Celebrated Bay Area Chef Rob Lam recounts American Dream 5 decades after leaving Vietnam

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- April 30 marks 50 years since the Fall of Saigon. For longtime Bay Area Chef Rob Lam, his passion for food, his love of family and his Vietnamese heritage hold true.

He has weathered a lot of changes in the restaurant industry, but his American Dream lives on.

Rob Lam's love for Vietnamese food goes way back.

"I take the traditions and the recipes that I was taught by my mom in her restaurant that she had for 40 years," said Lam.

Lam is the chef at a contemporary Vietnamese restaurant called Lily in San Francisco's Inner Richmond District.

MORE: How this Vietnamese service center uniquely caters to Santa Clara County community, refugees

Between being a health clinic and a community, government, and cultural center, the Vietnamese American Service Center in San Jose provides for a community with refugees who still share trauma.

He sources his ingredients locally and organically. Lam takes traditional dishes and serves them up with a twist.

It has been a long road to get to where he is today.

At the age of four, Lam, his parents, siblings, and his extended family fled Vietnam during the Fall of Saigon.

"My dad said to me he took all the gold, took all the gold took all the money, and threw it anybody that could get us out," said Lam. "I was 3 to 4 years old. I remember a lot of crying, a lot of movement and then a helicopter ride. And the next thing you know, we were in Guam."

Lam's parents left their old lives and successful careers behind, starting over in the United States with nothing. But together, they survived and were able to thrive.

"The dream came through in a lot of ways," said Lam.

MORE: From potato chips to bánh cuón, Oakland teacher remembers migrating to US through food memories

Thien Pham wanted to tell his family's story of fleeing Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, he never thought he would be able to tell it by remembering his favorite foods.

For Lam's father, Tony Lam, his dream came in the form of politics. He eventually became the first Vietnamese-American elected to political office in the United States.

He was a three-time city councilman in Orange County.

MORE: Bay Area chefs remember renowned SF Chef Charles Phan of Slanted Door who died at 62

The community is remembering legendary San Francisco Chef Charles Phan of Slanted Door.

Lam's dream came in the form of food--pursuing his passion in the culinary world.

In 2003, Lam was named a "Rising Star Chef" by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Lam was the owner of the elegant Oakland restaurant Perle Wine Bar.

For years, he was known for Butterfly, a pan-Asian restaurant on the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

"I had Butterfly for almost 18 years. I had Eastside West in the making for 16 years," said Lam.

SUZANNE: "What do you think now about where you are, decades later? You are 53 this year. The Fall of Saigon was 50 years ago."

LAM: "It's amazing. It's amazing what that generation has done, has achieved. The assimilation-- just becoming part of the social fabric of America and then contributing. I think that's what the community of that era really tried to do. Bring each other up and create community and shine and let everyone follow in their footsteps."

One person Lam followed was Charles Phan--a respected chef who opened up the Slanted Door in San Francisco in 1995 and paved the way for elevated Vietnamese food.

"Charles was everything. He was the person we all wanted to emulate. He did it the right way," said Lam.

Phan died in January at the age of 62. But, his legacy opened doors for others to follow.

Lam says it's about giving everyone the voice and the opportunity.

"The next wave of Vietnamese restaurants coming on, they're not just doing banh mi and pho. They're taking it to the next level," said Lam. " Any way to bring our cuisine and our culture to the forefront is wonderful."