Fire destroys former home of Ngon Bistro, weeks before new restaurant was set to open

A fire has destroyed the former home of Ngon Bistro at 799 University Ave. W in St. Paul.

The fire comes just weeks before Eric Pham was set to open a brick-and-mortar version of his Brava Bar pop-up, Khue's Kitchen, in the building, a project he's called a dream come true.

The St. Paul Fire Department responded to reports of a fire late Monday night and found smoke and flames coming from two floors of the building. While the cause of the fire has not officially been determined, Pham says it's suspected to be an electrical fire.

The fire began in the dining room and went through tables, decor, and the bar. "The fire traveled upstairs into our upper floor and became an uncontrollable inferno," Pham wrote on a just-launched GoFundMe page . "By the time mom, dad, and I got to the restaurant, the ceilings in the dining room and kitchen gave way and there was nothing left to salvage."

He continued, "As the summer months passed by and August neared, more and more peoples’ lives became intertwined with the opening day of Khue’s Kitchen in St. Paul. After months of team training, menu finalizations, and license filings, we were on the cusp of being ready for August 27th, Friends & Family Day."

That will no longer be possible. Pham, grandson of the proprietor of Eat Street's Quang, tells the Pioneer Press that the building will likely be condemned.

In response, Pham has launched a GoFundMe campaign with the goal of raising $50,000 to help his team replace tools and equipment lost in the fire. He also hopes the campaign will help "recoup a small portion of my investment to stay the course and hopefully realize this dream one day."

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