Driving down Classen through the Asian District, the air practically perfumed with pho spices, is an apt reminder that Oklahoma City’s Vietnamese restaurant community is as prominent as ever. Along with newcomers like Bun Box, one savvy chef is putting her own stamp on Vietnamese tradition in untraditional ways — by slinging egg rolls at pop-ups and events around town.
Vicki Vo is the woman behind OKC Eggrolls, an homage to her roots as a first-generation Vietnamese-American, and an opportunity to showcase family tradition in new ways. Self-taught as a chef, Vo said most of her influence came from her mother and grandmother. “They didn’t teach much about cooking, but I mostly watched them from afar when I was younger,” she recalled. “I didn’t get interested in cooking Vietnamese food until my early 20s. I started teaching myself how to make a lot of the foods that I craved, that my grandma would make.”
In 2022, she started sharing those cravings with the rest of Oklahoma City. That’s when she started doing pop-ups, and taking her egg rolls from at-home comforts to a burgeoning business. “My intention wasn’t to do pop-ups, it just sort of happened,” Vo says. “My friends would ask me to make egg rolls for parties, so I made an Instagram handle in case someone wanted them for events.” It all went on a roll from there, as she started gaining more and more followers, and business owners began contacting her about doing pop-ups. Lively Beerworks was her first, followed swiftly by other restaurants and breweries, like Stonecloud. “Mainly, I did pop-ups at places that didn’t have food, to bring in customers and slowly build my clientele,” Vo explained. “We’ve done a bunch at breweries and bars, and a few restaurant collaborations too, like Sedalia’s, Palo Santo and Ludivine.”
As a first-generation Vietnamese-American, born and raised in Oklahoma City, Vo is putting her own stamp on tradition passed down by the generations that came before her (the logo is inspired by her grandma, featuring an image that Vo drew herself). She describes her food as “Vietnamese-inspired eats,” licensing her to be creative with her offerings — like a vegan egg roll she makes with mushrooms, tofu and cabbage. She started exclusively with egg rolls, and has since expanded her rotating recipe portfolio to include noodles, rice bowls and bánh cuốn, a Northern Vietnamese rice crêpe dish that Vo makes from scratch. The crispy egg rolls, though, are the star attraction. “My main egg rolls are Vietnamese-style, with ground pork, vermicelli threads and wood-ear mushrooms, and what makes them a little different is I season them with a special spice blend that I make, similar to five-spice, except I add several more,” she said.
Business was gangbusters from the beginning, with Vo clocking two to four pop-ups per month. On top of working at Sedalia’s, though, the schedule proved too much, especially as a one-woman business. After a few months off, she’s back in action this summer, with plans for one pop-up per month, with schedules posted to her Instagram and website.
In the long term, her goal is to open a late-night kitchen and bar with her husband, focusing on Vietnamese small plates, and offering restaurant industry workers a place they can go after work. In the meantime, she’s continuing to make her mark on the Vietnamese community. “I feel like what I’m doing helps me feel more community-oriented,” said Vo. “I feel more involved with the community, and I’m helping Asian representation, using this as my platform.”
