Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Le
Hi Amy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My husband John Keebler and I opened our first Latin Asian brick-and-mortar, Saucy Porka, in downtown Chicago in 2013 with our then chef partner Rafael Lopez. A second location would follow in 2018 in Chicago’s diverse Hyde Park neighborhood. By 2022 we teamed up with my brother Phil Le, to launch Saucy Porka in our hometown of St. Louis. Our culinary careers have centered on community, family and resilience.
After the end of the Vietnam war in the 1970s, my family, like many Vietnamese families, escaped out of the country seeking refuge. Fearing they would be caught, my parents told no one of their plans, not even their closest relatives. Under the cover of night, my father and mother- who was seven months pregnant with me- carried my two-year-old brother aboard a fishing boat crowded with refugees and fled their homeland. While at sea, the boat was raided by pirates, adding to the terror and uncertainty of the journey. After drifting at sea for weeks with very little food or water, they finally made landfall on Bidong Island in Malaysia. Months later, I was born at the Red Cross refugee camp.
With the help of my father’s sister, Aunt Minh, we were able to obtain sponsorship and moved to Missouri where she was living with her family. It was here, in our new hometown of St. Louis, where we learned and developed our craft as restaurateurs. We honed our culinary skills at our mother’s Chinese restaurants in South County, Huan Royal and St. Peters- Ho’s Chinese Kitchen. It was also where our mother taught us a deep appreciation for the power of food to form connections.
Phil and I are proud former Parkway North graduates and blessed to have been raised with Midwest values and Vietnamese traditions. While I’ve been in Chicago for 20 years forging my path in the restaurant industry, Phil had spent the past 19 years with St. Louis restaurant group So Hospitality, before joining me to expand Saucy Porka.
The concept of Saucy Porka is rooted in the belief that food is love— a bridge connecting cultures, traditions, and memories. The menu is inspired by our family recipes and pays homage to the comfort foods of Latin America and Asia. With our signature blend of bold spices and fresh ingredients, we serve familiar dishes with a flavorful twist. While pork is the starlet of the show, the menu offers a variety of dishes that satisfy both non-pork and vegan and vegetarian palates.
As we continue to grow the brand, we never want to limit our capabilities as chefs and restauranteurs. We see ingredients as a thread that we can weave through space and time to create a tapestry of cuisines. At Saucy Porka we believe ingredients should always have the space to grow, adapt and evolve. A culture’s cuisine often tells us the story of where they’ve been, where they are at and what the future can look like. We plan to continue expanding Saucy Porka and share our story and love for our food and culture.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As entrepreneurs, the road is never straight. There will be winding curves, dead ends and roadblocks. You must be resilient, patient, and willing to get lost along the way. I had the incredible opportunity in my career to be at the ground level of a tech-startup that grew from 10 people to a billion-dollar industry. During my time at Grubhub I learned and observed all that would come with this idea of ‘moving fast and breaking things along the way.’
Before there was our brick-in-mortar, there was my food truck the DucknRoll. I had walked away from an incredible job at Grubhub to launch a food truck in a city that had less than a handful of trucks. I quickly learned existing laws and legislation were more prohibitive than helpful for this new group of owners entering the culinary eco-system. Anytime you start something from the ground-up, there isn’t a playbook already written. You will have to learn as you go and start writing the manual for those who will follow.
Food trucks were new to the city, and store owners felt threatened by their mobility and the possibility of them parking in front of their businesses. The city had issues with safety and traffic, which were all legitimate concerns. At the time, trucks could not park freely around the city, thus limiting hours of operation and making us vulnerable to hefty fines and tickets. These laws made it impossible to operate a profitable business.
I had just launched the truck in October and winter was coming, so I had another layer of obstacles to contend with. Just having left my very comfortable job, I wasn’t willing to accept no for an answer. I began to work with owners in the food truck community and host meetings to find solutions. At our first meeting, 5 people showed up, but as the word got out, the next few gatherings we would fill entire meeting rooms -both with advocates and opponents of food trucks.
My husband John Keebler and I founded the IL. Food Truck Association. As a coalition of food truck operators, we worked with local legislators to draft new laws that cultivated the food truck industry in Chicago. The new legislation introduced designated food truck stands and, for the first time ever, allowed for full cooking trucks. Twelve years later, the food truck community is thriving and today food trucks work with the city and local restaurants to host joint events. That first year of launching the DucknRoll food truck, we were named by Details Magazine, as one of the top Asian food trucks in America. Sometimes people only see the accolades and don’t see beyond the headlines to understand what it takes to keep business running. As difficult as the process was to launch a food truck, it helped open doors for us to start our brick-and-mortar, Saucy Porka.
