A longtime Over-the-Rhine restaurant is preparing for its next chapter.
After more than a decade on Vine Street, Quan Hapa will close its current location at 1331 Vine St. following its final day of service on July 26 before relocating a few doors away as Yo Di, a new Vietnamese kitchen and bar from the Lang Thang Group.
The new restaurant will open at 1135 Vine St., taking over the former Taste of Belgium space. The move will nearly triple the restaurant’s footprint, expanding from approximately 1,100 square feet to more than 3,200 square feet and providing a larger kitchen, expanded dining room and significantly larger bar area.
“We always felt like our existing space at Quan Hapa limited us from doing our full potential,” partner Bao Nguyen previously shared. During the menu development process, Nguyen realised the dishes he was most excited about were rooted in Vietnamese cuisine, ultimately inspiring the transition to an entirely new concept.
Speaking with What Now Cincinnati, Nguyen said Yo Di represents a natural evolution of the restaurant group.
“It’s going to be an extension to Pho Lang Thang,” he said. “It’s going to highlight less common Vietnamese dishes. It’s also going to feature a bar and be an atmosphere where you can hang out with your friends, and we’ll have dishes that complement drinking.”
While Quan Hapa blended various Asian influences, Yo Di will focus much more closely on authentic Vietnamese flavours.
“Vietnamese food is kind of my strong suit,” Nguyen said. “We’re leaning more towards moving away from Asian fusion and more towards Vietnamese.”
Many of the recipes have personal significance.
“These are dishes that I’ve been eating and making throughout my whole life,” Nguyen said. “They’re the things that I’ve been making for family get-togethers and dinners. Guests get to eat the same way we eat at home.”
Among the dishes he’s most excited to introduce are banh xeo, a crispy Vietnamese crepe, hu tieu, a seafood noodle soup often considered a cousin to pho, and a surf-and-turf entrée featuring lobster tail topped with spicy garlic butter and scallion sauce served alongside Vietnamese-style marinated steak.
Unlike many Vietnamese restaurants in the region, Nguyen said the menu will feature several dishes that are rarely found locally, including lemongrass grilled ribs.
“I don’t think you should be able to look at this menu and say, ‘I can experience this restaurant somewhere else,'” he said.
The new concept will also significantly expand the group’s coffee programme. Lang Thang Coffee, which previously focused on Vietnamese iced coffee, will offer a full espresso-based menu that can also be incorporated into future cocktails.
“We’ll be able to offer a full coffee menu and incorporate that into our cocktail programme as well,” Nguyen said.
Design-wise, guests can expect a clean, contemporary atmosphere rather than an overly themed dining room.
“We want the food to be the star of the show,” Nguyen said. “The environment should support the food. It should feel modern, comfortable and encouraging.”
The larger space will also improve the guest experience by accommodating larger groups and offering a much more spacious bar.
Remaining in Over-the-Rhine was a priority throughout the search.
“I’ve lived in the area since 2008,” Nguyen said. “We’ve seen everything change. We like the energy, and I think the neighbourhood is on the upswing again. It means a lot for me to continue lifting it up.”
Beyond opening another restaurant, Nguyen hopes Yo Di will continue elevating Cincinnati’s culinary reputation.
“We want people to be able to come to Cincinnati and not think it’s behind in Asian food,” he said. “We want them to experience a first-class Asian food experience here.”
Although Yo Di had initially targeted a late September debut, Nguyen told What Now Cincinnati the timeline may shift slightly as construction progresses.
“My gut feeling says it’s probably going to be a little later than that,” he said.
Once open, Yo Di will continue the Lang Thang Group’s growing portfolio, which also includes Pho Lang Thang, Hi-Mark and Lang Thang Coffee.
