Vietnamese chef and entrepreneur Ven Pham has opened her fifth restaurant in south-east Queensland, just 15 years after leaving her family farm to settle in Australia.
The Golden Lor brand she runs with her partner Will has now opened an outlet at Yamanto Central shopping centre in Ipswich, west of Brisbane.
Golden Lor already operates in Browns Plains, Flagstone, Plainland and Karalee.
The Yamanto outlet seats up to 300 people and overlooks the centre’s interactive children’s playground.
Ven Pham grew up on a family farm in Vietnam and moved to Australia 15 years ago as a student to study accounting.
She also holds a Bachelor of Biotechnology Engineering from the International University, Vietnam National University.
After graduating in Australia she started pursuing a passion for bringing Vietnamese flavours and cuisine to local diners.
“The flavours I grew up with were incredible, everything was fresh, full of life and grown with care,” she said. “That is what I am trying to recreate here.
“Growing up around farming teaches you to respect food. It teaches you patience, quality and consistency, and those values are what guide us as we grow.”
Ms Pham said Golden Lor operated with a strict commitment to freshness, with all stores receiving a minimum of three deliveries of fresh produce each week.
“Nothing is frozen,” Ven said. “I make it my responsibility to understand where our ingredients come from and ensure they meet our standards.”
Yamanto Central shopping centre is owned and managed by JMK Retail.
