Sunflower Vietnamese offers North Las Vegas alternative to Chinatown
Myles Ong says he tried several times to get out of the restaurant industry, which he has been working in since he was 9, and each time he has found his way back.
The Vietnam native moved to Sioux City, Iowa, when he was 5. He left his parents’ restaurant to work at a grocery store deli while studying engineering at Iowa State University.
When his father died in 2015 and his mother needed assistance with running the restaurant in mid-2016, he returned to Sioux City from California and managed the kitchen. After about 10 months, he moved to North Las Vegas with his wife of about 13 years, Su Huynh, and three daughters, ages 2, 6, 11, and decided to open a restaurant.
Sunflower Vietnamese Restaurant opened in April in North Las Vegas, near Craig Road and Valley Drive. He said he chose the area because he wanted to be close to his home and it was cheaper than areas such as Chinatown. He mostly has been using Facebook to get the word out.
“A lot of our say it’s closer to home and that it’s a lot better than food in Chinatown,” Ong said.
The most popular entrees include pho, which can be served with shrimp, chicken or rare beef; (bun bo hue (hot soup, $9.50); banh mi thi nuong (Vietnamese sandwich, $5); and kem flan dessert ($3.95).
Ong does most of the cooking; his wife also cooks and creates recipes. Ong’s mother-in-law assists, mostly with watching the kids, and his eldest daughter can be seen bussing tables.
“Our (food) is really authentic,” Ong said. “It’s not watered down.”
Contact Kailyn Brown at kbrown@viewnews.com or 702-387-5233. Follow @kailynhype on Twitter.
Sunflower Vietnamese Restaurant
Where: 4210 W. Craig Road, Suite 100
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Contact: 702-224-2708
Social media: facebook.com/Sunflower-Vietnamese-Restaurant
