Might have to try this midwest Viet's pho cause I give folks like her props

[theking]

..for having "legit" work ethics and earned her success over the years...Might check it out next time I'm in New York  :

'A blessing': Restaurant owner's family-inspired Vietnamese food resonates in Poconos

Food can mean everything and anything. It can transcend memory, preserve culture, and tie a family together. Especially during the holidays.

Tuesday marks the Lunar New Year, a festival observing the start of a new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar observed in East Asia.

For many in the West, Lunar New Year may be something associated with China, and recognized as Chinese New Year. In truth, the holiday is also referred to as the Spring Festival, and is celebrated by many other Asian countries. This new lunar year will be considered a "year of the Water Tiger."

The holiday is celebrated with family gatherings, plenty of tradition — and food.

Nhi Mundy owns three Bà & Me restaurants with locations in the Poconos and the Catskills of New York.

The restaurant name may appear to be a play on words: foodies may recognize the popular Vietnamese sandwich bánh ḿ, but it's deeper than that. The name is a nod to her family; Bà translates to "Grandmother" and Me translates to "Mother" from Vietnamese.

Mundy, who spoke with reporters while in California to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday with her family, grew up working in her parents' restaurant in the Midwest.

Mundy immigrated with her family to America from Vietnam, and grew up in Kansas. She later relocated to New York City, before moving to the Catskills with her husband. There, she opened her first restaurant.

"I decided to do the one thing that I sort of inherently knew how to do — which was make Vietnamese food," Mundy said, noting that she perceived a shortage of Asian cuisine in the Poconos, which soon had her opening her second Bà & Me location in Honesdale.

The Honesdale restaurant "turned out to be a blessing" due to the support of the community. "We're very happy to be there," Mundy added.

Mundy relocated the Honesdale restaurant to a new, bigger space at 1008 Main Street last year, which has been a "blessing in disguise." Today, Mundy's restaurant boasts a 4-star rating on Yelp, and is popular with locals and tourists alike.