In 2011, an idea was hatched at a dining table in Queens. During one of their weekly dinners, Scott Wong proposed that they extend their family meals past their homes in the form of a restaurant nestled in the heart of their borough.

His wife Joanna, her sister Julie, and Julie’s husband Chris jumped on board to create JoJu (Joanna + Julie) – a cozy shop devoted to crafting the perfect banh mi. Like the iconic sandwich, the family has roots in Vietnam but are products of multiple cultures. And as residents of New York, the family’s take on the classic banh mi
was bound to have international influences.

With Scott’s formal training at French Culinary Institute and Julie’s love for the diverse food of their home borough, the two took naturally to the kitchen. JoJu’s banh mis feature flavors from all over the world whether in the form of their kakuni pork belly or their house-made aji verde.

To this day, ideas for new dishes are shared at their family dinner table where it all began. Though now, through JoJu, there is an extra seat at the table for their extended family – the hungry, food-loving people of New York.