Our Roots
Vy Sok was born in the jungles of Thailand, in June of 1980. Her mother, father, and four older siblings were fleeing the bloody rule of the Khmer Rouge. Just 7 months prior, Vy’s mother, 2 months pregnant with Vy, and her father had to make the impossible decision to leave their home and families in search of freedom and safety. As they fled Cambodia, through the jungles of Thailand, their only concern was the safety of their children. Her parents dream was freedom from oppression and genocide.
After nearly 8 months trekking through the jungles Thailand, with their now five young children, they reached the safety of a refugee camp. It was there that her parents were put in contact with a local Christian group that sponsored families to emigrate to the United States. By age 4 Vy and her family finally reached the U.S. After spending six years in public housing in Camp Washington, like many other Cambodian refugee families, they made their home in Price Hill on the Westside of Cincinnati.
Vy’s story did not end there. In fact, it was just beginning. After attending local schools such as Heberle Elementary school, in Camp Washington and Withrow High School in Hyde Park, Vy graduated from Antonelli College with a degree in Graphic Design. Yet, her true passion was sharing her culture through cooking, and she dreamed of one day owning her own restaurant.
In 2016, Vy was accepted into MORTAR, a 14-week minority focused entrepreneurship program. After graduating from MORTAR, she founded Mahope, which was just a food cart at the time. From 2016 thru 2018 Mahope had regular pop-ups at Urban Artifact and a booth at Northside Farmers' Market, in Northside Cincinnati. In spring 2017, Vy was offered an outdoor kitchen space on Rosedale OTR’s outdoor MORTAR Kitchen space, which she gladly accepted. Though this was a great opportunity, Vy always felt like Northside was where Mahope belonged.
In November 2018, Vy and her partner Mike Laguna, a recent graduate of Cincinnati State’s Accounting Technology program, opened Mahope’s first brick-and-mortar on Spring Grove Avenue, in Northside. Vy’s story and inspired dishes, along with Mike’s experience in the restaurant industry, culminated into a culiary partnership. The restaurant operated for almost one year. In October of 2019 COVID forced the closure of Mahopes restaurant. This was just the beginning. With the purchase of their food trailer in 2020, Vy and Mike continue to carry on a lifelong dream of spreading Cambodian culture and food.
Today you can find Mahope serving local bars, breweries, festivals and cultural events throughout Cincinnati. With the purchase of land in the Westwood Business District, in late 2023, Mahope will soon be able to offer opportunities for other entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams. By offering local vendors and craft-makers a location to sell their goods and develop their business models.
Mahope is dedicated to bringing authentic, fairly priced, and flavorful dishes to Cincinnati. By sharing her love of authentic Cambodian cuisine, Vy will carry on the traditions that the Khmer Rouge tried so hard to destroy.
Thank you for being part of our dream!
