{"id":62140,"date":"2025-11-26T23:35:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T23:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/62140\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T23:35:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T23:35:08","slug":"mills-50-mainstay-little-saigon-vietnamese-restaurant-to-close-after-nearly-40-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/62140\/","title":{"rendered":"Mills 50 mainstay Little Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant to close after nearly 40 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve enjoyed my fair share of meals at Little Saigon over the years \u2014 the b\u00fan b\u00f2 hu\u1ebf in particular \u2014 but come Dec. 28, the venerable Vietnamese restaurant will serve its final bowl of soup.<\/p>\n

Siblings Vu Nguyen and Mai Huynh are hanging up their aprons after nearly 40 years of serving the Mills 50 community, a community they\u2019re ever so grateful for.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thank you for the love,\u201d says Huynh. \u201cAs one of the original Vietnamese restaurants of Orlando, we are proud to have shared our culture, and a little piece of home, for four decades.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Little Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant<\/p>\n

The restaurant has seen Mills 50 flourish into a culinary, cultural and historical hub for food lovers, a rise spawned by Vietnamese refugees who turned the neighborhood into the destination it is today. In fact, Hung Kim, widely considered to be Orlando\u2019s first Vietnamese restaurant, occupied the Little Saigon space in 1983 before Nguyen and Huynh moved in a few years later in 1987.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we first took over, it was just a small, 1,000-square-foot empty space with a double-door fridge,\u201d says Huynh. \u201cOver the years, we grew through four expansions, all the while keeping it a family operation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their parents, who passed away a few years ago, would often help out in the restaurant, adding their touches to the menu to make sure everything was as it should be. \u201cThe restaurant has always been more than just a business,\u201d Huynh says. \u201cIt gave our parents a sense of purpose. We just have so many shared memories as a family here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lease on the Little Saigon space is set to expire come year\u2019s end and, seeing how both Nguyen and Huynh were looking to retire anyway, the timing seemed right.<\/p>\n

No word yet on what the property owners plan to do with the space.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Little Saigon is inviting everyone to join them in celebrating the restaurant\u2019s final weeks.<\/p>\n

Follow them @littlesaigonorlando<\/a> or at little-saigon.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Orlando\u2019s daily dose of what matters. Subscribe to The Daily Weekly.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Mills\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tOwners Vu Nguyen and Mai Huynh are hanging up their aprons\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Photos:\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tBartenders both local and from lands afar travelled to the restaurant to show off their \u2019tending and drinking skills.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Mazala\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tDesi pies have gained traction in large cities across North America\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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