Popular Modesto farmers market food booth opens restaurant to serve fans year round
Some dreams take longer, both in years and in miles, to come true. But once they do, the feeling is no less sweet — and in this case, also savory.
The family behind the Southeast Asia Grill, a popular staple for the last seven seasons at the Modesto Certified Farmers Market, have opened their first brick-and-mortar restaurant. Known for its meat skewers, fried green beans and other Southeast Asian delicacies, the eatery opened a small takeout spot on Tully Road this week.
Owner and family matriarch Kon Ung immigrated to Modesto from her home country of Cambodia 36 years ago. But before traveling the some 8,000 miles to come to America, she and her family spent four years in a refugee camp in Thailand.
When she first arrived, her daughter Yom Yan (who now runs the restaurant with her) was only 1 year old. Ung didn’t know any English before she emigrated, but went to night school to learn the language. By day she worked as a housekeeper, and spent 25 years cleaning for others. But her dream was always for something more.
So in 2014, Ung and her daughters started the Southeast Asian Grill booth at the Modesto farmers market. They started their first season at the Vintage Faire Mall location, but since then have been regulars Thursdays and Saturdays at the downtown market
Their popular booth cranks out tasty skewers, chow mein, fried rice, egg rolls and more — and I can say by experience that if you come too late in the day you might find your favorites sold out. (But, don’t worry, there’s plenty of yummy substitutes on the menu.)
Still, customers asked for ways to get their fresh and affordable fare on non-market days and during the long winter off-season. So in March the family began searching for a restaurant location. They found a space in the Gregory Gardens Shopping Center on Tully, just north of Briggsmore Avenue.
“This is the first big thing in my life. I am so proud of my daughter and my kids. They have helped my dream come true,” said the 60-year-old Ung. “I just want to say how thankful I am to America and the U.S. for giving us this opportunity.”
Her 37-year-old daughter Yom Yan now works full-time with her at the restaurant. They are open every weekday for lunch and dinner, except Thursday and Saturday when they run the booth at the market (and Sunday when they’re closed). Yan’s other sisters, Terry and Tara Yan, also help out at the booth and restaurant when not working their own full-time jobs.
The 900-square-foot restaurant is nestled deep in the corner of the shopping center, several doors down from the Dollar General Market and around the corner from Baker Boy Donuts.
The space has a simple front lobby where customers can place and wait for their orders. The back kitchen is larger, with a sizable grill and cooking area and walk-in freezer. Before taking over the restaurant space, the family was using a friend’s banquet hall kitchen to prepare all their farmers market food. Now they do all their prep for both the booth and restaurant in their own kitchen.
“She always wanted to open a small restaurant when we were younger, but she waited until we were older so we could help,” Yom Yan said.
Ung learned to cook on her own at a young age. She said she was separated from her mother when she was 12 by Cambodia’s ruling Communist regime. So she came up with recipes reflect her culture and her upbringing.
When she was working as a housekeeper, she used to give spring rolls and egg rolls as gifts around the holidays. Friends and clients encouraged her to start cooking professionally, and one day she visited the Modesto farmers market and got curious about what it would take to open her own booth.
Since joining the market in 2014, Yom Yan said many of the customers have become friends and she hopes they will follow them to their new location. Next month, they hope to expand the menu beyond their market fare.
They plan to add a teriyaki chicken, pad thai and lemongrass chicken plates to their offerings. Prices for their existing menu are the same as at the market. Ung said it was important to keep their food affordable. Their beef or chicken skewers are $3 apiece, chow mein or fried rice $5 for a box and you can get a generous helping of their signature fried green beans for $8.
“I’ve been crying a lot, I’m so happy for this day to come,” Ung said of the restaurant opening.
Southeast Asia Grill, at 2037 Tully Road in Modesto, is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for dinner Monday to Wednesday and Friday. Find their booth at the Modesto Certified Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday and Saturday. For more information call 209-996-0121 or visit www.instagram.com/southeast_asiagrill.
This story was originally published September 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
