Eleven46 Kitchen is dedicated to the memory of an amazing mother who found absolute joy in cooking for others and always made guests feel at home. She and her husband had 11 children and cared for and fostered over 270 forgotten children during the Vietnam War. After a grueling escape from Vietnam, they were able to live the American dream. Eleven46 (1146) is the address of their first and only home. It sheltered and fed many more families that fled from Vietnam. We recently sat down with owner Nhon Le to learn more about Eleven46.

"When you're here, you're home."

1. Tell us a little bit about your business? What makes it unique?
At Eleven46, we strive to keep our menu simple in order to perfect our dishes and sell a great tasting product for our customers. When we created our menu, we wanted each dish to have a unique and distinct taste, while still maintaining the integrity of the many wonderful flavors that Vietnamese cuisine offers. We are a Vietnamese-Fusion, fast-casual restaurant, similar to a “Vietnamese Chipotle” in the sense that customers choose a base, type of meat, and side.

2. How did you get involved in your industry?
One of the Eleven46 founders was in the food business for over 25 years before opening the restaurant. His wife also enjoyed cooking recipes that were passed down by her mother, and the idea to open their own restaurant only made sense.

3. How did you start the business?
It took months and months of planning to come up with the right concept for the restaurant. We had many discussions regarding the business model, which recipes to use, what items we would include on the menu, restaurant logo, and the color scheme of the restaurant.

4. Why did you choose to locate in Lake Forest?
We chose Lake Forest because of its beautiful surroundings and we felt it was a safe, family-friendly community where we could see ourselves growing our business and being part of the community. After looking for a location for over a year, Lake Forest felt like home.

5. Do you have any current promotions?
For the month of May, the following discounts are available:
1. Buy 1 “create-your-own” plate, receive 50% off your 2nd plate of equal or lesser value.
2. Catering Service: 10% OFF any order of $200 or more from the Eleven46 catering menu.
*Offers expire May 31, 2015