Artisanal condiments such as sakura blossom shoyu and whiskey-laced garlic black bean sauce are interspersed with longtime favorite kitchen staples such as Mazola oil and Sriracha.
Photo by Alex LauHa Truong , 78, is the kitchen’s most senior member and Nguyen’s first recruit. She presents Sesame LA’s sweet and savory vegetarian stew, a collaborative effort between the two cooks, made with lotus root, braised seitan, and quail eggs and garnished with cucumber slices.
Photo by Alex LauMade with agar and seaweed, these vegan jellies are slightly chewy and seasoned with coconut, pandan, coffee, and a variety of other flavors.
Photo by Alex LauUt Pham , 65, does kitchen prep and makes vegan jellies, or thạch. She says she enjoys her time in the kitchen: “It’s relaxing! I’m learning many things; we all work together and get along well.”
Photo by Alex LauMagnolia Blossom purple snow peas, Sunny Side Up chrysanthemums, Phoenix nasturtium, and Beauregard snap peas are all sourced from Girl & Dug Farm in San Marcos, CA.
Photo by Alex LauJudy Mai Nguyen , 72, is Sivrican’s mother and leads the off-site kitchen where an ever-changing variety of dishes is created by a group of her friends.
Photo by Alex LauThe large vegan and vegetarian selection in Sesame LA’s display case is an extension of Buddhist philosophy, which strives to cultivate compassion for other living beings.
Photo by Alex LauJennifer Pham , 60, is a close family friend to the Nguyens and helps prepare dishes such as pickled vegetables, vegan fish paste, and beef bourguignon.
Photo by Alex LauA veteran of Vietnamese restaurants, Nguyen draws upon her experience at the legendary Brodard in Orange County, CA, to create these beautiful summer rolls .
Photo by Alex LauMaster Thien Tue , 50, of Pho Linh Buddhist temple in Garden Grove, CA, cooks various vegan dishes for Sesame LA, such as fried spring rolls with taro, carrots, and wood ear mushrooms. A portion of the proceeds from her dishes is donated to Pho Linh temple.
Photo by Alex LauA vegan soup made with fresh asparagus, organic bunapi mushrooms, and algae vermicelli, or tóc tiên.
Photo by Alex LauSivrican’s stepfather, David Nguyen , 74, delivers prepared foods like his fried sesame balls from the kitchen to the store three times a week.
Photo by Alex LauJudy Mai Nguyen’s vegan pickled mustard greens “offer the perfect combination of acid and sweet,” Sivrican says. She will often suggest substituting local, smaller batch ingredients for the ones her mom has been accustomed to using; both are often pleased with the results. “So you have an older generation of women using new ingredients and discovering new things. It’s joyous for me to see that for them too,” Sivrican says.
Photo by Alex LauIt was Sivrican’s cousin’s idea to hang family photos in the store. “I wasn’t sure about it at first, but once I started looking through our family albums, I realized I wanted to share them with everyone,” Sivrican says. Photos include Judy Mai Nguyen and her mother in Vietnam, Sivrican herself, and her cousins in áo dài, traditional Vietnamese dress. The black-and-white photos are of Sivrican’s grandparents and their friends in Vietnam.
Photo by Alex LauEdible nasturtium and calendula blooms, plus chrysanthemums are folded into these beautiful summer rolls, or gòi cuốn . Sivrican and her mother, Judy Mai Nguyen, experiment with rolling different ingredients—chosen for their unique flavor combos and stunning presentation—into transparent rice paper.
Photo by Alex LauSource : food
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