Before coming to the U.S., my father was a fisherman in Vietnam, and my mom sold his catch at the market to support our family. Life after the war was unimaginably hard. Like so many immigrants, my parents risked everything to escape, spending years in refugee camps in Hong Kong and the Philippines before finally arriving in California in the 1980s.

Starting from scratch in a new country wasn’t easy. My parents worked tirelessly as landscapers—doing backbreaking work mowing lawns and planting gardens—to provide for our family of seven. To this day, my 68-year-old mom still rises early in the morning, slips on her gloves, and hauls yards of bark across her clients' gardens.

But here’s the thing about my mom: even when she was exhausted from work, she always made time to show her love through her cooking. Food was her language of love. Whether it was bowl of streaming phở or her legendary bánh bột lọc, she made sure we were not just fed but nourished, body and soul. Even now, at every family gathering, she’s there, asking, “Did you eat enough?”

Bánh bột lọc has always been a family favorite—a little package of love wrapped in tapioca. It’s more than food; it’s a connection to our roots and to my mom’s unwavering spirit. I started Mama Ve’s to share that love with you. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that food has a way of bringing
people together; and in my family, it’s how we show we care.

So, welcome to Mama Ve’s. I hope you feel the same warmth and love in every bite that my mom has been giving us all these years.