>> Mary: OUR NEXT GUEST SPENT YEARS AS ONE OF THE MOST ACCLAIMED CHEFS IN THE TWIN CITIES BEFORE FINALLY OPENING HER OWN RESTAURANT LAST YEAR.

THAT EATERY, DIANE'S PLACE, HAS QUICKLY SEEN EVEN MORE ACCOLADES AND SUCCESS, CULMINATING THIS MONTH IN "FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE" DECLARING IT THE BEST RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR.

THE FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANT OFFERS AN INTIMATE DINING EXPERIENCE WITH A MENU BRINGING EXPERTLY-BAKED PASTRIES AND DESSERTS TOGETHER WITH TRADITIONAL HMONG COMFORT FOODS AND MODERN INTERPRETATIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN CUISINES, ALL IN TRIBUTE TO THE FOODS OF TH HEAD CHEF'S CHILDHOOD.

DIANE MOUA IS THE OWNER AND EXECUTIVE CHEF AT DIANE'S WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE YOU HERE.

WE SHOULD POINT OUT WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US FOR THOSE WHO DON'T SEE THIS AT HOME, DID INE BROUGHT SOME OF HER AMAZING, AMAZING PASTRIES.

AND THIS IS KIND OF WHAT YOU START STARTED WITH.

PEOPLE ORIGINALLY -- YEAH.

>> Mary: TALK ABOUT THE ORIGINS IN PASTRIES FOR YOU.

>> I STARTED OFF WITH MY CAREER I DID PLATED DESSERTS AND FINE DINING AND WHEN I WORKED WITH GAVIN HE'S LIKE WE'RE OPENING A BAKERY AND I WAS LIKE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE CROISSANTS OR BREADS, I DON'T HAVE PATIENCE FOR BREADS, IT'S SUCH AN EXPERTISE.

AND HE WENT ME TO THE MILL FOR FIVE AYS AND I CAME BACK AND HE WAS LIKE WE'RE OPENING A BAKERY.

>> Mary: WAIT, FIVE DAYS, YOU LEARNED HOW TO MAKE PASTRIES IN FIVE DAYS >> ONCE YOU SEE HOW PEOPLE DO IT YOU TRIAL RUN AND I WORKED WITH AMAZING CHEST WHO GAVE ME TIPS HOW TO DO IT AND YOU TROUBLESHOOT UNTIL YOU GET THIS.

AND I ACTUALLY LOVE IT, IF I COULD JUST DO PASTRIES ALL DAY, LAMINATION, I WOULD DO IT.

>> Eric: IS IT A BIG STEP TO HMONG MAIN DISHES?

>> IT IS DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, I WAS GOING TO OPEN THE RESTAURANT PEOPLE WERE LIKE HOW IS THIS GOING TO WORK?

YOU HAVE PASTRIES AND YOU HAVE HMONG FOOD BUT IT WORKS REALLY WELL.

THERE'S A LOT OF FLAVORS, I LET MY TEEN PICK A LOT OF THE FLAVORS NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN A YEAR IN, BUT THERE'S A VIETNAMESE CROISSANT, ONE OF MY VIETNAMESE PASTRY GIRL WHO CAME OUT OF SCHOOL AND NEVER DONE CROISSANTS BEFORE DIANNE'S BEEN DOING AN AMAZING OB, THE CRAB RANGOON, A JUST HIRED A PASTRY CHEF.

>> Mary: YOU'RE ALSO KNOWN FOR PASTRIES, NOT JUST SWEET.

HOW IMPORTANT CULTURALLY THAT >> THE SWEET PORK ITSELF IS SOMETHING I GREW UP EATING.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT I'M A PLAIN CROISSANT PERSON, IF I GO ANYWHERE TO A AKERY I'M GETTING PLAIN CROISSANT BUT THE VARIETY IT GIVES PEOPLE, YOU MIGHT LIKE COFFEE, YOU MIGHT LIKE SAVORY, SO IT GIVES EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO TRY DIFFERENT THINGS.

, WHAT'S THE MISSION STATEMENT FOR YOUR RESTAURANT?

WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH?

>> OH, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH STUFF, BUT.

[ LAUGHTER ] YOU KNOW, I THINK THE RESTAURANT HAS BEEN DOING REALLY GOOD BECAUSE OF THE STAFF, HOW YOU TREAT YOUR STAFF.

EVERYWHERE I WORKED I'VE ALWAYS BEEN SO PROUD OF WHERE I WORK AND I WANTED TO CREATE A PLACE WHERE MY TEAM IS PROUD TO WORK AT AND IF YOU COME TO A RESTAURANT YOU CAN FEEL THE ENERGY.

I ALWAYS SAY TO THEM IF YOU DON'T WANT TO WORK HERE YOU SHOULDN'T WORK HERE BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN FEEL YOUR NEGATIVE ENERGY, IF YOU DON'T LIKE YOUR JOB YOU SHOULDN'T BE THERE.

