How Lien Ta Used Her Restaurants to Turn Strangers into Community

I’m deeply honored to have restaurateur and writer Lien Ta on the show today. I found her Instagram during the pandemic and I’m grateful to say that she’s now a friend. In our conversation, Lien shares what it means to her to belong and how we build spaces that help others feel they belong too. We talk about her parents' harrowing journey as Vietnamese refugees and how this has impacted their family through generations. Lien shares how connection emerged as her most essential value, one that shaped her life in hospitality and continues to guide her next chapter. We also explore what it means to be a “stranger,” and how the simple act of asking a question or noticing a detail can bridge worlds. This conversation highlights grief and generosity, family legacy and found community, plus the courage it takes to see and be seen and the powerful trust that grows in between.

Topics:

• Lien’s childhood dreams of cozy sitcom bedrooms and how this helped her create a sanctuary for herself in Silver Lake, believing that home can be something we construct for ourselves, often for the first time.
• Lien’s family’s escape from Vietnam, fleeing by boat, then their time in Thai refugee camps, and their eventual resettlement in the U.S.
• How, through therapy, Lien rediscovered her core values after burnout during the pandemic and why connection now anchors her relationships, career, and creativity.
• From All Day Baby to Here’s Looking At You, Lien opens up about the intentional ways she designed her spaces to be spaces where strangers become community.
• What the hospitality and restaurant industries have taught Lien about trust, grief, and generosity – especially after loss. 

Resources:

• Podcast show notes
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