dee Tran busy in the Rock Hill restaurant’s kitchen. Among Tran’s more recent tasks has been ensuring a smooth transition due to the departure of her brother, executive chef Nelson Tran, who left to pursue other opportunities.
“He has been gone for three months. Nothing has changed,” she said, noting that Mi Linh dishes hail from family recipes, which she has. Tran has spent more time in the kitchen working with Manh Kieu, a chef who has worked at the restaurant since the beginning. Since her brother’s departure, Tran has added a few items to the menu, including a shrimp curry dish and a vegetarian noodle soup.
She also will unveil a new entree Jan. 31, when she pulls out all the stops at Mi Linh in honor of Vietnamese New Year. Tran said the celebration also will include drinks and possibly a dragon dance. Guests that night can take an envelope from the restaurant’s flower tree and open it to find a prize like a ticket good for a free drink, free dinner and even a lottery ticket.
Since opening its doors last May, Mi Linh has garnered positive reviews, including in a Sauce review by Michael Renner, who named the restaurant’s chicken wings (Canh Ga Chien) his No. 1 dish of 2013.
“They love the chicken wings so much. Everybody, even kids, … they try it and just love it,” Tran said. “When you open a business you hope for the best. I am surprised, especially with this location here. All the neighbors are so nice and supportive … Sometimes, I am here until two in the morning, but I feel it is worth it. In the restaurant business, you don’t make money like you think. But when I get those nice comments, it’s worth it.”
This article appears in January 2014.