AND EVERYBODY THAT WORKS THERE, THEY'RE REALLY PROUD AND I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IS SO MY THING IS BEING AT WORK AND BEING ABLE TO BE PROUD OF WHERE YOU WORK AT.

>> Mary: HOW ABOUT THE RECIPES, YOUR CHILDHOOD, BECAUSE THESE WEREN'T JUST WRITTEN DOWN IN LITTLE NICE NOTECARDS?

>> OH, IT WASN'T.

BEFORE WE OPENED THE RESTAURANT I HAD RECIPES FOR ALL THE PASTRIES BUT THE FOOD PART WHEN THE LINE COOKS CAME IN WE WERE LIKE, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO PUT THIS ON TOP OF THE SCALE AND I WAS LIKE DOING WHAT I NORMALLY DO AT HOME TO CREATE A RECIPE FOR WHAT WE HAVE IN THE RESTAURANT.

WHEN YOU'RE COOKING AT ALL THE EVENTS THE AUNTIES, GRANDMAS, MY MOM AND THEM THEY'RE ADDING A DASH OF THIS, DASH OF THAT.

NOTHING'S WRITTEN DOWN.

ONE OF OUR MOST FAVORITE DISHES IS HMONG PULLED PORK AND I HAD TO FACETIME MY PARENTS BECAUSE GROWING UP MY GRANDMA MADE IT, MOM AND DAD MADE IT BUT I NEVER MADE IT FROM START TO END SO I WAS FACETIMEING LIKE LIKE DOES THIS LOOK RIGHT RIGHT NOW?

THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH ON MAKING SURE IT'S RIGHT.

>> Mary: I WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE SENSORY, THAT WAS JUST FACETIME WHERE THEY COULD SEE IT.

HOW ABOUT THE TASTE AND SMELL, HOW MANY DIFFERENT SENSORIES ARE YOU BRINGING IN >> TASTE AND SMELL, I KNOW WHAT IT TASTES LIKE, BUT GETTING IT TO THAT PART WAS THE HARD PART.

YOU KNOW, WHAT I FIRST DID IT NEEDED MORE FAT AND MY AD'S LIKE YOU NEED MORE FAT AND I'M LIKE ARE YOU SURE?

IT LOOKS SO FATTY, THIS DISH NEEDS FAT TO PRESERVE, IT WAS A WHOLE THING.

>> Eric: YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED OR SAID TO HAVE BECOME THE AMERICAN CAPITAL OF HMONG FOOD, MINNEAPOLIS.

ARE YOU GETTING OUTREACH FROM PROSPECTIVE RESTAURATEURS AROUND THE COUNTRY?

>> YES, I WAS JUST IN MICHIGAN, I'M GOING TO BE IN MIAMI IN A FEW MONTHS, IT'S BEEN REALLY GOOD, I'M REALLY HAPPY, GETTING THIS RECOGNITION IS OOD FOR US HERE, IT'S GOOD FOR THE CITY, GOOD FOR THE STATE.

IT'S GOOD FOR THE HMONG COMMUNITY.

>> Eric: SO IF I GO TO 117 14TH AVENUE NORTHEAST IN MINNEAPOLIS WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD STARTER MEAL TO GET?

>> BRUNCH OR DINNER?

>> Eric: DINNER.

>> DINNER, I WOULD GET THE BEEF CARPACCIO WHICH IS ALMOST LIKE, IT'S REALLY GOOD, LIGHT, DELICIOUS.

>> Eric: I TRUST YOU.

>> FOLLOWED BY HMONG PULLED PORK.

>> Mary: ONE MORE EVENT THIS WEEKEND, THE HISTORY CENTER IS DOING 50 YEARS OF HMONG HISTORY IN MINNESOTA.

>> I'M COOKING TOMORROW, THERE'S GOING TO BE 3 O 400 PEOPLE AND WE'RE GOING TO BE COOKING THERE.

, WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU?

>> RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AN EVENT SPACE THAT HOLDS UP TO 250 PEOPLE SO THE RESTAURANT'S REALLY BUSY RIGHT NOW AND I JUST REALLY WANT TO CONCENTRATE ON THAT.

>> Mary: EXPANSION >> NOT RIGHT NOW.

>> Eric: FOOD TRUCK?

>> NO.

[ LAUGHTER ] YOU KNOW, E DO BRUNCH AND BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER WITH EVENT SPACE SO IT KEEPS ME PRETTY BUSY.

>> Eric: WELL, CONGRATULATIONS, GLAD YOU COULD COME AND JOIN US AND CELEBRATE WITH US.

>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

>> Mary: YES, AND I'M GOING TO STEAL A LITTLE CORNER.

>> Eric: BE CAREFUL