Sunday Harvest Dinner with Chef Sophina Uong | June 30th, 3pm - 7pm
To join the waitlist for any of our Sunday Dinners, please email us at chef@stonewoodny.org with your name, phone number, the dinner you are interested in, and desired number of seats.
At her restaurant Mister Mao in New Orleans, Louisiana, Chef Sophina Uong highlights influences from her culinary journey - leaning heavily on Cambodian, Indian, and other Asian flavors - in what she calls an “unapologetically inauthentic” space alongside her husband and business partner William “Wildcat” Greenwell. “We’re not trying to make other people’s cuisine through our food”, she explains. “These are just some flavors that we really enjoy and, you know, we think maybe you should try them too.”
Mister Mao serves as Uong’s canvas, a place where the Cambodian-American chef artistically melds her expertise in collaborative cooking traditions from across the globe with her creative dissection of the Southern plate. Born in Cambodia, Uong’s family immigrated to the United States, landing in Long Beach, California. The self-taught chef grew up surrounded by families and friends of all backgrounds. She spent her time in their kitchens, watching as mothers cooked traditional American suppers with delicious pot roast and abuela made tortillas and stewed Mexican guisados. Along the way, she ate and was inspired by every type of cuisine she encountered - Ligurian-inflected Californian; Dominican, Cuban, and Brazilian found while living in Brooklyn; modern French in the Bay Area; and everything from Chinese to Cajun en route.
In 2016, Uong was named “Grill Master Napa Champion'' on the Food Network’s Chopped, after which she was tapped to manage Andrew Zimmern’s Lucky Cricket restaurant in Minneapolis. Since opening Mister Mao in July of 2021, Chef Uong and her team have been recognized by Bon Appétit’s “50 Best New Restaurants 2022”, featured in Conde Nast Traveler’s “Global Food Map to World’s Best Restaurants 2022,” and named one of Thrillist’s “Best Restaurants New Orleans.” Most recently, Mister Mao was named a Top 10 Finalist for the Spirited Awards' “Best U.S. Restaurant Bar” and Uong was recognized with a 2024 James Beard Semi Finalist nomination for “Best Chef, South”.
“Mister Mao is like a Mexican disco, as a few of our regulars have lovingly joked with us,” says Uong. “No, we are not a Mexican restaurant; in fact, we are not pigeon-holed into any type of cuisine. But we are a boisterous restaurant space to celebrate life, friends, and good times. The music is toe-tapping, the global food adventurous, and the vibe is always welcoming.”
Uong is equally passionate about community, giving back, and advocating for people without a voice. She is actively involved in a variety of nonprofits, including the MiNo Foundation, The New Neighbor Project, Grow Dat Youth Farm, and NOLA Food Policy, working to ensure that the happiness she brings to people extends far beyond their palates. Chef Uong is now bringing her happiness to Stonewood Farm in support of our charitable and educational mission, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome her.
To make a donation and reserve a place at the June 30th dinner, please select the number of seats you’d like and then click the DONATE button. We ask that you read and accept the “fine print” at checkout.
We will attempt to accommodate special dietary requests related to the eight common allergens - gluten/wheat, milk/dairy, egg, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, finfish and shellfish - provided that you share your allergies with us when you reserve your seats.