SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Two weeks before Khue's Kitchen in Saint Paul was set to open, a suspected electrical fire sent the whole thing up in the flames.
The 24-year-old owner Eric Pham said its the hardest moment of his life so far. He began working at his family's restaurant, Quang, when he was 13. Khue's Kitchen in Saint Paul was his chance to put his own stamp on the Twin Cities food scene.
"We were set to do a soft opening on August 27," Pham said.
For the first time after the fire, Pham stepped back inside the restaurant with KARE 11.
"Just like looking around, almost like the emotions are sort of like surging back in of, dang this is what we lost," Pham said. He had more than $120,000 dollars invested into the place. His team of 10 employees, all ages 19 to 26, along with some help from his dad, spent months of time making the place their own.
"We painted all the walls, we redid all the bathrooms, redid, some tile, like that was us," Pham said.
He hopes to recuperate as much money as possible from insurance, and right now is leaning on his family for support.
"The next day, when I woke up, my dad said, 'Get up, let's go look at restaurants,'" Pham said with a smile. "I have an incredible family."
Pham has partnered with Picnic restaurant in Linden Hills to host a one night event on Aug. 28 to showcase some of the dishes Khue's Kitchen was going to serve. He said this is not the last time the Twin Cities food scene will be seeing him.