By any standard, both Chef Thai Dang and his forever buzzing Vietnamese eatery, HaiSous, on Chicago’s Lower East Side are a resounding success. Since opening its doors in 2017, HaiSous has literally been the proverbial ‘talk of the town’ and has duly been showered with accolades and awards for everything from its flavorful menu of Vietnamese offerings to its delightfully authentic décor which was lovingly and thoughtfully curated by Dang and his wife, Danielle.  

“My wife is the architect and designer, as well,” Dang explains of the dynamically laid out space noting that the design of the restaurant was very much a family affair. “We joined two buildings together. [The] tables and chairs [were] made by my aunt and uncle in Vietnam. The metal doors came from Vietnam, as well. They were handmade in the ’30s…They are what Vietnam used to have, to protect the house(s) …and whatnot,” Dang continues. 

However, despite his recent triumphs, things have not always gone smoothly for Dang on his journey to culinary acclaim. Born in Vietnam, Dang and his family immigrated to America and settled in Virginia, where they worked tirelessly to create a better life for themselves. Uncertain of his future, Dang belatedly took the advice a high school teacher and enrolled at L’Academie de Cuisine in Maryland. That experience combined with his love of cooking earned him a place in series of top restaurants from D.C to Chicago, where he honed his craft.  

Finally, at the age of 27, Dang opened his first restaurant, Embeya in Chicago’s West Loop, with the help of his family and a few partners. Like HaiSous, Embeya, which focused on “Progressive Southeast Asian” cuisine, was an out of the gate hit. In its first year Dang’s debut hotspot was named Best New Restaurant in America by Esquire magazine and began attracting attention from many corners of the culinary world. 

Then things went horribly awry. 

“Long story short, my partner embezzled all my money and left the country on me,” Dang states flatly. 

“It was crazy. Talk about a dark place in life, “Dang says of the difficult two years that followed the ordeal, which found the burgeoning culinary superstar unemployed and consumed with legal actions. “But at the time, Danielle [my wife] and I, all we had was each other. And she said, ‘You know what? We could always do it again. And no matter what, it was your talent that got us here, and so let’s do it again. And I’m going to design your restaurant for you.’” 

And that is precisely what they did and continue to do. Only this time, Dang and his wife are in complete control. 

“Our work here still continues,” Dang replies reflecting on his current success and his past professional pitfalls. “We learned a lot. I always tell people that it’s like getting your master’s [degree]and paying a big tuition. But the plus side is [now]I don’t have a partner. I don’t have someone that is not in the operation, that tells me when the dividends are coming…when the profit-sharing is coming. When is this and that? I lost a lot… [But now] I have a lot of freedom. I can do whatever I want, my wife and I. But we take it one day at a time, and we build our team up and show them that anything is possible.”