Catching up with the Camden Inspire winners — Kim’s Vietnamese
On December 6th 2018 at Camden Collective, we celebrated the best of Camden and Euston’s local independent businesses whose every day jobs are to offer a unique service, attract new customers and stand out from the crowd. It’s not easy, but what they do make our towns the special places they are. Running your own business in London means high rents and a hugely competitive market. But every day, these business owners continue to astound us with their commitment, innovation and fresh ideas. Putting it to the public vote, we asked you to show your appreciation. 70 businesses took part this year across 6 categories and we had an amazing 6,000 votes, which we only hope to double next year!
Now it’s time to catch up with the winners…
Kim’s Vietnamese in Camden Market won in our ‘Best Eating Experience’ category so we decided to chat to them to owner Kim, to find out more about her business, what she likes about being based in Camden, what sets Kim’s apart and how she felt when she won the award…
What’s the history of Kim’s Vietnamese, how did it begin?
“Kim’s started out in November 1996. My first shop was in the green market next to Camden Town station and it did very well just serving to traders in Camden market everyday. Then, the owner of Stables Market recognised how special Kim’s was and offered us a unit in Camden market. That’s when Kim’s started doing really well on a bigger scale. I’m now based in Camden Lock Market and I love it!”
What’s been your most memorable moment running Kim’s?
“My most memorable moment would be winning the ‘Best Eating Experience in Camden’ in the King of Camden awards. And then 5 years in a row after that. I could not believe how many people voted for me.”
What do customers get at Kim’s Vietnamese that they can’t get elsewhere?
“They get a great service, good value for money and all the food is cooked on site with fresh ingredients. All in all, it’s a fantastic lunch time meal.”
Many have described your pho as ‘the best pho in London,’ and a ‘must stop for lunch.’ Do you have a favourite?
“When I started in 1996, ‘Pho’ was not very well known so it was very hard to try and sell it to customers. I remember I had to give away a lot of free samples but I was resilient and stuck at it. The winters here were very cold so a lot of traders began eating Pho to keep them warm and then the locals started to get on board too. Chicken is the classic favourite but I’d definitely recommend the pork belly soup, it’s by far my favourite!”
What do you like about being based in Camden?
“To start my very own first ever business and for it to be in Camden Town was like a dream come true. Camden has always been iconic; the life and soul of London and people all over the world pass through the market. My customers come to buy my pho from all over the world and I have some customers that come back here whenever they visit London. Camden is a great place for business, especially for mine.”
How does it feel winning ‘Best Eating Experience’ in the 2018 Camden Inspire awards?
“I was so happy that I won a Camden Inspire award this year. Still can’t believe it. It melted my heart to know how much love there still is for Kim’s and that love makes me stronger every day to carry on doing what I love best. It gives me more motivation to make great food for all the people that I adore and to make Kim’s even more successful.”