The old cliché ‘never accept no for an answer’ rung true for us. We didn’t give up when things got hard. It took a community of food trucks, restaurant owners, pro bono legal services, customers and local officials to come together to collaborate. It took persistence with collecting petitions and waiting in offices of our local alderman for 4 to 5 hours just to get a meeting. At the end, you may not get all the concessions you want, but you must be willing to negotiate for what you can’t live without.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Saucy Porka ?
Saucy Porka is a bold and flavorful concept that blends the culinary traditions of Latin America and Asia into mouthwatering creations. With a diverse range of options catering to both adventurous eaters and comfort-food enthusiasts, Saucy Porka elevates dining by celebrating the fusion of flavors across cultures.
Founded in 2013, Saucy Porka evolved from a food truck into a popular fast-casual restaurant and neighborhood staple. We’ve expanded from downtown Chicago and the Hyde Park neighborhood, to opening the third location with my brother Phil in our hometown of St. Louis in January 2022.
Drawing on our Vietnamese heritage and former chef partner Rafael Lopez’s Puerto Rican roots, we created a unique menu that blends multicultural inspirations with modern culinary techniques. Saucy Porka’ has earned accolades from the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, St. Louis magazine and popular food vloggers like @OhHeAte and @BradenSTL. Today, Saucy Porka continues to redefine fusion cuisine while staying true to our mission of serving soulful, globally inspired dishes.
One of the most popular dishes is our Monkey Fries, a crave-worthy creation of crispy, seasoned fries topped with savory beef picadillo, melty chihuahua cheese, jalapeño aioli, and topped with scallions. This indulgent dish offers a perfect balance of spice, crunch, and creaminess in every bite.
The Bacos, or bao tacos, are a renowned must-try, showcasing soft, pillowy bao buns filled with a variety of mouthwatering proteins. The guajillo pork, slow cooked to tender perfection and paired with tangy pineapple salsa, delivers a sweet and smoky bite, while the Panang curry chicken, topped with pickled Asian slaw, adds a zesty, aromatic twist. Each Baco bursts with layers of flavor that delight the senses.
For heartier appetites, the Puerto Rican Rice Bowl combines jasmine rice infused with sazon seasoning, sautéed edamame beans, carrots, and bean sprouts, creating a bright, flavorful base. Guests can choose from savory proteins like marinated duck, chicken, pork, beef, or tofu for a deeply satisfying and nourishing meal.
A fan favorite is the Ropa Vieja Beef Bowl, featuring slow-cooked beef brisket simmered in a mild chili-citrus sauce. This rich, flavorful dish is paired with coconut-infused jasmine rice, tangy kimchi, blending tropical and umami-rich notes for a memorable culinary adventure.
The Bánh Mì Sandwiches offer a fresh twist on the classic Vietnamese sub. Crispy baguettes are layered with savory proteins like soy ginger tofu or Panang curry chicken, and accented by pickled vegetables, fresh herbs and creamy aioli, creating sandwiches with a hybrid of flavors and textures.
Saucy Porka’s distinct menu and vegan and vegetarian-friendly options ensure that every visit offers something fresh and exciting. Our globally inspired menu transforms every meal into a vibrant, flavorful journey. We are a quick-service restaurant, so you can place your order at the counter or through QR codes at the table, and you can always expect amazing service from our staff and chefs that are there to help answer questions and feed your soul. Over the years, we have built our catering services to create unique experiences for weddings, family functions or company meals.
Saucy Porka is a family owned business and reflects the love, care and dedication that our entire team puts into it today and everyday after. You can still find our 76-year-old mother rolling egg rolls in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
When I first started working at Grubhub, the founders Mike Evans and Matt Maloney talked about the difference between starting a business and having a hobby. They said, “if you really want to start a business, you need to stop treating it like a hobby.” That statement stuck me with from the first day I left my job to everyday after. Having a hobby is something you love to do, but you only commit a finite amount of time to it. Turning your hobby into a business means loving it, even when you hate it, and focusing all your energy and attention on building it. Business owners are always the last to get paid, but the first to show up to work every day.
The thing that stops most people from even starting their own business is fear of failing. But failing is part of the process. Failures can be like a rip current, it can sweep you away from shore extremely quickly, and before you know it, you’re adrift and lost. But if you stay calm, and don’t swim against the current, you maybe to find your way back. Every time I failed, it forced me to reset, look at my mistakes and figure out how to do it better next time.
Most importantly, surround yourself with people you can trust to help guide you when you do feel lost. I prefer to have friends and advisors who are willing to tell me the truth and not agree with everything I have to say and do. I may not always agree with their opinions and advice, but it sparks dialog and dialog creates ideas.
The most pragmatic advice my 45-year-old business self would give to my bright-eyed 30-year-old self, is to get a good lawyer and accountant. Starting a business isn’t easy and there will be legal and financial hurdles.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://saucyporka.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saucy_porka/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaucyPorka/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/saucy-porka-saint-louis
Image Credits
Saucy Porka
Kim Kovacik
