Nearly two decades later and after distinctive paths, siblings Sophie and Eric found themselves together again, this time in Seattle, not Saigon. This time in their own kitchen, not their mother’s.

Their father is of Chinese descent, a culture, which dines out frequently and they were educated with food, not only in diversity but in quality as well. Their parents always believed quality and freshness were the key ingredients to creating great food. As children it wasn’t freshness that captivated Sophie and Eric so much as American fantasy. They would beg their Aunt to make grilled steak with french fries or something exotic like macaroni and cheese. It was only once they left Vietnam that they remembered the comfort food from their childhood, the fresh and clean flavors of Vietnam which were now so hard to find in the West, the very flavors that inspire Monsoon today.

Sophie’s love for food was apparent to everyone in the family. She never missed an opportunity to learn a new dish. She once invited an entire family over for a feast and in exchange asked for a curry recipe. Despite her constant love for food she spent years working in the banking industry and it wasn’t until Sophie moved to Seattle that she pursued her culinary career seriously. In 1996 she graduated from South Central College in the Culinary Arts. Upon graduating she worked at Obachine and Roy’s but always dreamed of having her own restaurant.

Eric, on the other hand has never had any formal culinary training. He graduated with a degree in business and later worked in real estate. By 1995 he ventured to open his first restaurant, Lemongrass, in Alberta, Canada. Unable to find a suitable chef, he decided to take on the role himself, but admits he could not have done so without a crash course in Vietnamese Food from his mother and aunt. It was this lack of professional training that gave him the freedom to experiment with ingredients and non-traditional combinations - to learn simply by trying. As his exploration with food developed, it was only natural that his curiosity and love for wine also matured.

Both Sophie and Eric admit their surprise at Monsoon’s success; they never anticipated such positive reviews from local and national critics including Bon Appetit’s 2002 Best Neighborhood Restaurants. They credit Monsoon’s popularity to the locals of Seattle who were quick to embrace modern Vietnamese food. The Northwest’s abundance in ingredients, local and international, is a continual source of inspiration for them. The selection, availability of wine and the commitment of distributors have only encouraged Monsoon to create an extensive wine list which has garnered the Wine Spectator Award for the past three years.