Seattle Vietnamese restaurant Mi La Cay closing after 30 years in the CID
Seattle Vietnamese restaurant Mi La Cay closing after 34 years
Mi La Cay, a Vietnamese restaurant situated near 12th and Jackson in the Chinatown-International District, is closing after 34 years.
SEATTLE - Longtime Vietnamese eatery Mi La Cay is preparing to close its doors for good this Thursday, after serving noodle soup and memories to Seattle's Chinatown-International District for more than three decades.
Loyal patrons packed the dining room Monday, with lines stretching out the door as word of the impending closure spread throughout the neighborhood. Siblings Trinh Ong and Ha Ong, who co-own and operate the establishment, are turning over the keys after decades behind the counter.
"This is my second home. Love it," Trinh Ong said. "The past few days, they heard I'm closing. Everybody come."
Trinh Ong, owner of Mi La Cay.
Decades of community tradition
Timeline:
First opened in 1993, Mi La Cay became a fixture in the Chinatown-International District before relocating to its current space in 2016. In its early decades, the restaurant drew diners from across the region looking for traditional Vietnamese noodle dishes.
"Back in the 90s and the early 2000s, there's not a lot of business out there yet," Ong said. "So, people were still traveling to Chinatown to get groceries, to eat, because Chinatown is where the most authentic food is at."
Customers returning this week reflected on their history with the staple spot.
"I love their food, you know, and so obviously, she told me about this restaurant," customer Alvin said. "Ever since we first came, we love it."
A crowd comes to Mi La Cay during its last few days.
Shifts in business and lingering headwinds
The other side:
A combination of factors ultimately forced the owners' decision to step away. Ong pointed to rising regional competition outside the district, shifting foot traffic, and personal health issues.
The restaurant weathered the COVID-19 pandemic through sheer persistence and steady neighborhood patronage, even when only the two siblings could manage the dining room and kitchen to keep up with overhead and rent. However, business never fully returned to its peak volume.
"We were non-stop from opening to closing," Ong said. "Yeah. But now we don't have that wave anymore."
Neighborhood challenges also compounded operating strains, including persistent crime and open drug activity around nearby 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street.
"It takes time to get to where it is right now, but I know it will take time to get out of what it is right now," Ong noted regarding conditions in the surrounding area.
Vietnamese restaurant Mi La Cay in Seattle's Chinatown-International District.
A final farewell to the neighborhood
What you can do:
Despite the difficult decision to hang up her apron, Ong emphasized her gratitude to the neighborhood and the generations of diners who supported her family.
"Vietnam is where I was born, but this is my home and this is my community here," Ong said.
The Ong family invites longtime customers and community members to stop in for one last bowl before the doors close permanently.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Dan Griffin.