Diane's Place chef-owner Diane Moua has expertly combined two decades of professional pastry experience and her passion for developing unique twists on the Hmong home cooking she grew up with to create an eatery worthy of the title 2025 Restaurant of the Year.
Moua first opened the doors of her eponymous restaurant in the Twin Cities region in April 2024, bringing a taste of her Hmong heritage to American palates, and on Tuesday, Diane's Place was named Food & Wine's 2025 Restaurant of the Year.
"To me, going home and cooking Hmong food is my happy place," Moua told Food & Wine of her tendency to cook things that harken back to her childhood. "When people come to Diane's Place, I want them to feel like they're at my house -- that we're taking care of them."
The daughter of parents who fled their home in Southeast Asia after the Vietnam War and settled in the Midwest, Moua was raised in central Wisconsin on a 120-acre farm, full of fresh vegetable crops.
She said their house was a hub of sorts to feed and care for fellow neighbors in the Hmong community.
"We took good care of people when they came to our house. My dad never let anybody leave unless they had a meal or a drink," she told Food & Wine.
In an email to ABC News on Tuesday, Moua said the Restaurant of the Year recognition "means so much" for two standout reasons.
"It reflects the hard work of my amazing team," she said. "This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Hmong people settling in the United States, making this recognition a tribute to our parents and grandparents who bravely moved here in search of better opportunities for their children."
Hmong cuisine originated in the mountainous regions of Southeast Asia and inspired a range of dishes on Moua's menu, including items like Thai Tea French Toast made with croissant bread, a Spam and Nori Croissant sandwich, and Hmong sausage served over sticky rice.
Her Asian-inspired pastries first made waves in the Twin Cities upon opening with just a brunch menu, but the popularity and demand for a savory meal prompted Moua to open an evening service.
After seven months of planning and making sure her staff was supported to execute their new menu, dinner launched at Diane's Place in November 2024.
The dinner menu is now available four nights a week, Thursday through Sunday, serving up family-style Hmong dishes like Egg Roll-stuffed Chicken, Hmong Pulled Pork and more.
"Bringing Hmong food to a national audience is significant not only for the Hmong community, but also for the Twin Cities as a whole," Moua told ABC News. "Our local restaurants are continually earning national recognition."
The full Food & Wine profile on chef Moua and Diane's Place is online and will be featured in the publication's October Restaurant Issue, hitting newsstands Sept. 19.
