From cheesesteaks to pho, chef Richard Huynh keeps family recipes simmering at Mi La Cay in Wheaton

Glenmont resident preserves uncle’s Vietnamese cooking methods

May 8, 2026 11:28 a.m.

Richard Huynh, co-owner and chef at Mi La Cay in Wheaton, prepares one of the restaurant’s crispy Vietnamese savory pancakes. Huynh has worked at the family-owned restaurant since it opened 13 years ago, learning Vietnamese cooking techniques from his uncle, chef Jimmy Huynh. Credit: Jacqueline Kalil

Editor’s note: This story is part of Bethesda Today’s occasional series of interviews with local chefs.

Inside Mi La Cay at 2409 University Blvd. W. in Wheaton, the kitchen is already alive with sizzling oil, clanging woks and the aroma of simmering broth as staff prepare for dinner service one afternoon in April.

Standing over a hot pan, co-owner and cook Richard Huynh carefully spreads pancake batter into a thin golden layer before assembling one of the restaurant’s crispy Vietnamese crepes.

“You’ll know it’s right when it starts to smoke a little bit,” Huynh says as the pan crackles in front of him.

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For Huynh, a Glenmont resident, cooking has never been about rigid culinary rules or formal training. Instead, his path into the restaurant industry was built through family, repetition and years spent learning techniques.

Huynh told Bethesda Today that he has worked at the Vietnamese restaurant since it opened 13 years ago after his uncle brought him to Wheaton to join the family business.

Originally from Philadelphia, Huynh grew up working in his family’s breakfast restaurant, serving cheesesteaks and egg sandwiches. While he had some familiarity with Vietnamese food as a child, he said he didn’t fully understand the cuisine until he arrived at Mi La Cay and began learning from his uncle, Jimmy Huynh.

Jimmy Huynh, a self-taught chef with more than 30 years of experience, founded several Maryland restaurants over the years, including Mi La Cay, Pho An Loi in Frederick, Pho La Cay and An Loi in Columbia, and Pho Saigon in Rockville, which is no longer in operation.

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“My background is pretty much picking up things, picking up techniques and everything wherever I went,” Richard Huynh said. “I didn’t learn the cuisine until I got here, where my uncle taught me the craft.”

Huynh says his uncle remains the biggest influence on his cooking.

“The only person I’ve ever looked up to was my uncle,” he said. “Everything I’m doing right now is because of him, and everything he taught me.”

At Mi La Cay, Huynh focuses on traditional Vietnamese cuisine, especially dishes rooted in comfort and depth of flavor. During colder months, he gravitates toward pho, the classic Vietnamese noodle soup known for its rich broth and spices.

“You can’t go wrong with basic pho,” he said. It warms “you up, fills you up, gets you through the day.”

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For diners looking for something bolder, Huynh recommends bún bò Huế, a spicy and deeply savory beef noodle soup from central Vietnam.

“It’s very umami, rich,” he said. “It’s one of those things where you either like it or you dislike it.”

He also points to the restaurant’s spicy chicken curry as another standout menu item.

Though Vietnamese cuisine is often associated with fresh herbs and delicate flavors, Huynh said a strong foundation starts with the broth itself — especially when making pho.

“In order to do a good pho, you need bones, like fresh beef bones,” he said. “That’s the basis to any good pho.”

Back in the kitchen, Huynh demonstrates another favorite: a crispy Vietnamese savory pancake stuffed with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts. The batter combines beer, coconut milk, rice flour, turmeric and starch, creating a thin shell that crisps as it cooks.

Bánh xèo also known as a Vietnamese pancake stuffed with shrimp, sliced pork, and bean sprouts. Credit: Jacqueline Kalil

Unlike more traditional preparations where the filling cooks directly on the pancake, Mi La Cay staff keep the filling separate before assembling it inside the crepe.

“We like it to keep it crispier,” Huynh explained.

As he flips the pancake in the pan, he points to what he loves most about the dish.

“The contrast in textures,” he said. “You get crispy, you get flavor, a little bit of saltiness from the seasoning. You get the fresh herbs and veggies. So it’s pretty much a complete meal.”

For Huynh, cooking ultimately comes down to personal taste rather than strict rules.

“To be honest, when you’re cooking, there’s no right or wrong,” he said. “It’s about what suits you at the end of the day.”

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine