Since it debuted in August 2025, Durango Social Club on South Durango Drive in southwest Las Vegas has presented some of the most distinctive cooking in the city: tasting menus from chef-owner Dan Krohmer starring seared duck carpaccio, say; an Istorya Filipino food pop up mingling culinary and cultural history; the Lilli residency (recently ended) uniting classic French precision and modern American seasonality in courses like a lush porcini mushroom bouillon.
But for the next chapter of Durango Social Club, Krohmer has swapped out the rotation for a permanent culinary identity. Krohmer recently joined with Crystina “Mama” Nguyen, a longtime Vegas chef who once led the old District One kitchen, to launch a Vietnamese restaurant in the space. The new collaboration, in the same center as Krohmer’s Other Mama, a Top 100 Vegas Restaurant, will keep the Durango Social Club name.
“From the beginning, I envisioned Durango Social Club as a place to welcome guest chefs and introduce new ideas to the community, but ongoing residencies were never intended to be the long-term model,” Krohmer said, adding that he was grateful to all the chefs who had shared their talents through Durango Social.
“At the same time,” he continued, “I feel it’s time to focus on who I believe is the best Vietnamese chef in Las Vegas and help share Crystina’s talent with an even broader audience. I believe in what Crystina is creating, and I’m excited to build something meaningful and lasting together.
“This has always been the direction I ultimately hoped the restaurant would take.”
Taking time to refresh
Although Nguyen did not formally return to District One following its pandemic-related closure, she had been assisting at the restaurant in the last few years before it shuttered in July 2025.
“The decision was difficult, but it also gave me space that I didn’t realize I needed,” she said. “I spent that time working on myself and reassessing not just how I wanted to cook, but how I wanted to build my brand. That period of reflection is a big part of why everything about the food, and myself, feels different today.”
The menu, she said, “is built around a simple idea: authentic Vietnamese flavors prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients. I want the food to be true to its roots while allowing room for thoughtful creativity.”
Menu mainstays
On the plate, that means Mama’s gỏi with shredded chicken, shrimp, fried tofu, cabbage, fresh herbs and crisp shallots in a black sesame rice paper bowl; chả giò crisp shrimp and pork spring rolls with fresh herbs and housemade dipping sauce; bánh bột lọc, traditional tapioca flour dumplings stuffed with seasonal filling, then steamed in banana leaves; and rotating Vietnamese-inspired soups and daily specials.
The menu also proceeds to bánh mì layering fried mortadella, pickled daikon and carrot, cilantro and roasted jalapeño aïoli on a baguette; bò né sizzling marinated beef with eggs, pâté, blistered tomato and baguette; a surf and turf rice vermicelli bowl with marinated ribeye, shrimp, fresh herbs and roasted peanuts; and cơm gà roti, five-spice crisp chicken with tomato jasmine rice, cucumber salad and Thai chili chimichurri.
Dessert features Vietnamese egg coffee pie, created with Pop N Pies of Vegas, and classic Vietnamese iced coffee. Beer, wine by the glass and bottle, craft cocktails (try: Lychee Cooler), and zero-proof beverages round out the menu.
Fruitful collaboration
The partnership with Krohmer, Nguyen said, “feels different from anything I’ve done before, in the best way. There’s a real trust, and I think people will feel that. A permanent collaboration like this isn’t just about sharing responsibilities. It’s about building something more resilient than either of us could create on our own.”
For his part, Krohmer said that “when you work with me, you’re family, and Crystina shares that same philosophy. She prepares a family meal for the cooks at Other Mama every night and genuinely treats everyone as if they’re part of her own family. That’s the kind of culture hospitality should be about, not just for our guests, but for the people who make everything happen behind the scenes.”
Durango Social Club, at 3655 S. Durango Drive, Suite 29, is open from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Visit durangosocial.com or call 725-205-9846.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at [email protected]. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.