Our Story
Our parents' love story is one of sacrifice, strength, and unbreakable faith.
Bố was a village fisherman from a remote island in Halong Bay. Mẹ was a city girl from Haiphong, working at the docks to help her family survive the war. They came from different worlds, but their paths crossed, and something lasting began.
They had no wedding, no rings — just a promise. Bố gifted Mẹ a sewing machine, a rare and precious item at the time. It was the most valuable thing they owned, and a symbol of his love. But war would test everything.
When Bố was imprisoned for trying to help over 100 people escape by boat, Mẹ was left alone with four young children. Every month, she traveled for days—sometimes without food, sometimes walking for miles—to bring him supplies so he could survive. Prisons didn’t feed inmates, Bố survival depended on the devotion of family.
Years later, when hope seemed out of reach, a kind friend offered Mẹ a small sailboat to help our family escape. In return, Mẹ gave him the sewing machine Bố had given her on their wedding day—not out of obligation, but as a gesture of deep appreciation.
On the day of the escape, she rode her bicycle to the prison and waited near a hidden spot. Bố, having earned the right to work outside the prison walls, made his move. He ran, jumped on the bike, and they rode with everything they had—straight to the shore, where we were waiting in the boat.
It took 75 days at sea.
We arrived with nothing but love, faith, and each other.
No country. No guarantees. Just a family, determined to live free.
Today, we honor Bố and Mẹ by sharing their story—and their spirit—through our food. Every dish we serve is rooted in their journey. Every meal is a reminder that love, family, and resilience can carry us through anything.
We named our restaurant Ông Bà not just to remember them, but to pass on their love and sacrifice to the next generation.
We hope that everyone who walks through our doors feels the same warmth we did growing up—like sitting down for a comforting meal at Grandma’s house.
Because to us, Ông Bà is more than a name. It’s family. It’s home.
Ông Bà Vietnamese Eatery
Naming the restaurant in Bố and Mẹ's honour (Ông Bà means grandparents in Vietnamese), we have opened our doors in hopes of preserving our parents’ and grandparents' legacy and recreating the warmth and love that kept their spirits alive in times of adversity.
The newly remodeled interior is designed to be a bright and inviting space to signify the ‘happily ever after’ that came after all the hardships and leaps of faith taken by the brave lovers - Bố and Mẹ so that families of all types can enjoy a filling meal embellished with fun and laughter!