Vanessa Le

Hometown: Lafayette, Louisiana

Age: 45

Artistry: Owner/chef, BesTeas Sip & Bite

Online: besteasbr.com, @besteas_shop on Instagram

In 1975, in the dangerous wake of the Vietnam War, Cuc and Nghiep Le left their rural town dotted with floating markets along the Hau River and immigrated to Lafayette, Louisiana. There, they learned English, raised a family, started a restaurant and worked in textiles.

“My parents took a lot of risks getting here, and they are pretty open [about that],” says Vanessa Le, owner of the new bubble tea café BesTeas Sip & Bite. “They didn’t share too much specific advice while I was growing up, but I watched them closely, and they never told me not to go for something I was interested in.”

Le did just that last year. A long-time registered nurse, Le took leave from Ochsner Ophthalmology to launch and manage her own friends-focused bubble tea and Asian snack foodie concept.

In October of 2024, she secured a location on West Lee Drive near Arlington Creek Centre, and by early December, friends and relatives were in the built-out café, splashed in desert pink and soft green, taste-testing dozens of sweet tea flavors and colorful beverages on Le’s expansive menu.

Stretching out the door, the tail of the line at the shop’s grand opening reached the thundering drums and shimmering dragon dancers towering over visitors in the parking lot. Inside were selfies, fervent chatter over sorbet flavors, and delicious matcha that blends the smooth, honeyed green tea with currents of sweet chopped strawberries.

“The way I make my boba is how I love it, so I hope others do, too,” she says. Le is quietly confident her fresh spins on bubble tea and specials like a unique Iced Milk Tea blend with caramel, egg pudding and honey boba—a drink inspired by a version she tried in New York City—will win over customers.

An avid pickleball player, Le is a mother of two and travels often. With a lot of family in southern California, Le’s frequent visits drive her to introduce Baton Rouge to new things that bigger cities have long had.

“Everything is a risk, so why not take a risk on something you’re really passionate about,” Le says. “It might work out great. And if it doesn’t, at least you know. For me, I’d rather find out.”