Photos: Connor Siedow
Walking in the front doors of Diane’s Place, a new Northeast Minneapolis eatery by chef Diane Moua, the vibes are immaculate. The warm blond wood everywhere—from the bar to the tabletops to the beams in the ceiling—is welcoming and serene, punctuated by deep blue linens and fresh greenery. Sunlight streams into the space, which is located in Northeast’s Food Building.
The restaurant, which currently offers pastries, breakfast and lunch (with dinner coming soon), manages to feel humble and homey while not undermining its fine-dining credentials, of which Moua brings plenty. Moua, who has lived in Woodbury for more than a decade, has made her mark as a James Beard Foundation Award-nominated pastry chef and has worked with the big players in the Twin Cities food scene.
Diane Moua. Photo: Chris Emeott
Most notably, Moua has worked with Gavin Kaysen of Spoon and Stable and Bellecour (serving as executive pastry chef at both), Demi and Bellecour Bakery at Cooks of Crocus Hill; and Tim McKee at La Belle Vie and Solera. She originally went to culinary school to focus on cake decorating and sculptural chocolate. “But I learned quickly that wasn’t for me,” Moua says. “I didn’t have the patience to make cakes.” She finished up her culinary school internship at fine dining restaurant La Belle Vie—her first introduction to that style—and fell in love.
Though she has traveled to some of the best restaurants around the country, Moua says the Twin Cities food scene is unique. “We have two of the best bakeries I’ve ever been to, period,” she says. “Black Walnut Bakery and Patisserie 46? You can’t go anywhere else and get pastries like theirs.” The Metro’s diverse immigrant groups, including those who run restaurants featuring their native cuisines, add vibrancy to eating here. “You feel like you’re transported overseas,” she says. “And all the chefs help each other. We all want each other to succeed—it’s great for the Cities and for the state.”
Moua’s vision for Diane’s Place goes beyond phenomenal cooking. It’s also a place to highlight the foods of her Hmong heritage and the locally grown ingredients that are near to her heart. “I grew up on my parents’ farm,” Moua says. “We’d get home from school and take care of the calves.”
Her parents, Choua Der Moua and Nhia Vang Moua, still farm in Junction City, Wisconsin, where Moua grew up, and the farm currently supplies some of the produce for Diane’s Place from its six greenhouses. “It’s important to know where our food comes from and support local farmers,” Moua says. “I love the seasonality here. It gives me a reason to look forward to changing the menu.” Her parents drive up to Minneapolis once or twice a week for a “veggie drop.” And as Diane’s Place launches dinner and expands its menu, Moua says she looks forward to adding other local farmers and producers to her vendor list. For now, it’s a family affair.
Diane’s Place offers Hmong-inspired cuisine, inspired by Moua’s family gatherings. “When you have large Hmong gatherings, you’re not just cooking for five or 10 people,” she says. “You’re cooking for 50 or more people. I always think, ‘If you went to any Hmong house right now, what would you see?’” The answers—from sweet pork to sticky rice—form the foundation for the Diane’s Place menu. “That’s mashed up with what I learned to do with pastry,” Moua says. The pastries are a beautiful blend of flavors, based on the French technical skills of Moua’s training blended with Asian flavors like pandan, coconut and Thai tea.
In addition to stopping by for a bakery item, guests can also sit down for a full breakfast or lunch. Moua says that folks who are new to Hmong cuisine should try the Hmong sausage with sticky rice, which comes with her special D’s hot sauce (sweet or sour). “Lowry Hill provisions makes our Hmong sausage,” Moua says. “After that, I’d say to get the sweet pork, made with pork belly and cooked in garlic, lemongrass, ginger, brown sugar and spices until it’s tender.”
Hmong Sausage
Food has been a through line of Moua’s life. As the second oldest of her siblings (she was 10 when her parents bought their Wisconsin farm), she often helped her parents to prepare dinner for the family. “My mom worked two jobs; my dad was busy with the farm,” she says. “We’d always eat family style, and rice was part of every single meal.” Other fundamental ingredients of her childhood included pork and bitter melon.
This fall, Moua plans on incorporating some traditional autumnal Hmong veggies into the menu at Diane’s Place. “I’m looking at tea-infused creams. And my mom loves kabocha and Hubbard squashes, so I’m looking forward to using those,” Moua says. “I grew up eating them.”
After two decades in fine dining, what made this the right time to open her own restaurant? Moua says what most inspired her is a desire to honor her Hmong heritage and to share the culmination of her career. Additionally, she wanted to share her own love of exploring new spots for food and drinks. Moua says, “I wanted to create a space that I would want to go to. It’s a breakfast spot, but we can also have cocktails.”
In Woodbury, she frequents Hazelwood Food + Drink (“They’re great—I live close by,” she says) and Angelina’s Kitchen, plus she is excited about Patti Soskin’s newly arrived Woodbury yum! Kitchen and Bakery location. “I love living in Woodbury,” Moua says, noting that it’s been a great place to raise her two kids, who are now young adults and work with her at Diane’s Place.
When asked about the trappings that come with being a celebrated chef in 2024—James Beard Foundation Award nominations, thousands of social media followers and a renewed attention on fine-dining kitchens thanks to pop culture phenomena like The Bear—Moua seems genuinely surprised. “I don’t see myself like that at all,” she says. “I own a business, and I’m working hard to make sure I can pay my staff. I still rotate from front of house to back of house, making sure everyone has what they need. How can I help them? How do I get them engaged and excited?”
More than anything, Moua’s vision for Diane’s Place is to share her Hmong heritage with the community, she says. Getting to share her success with her parents (who often feature, along with the farm, in Moua’s adorable Instagram snaps) is the proverbial cherry on top. She says, “To hear them say [they’re proud]—that’s a huge compliment. They’re really happy.”
Papaya Salad
Pride shines in her voice. “I hope that Diane’s Place becomes a staple for Minnesota,” Moua says. “We have one of the largest Hmong populations here in the Twin Cities, and this is a space where I can continue to showcase my culture.”
Diane’s Place
117 14th Ave. NE, Mpls.; 612.489.8012
Facebook: Diane’s Place
Instagram: @dianesplacemn and @pastrydiane
