Uyen Le says her aim at Bé Ù is to serve fresh and flavorful food at affordable prices in a rent-controlled neighborhood, and to create good working conditions with professional opportunities. With a background in community organizing, Le worked in the labor rights and economic justice movements in Los Angeles before entering culinary school.
In this edition of “In the Weeds,” Le says, “I’ve always been attracted to the business of food and the folks who work in the restaurant industry. It’s an area that is so pervasive all the time because people have to eat several times a day, and they make choices about what they put into their own bodies and also where they spend their money.”
Wanting to continue with her interest in social justice, she brought those values to her restaurant. She says that restaurants have a large role to play in reimagining sustainability and workers’ rights with many opportunities to grow this industry and increase the understanding of the consuming public. With the restaurant just a year old, she admits to still trying to strike a balance between using fresh ingredients and making food affordable.