Our Story – The Heart of Hương Xưa Our story begins with a journey, one that took our family from Vietnam to Australia in search of a better future.

 

We arrived as refugees with little more than each other and the clothes on our backs. It wasn’t easy starting over in a new country, but we were filled with hope and deeply thankful to Australia for giving us a second chance. When we first settled in Australia, Vietnamese food was hard to come by. My father, who was born in the 1940s, often talked about the dishes he grew up with — the flavours, the aromas, the feeling of home that came with each meal. He dreamed of bringing those memories to life here, to share them not only with our community but with anyone open to trying something new. Though he didn’t speak English and had no experience running a business, my father was determined. He worked hard — doing whatever jobs he could find — and quietly saved every dollar.

 

In 1998, after years of hard work and patience, he opened our first restaurant in Cabramatta. Cabramatta in the late ‘90s was very different to what it is now, but there was a growing community of people like us — starting over, building something from the ground up. Slowly, our little restaurant became a place where people came not just to eat, but to feel a sense of home. My father built everything from the ground up, with love, care, and a deep respect for tradition. He taught us to always cook with integrity — to hand-pick our ingredients, to wake up early for the markets, to never rush a pot of broth. Most importantly, he showed us that food is not just about taste — it’s about memory, connection, and care.

 

Today, my siblings and I are proud to carry on what he started. We still follow his recipes and his way of doing things. Even as the restaurant scene evolves, our core values remain the same. We believe that good food comes from the heart — and from never cutting corners.

 

We named the restaurant Hương Xưa, which means “aromas from the past,” as a tribute to our father’s dream and the flavours that shaped his life. Now, even our children help out during school holidays and weekends — a new generation learning the same lessons we did. This restaurant is more than a business to us — it’s a family legacy. A reminder of where we came from, and of everything we’ve built together with love, humility, and gratitude.