After fleeing the Vietnam War, Duc “Duke” Kim and his mother settled in the United States with assistance from Woodbury’s Guardian Angels Catholic Church. The pair opened Duc’s Restaurant in 1996, which blends traditional Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine that draws heavily from family recipes. Photo: Chris Emeott
Duc’s Restaurant honors cultural flavors and traditions.
This year marks a major milestone for Duc’s Restaurant in Woodbury. The locally owned Vietnamese and Chinese restaurant is celebrating 30 years in business, a testament to the community support, dedication and family recipes that have sustained it since opening in 1996.
For owner Duc “Duke” Kim, however, the anniversary represents far more than longevity. “You’ve got to love what you do,” Kim says. “If you don’t have the love, it’s hard. I’ve wanted to do this since I was 13 years old.
I love to make people happy.”
Kim’s journey to restaurant ownership began long before Duc’s opened its doors. Growing up in Vietnam, he was surrounded by traditional cuisine. His maternal grandparents operated a small street cart, selling noodle dishes, giving him an early appreciation for authentic flavors and cooking techniques.
After the Vietnam War, Kim and his mother fled the country as part of the wave of Vietnamese refugees. They spent more than a year in a Malaysian refugee camp before resettling in the United States with the help of Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Woodbury.
Food remained an important connection to his home country during those uncertain years. “My mom always cooked great food at home,” Kim says. “That’s really where it started.” When he was about 12 years old, he watched his mother try to open a restaurant with a friend. Although the effort didn’t succeed, it planted the seed for his own future. “That’s when I told her, ‘Mom, when I grow up, we’re going to have our own restaurant,’” he says. Determined to make that promise a reality, Kim began working in restaurants as a teenager to learn the business firsthand. “I started when I was about 15 because I wanted to open a restaurant and learn everything I could,” he says.
Traditional Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine is at the forefront of Duc’s Restaurant. Familiar favorites include Chicken Wonton Soup, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Chicken Lo Mein, Hot Spicy Wings, and Beef and Broccoli. Photo: Duc’s Restaurant
At 27, with the help of his mother, Kim opened Duc’s Restaurant (783 Radio Drive Suite 100B). The menu blends Vietnamese and Chinese culinary traditions and draws heavily from family recipes shared by relatives in the restaurant industry. “I have a cousin in Chicago who is a great Vietnamese chef who shared many of the Vietnamese recipes,” Kim says. “My uncle in Kansas City has several Chinese restaurants, and he shared those recipes too.”
Today, those traditions remain at the heart of Duc’s menu. Customizable spice levels, fresh vegetables and house-made sauces define many dishes. Homemade egg rolls, noodle bowls and stir-fries remain customer favorites, while traditional Vietnamese phở is especially popular during Minnesota’s colder months. “Everything is fresh from scratch,” Kim says. “What you put in your body is so important. I want people to feel good and be healthy.”
Like many independent restaurants, Duc’s has faced staffing challenges in recent years, leading the restaurant to place greater emphasis on takeout and delivery while continuing to serve loyal customers. Even with those challenges, Kim remains deeply committed to the business he built three decades ago. “Even after 30 years, I don’t feel like I’m going to work,” he says. “This is what I love to do. Every day I wake up, I want to be better than yesterday.”
To celebrate the restaurant’s 30th anniversary, Kim has been sharing a long-standing tradition with some customers: red envelopes containing $25 gift certificates, inspired by the Lunar New Year custom symbolizing good fortune. “We’re known for the red envelope,” he says. “I love giving things.”
That passion—combined with family recipes and a desire to make people happy—continues to define Duc’s Restaurant and its place in the community.
