Chef Diane Moua. Photo: Chris Emeott
Food & Wine magazine singles out the Northeast Minneapolis eatery as this year’s best.
When chef Diane Moua opened Diane’s Place in April 2024, she says her inspiration stemmed from a desire to honor her Hmong heritage and share the culmination of her career in the Twin Cities culinary scene. “I wanted to create a space that I would want to go to,” the Woodbury resident says in our November 2024 feature.
Her approach has resulted in national accolades, from multiple James Beard Award nominations and write-ups in Bon Appétit and The New York Times to her most recent honor—Food & Wine naming Diane’s Place the best restaurant in the United States. “It signifies so much,” Moua says. “It shows that my team and I’s hard work is being seen.”
When Moua first found out about the award a few months ago, the news was still being kept tightly under wraps. When Food & Wine came to Diane’s Place for a photo shoot, the team was told it was for the restaurant’s website. Once the news went live on September 2, Moua sent a congratulatory message to her team. “They were really happy, and I told them they all deserve this,” Moua says. “I wouldn’t be here without my staff.”
Moua says it was also important that her parents, Choua Der Moua and Nhia Vang Moua, were also present for the photo shoot. “They’re such a huge part of the restaurant,” she says, noting that they still drop off fresh vegetables from their farm in Junction City, Wisconsin, on a weekly basis. “The restaurant is basically based off of them; it’s literally named after them, so it was like giving back to them,” Moua says.
Since our November 2024 feature, Diane’s Place has expanded its offerings to include dinner service 5–10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. The menu gives a nod to Moua’s background as an accomplished pastry chef with its Mini Scallion Croissants, while also delving further into the savory side of Hmong cuisine with items like Eggroll Stuffed Chicken and Sour Pork Short Ribs.
Diane’s Place
Instagram: @dianesplacemn and @pastrydiane
