Draft:Nini Nguyen

Nini Nguyen
Nini Nguyen
	File:Chef Nini Nguyen.jpgPhoto by Ben Franke
Born	New Orleans, Louisiana
Occupation(s)	Celebrity chef, author, television personality
Cookbook(s)	Đặc Biệt: An Extra Special Vietnamese Cookbook
Television Show(s)	Top Chef: Kentucky Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. Tournament of Champions (TV series) - Season 5 Last Bite Hotel (Season 1)
Website	www.chefnininguyen.com

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Instructions · What links here · Nini Nguyen (talk: + · bio) · (log) · Copyvios report · reFill · Citation Bot · (Search: Google, Wikipedia) · Submitted 7 days ago by SecretSoySauce (talk: D · +) · Last edited 7 days ago by SecretSoySauce

Nini Nguyen

Nini Nguyen is an American chef, cookbook author, and television personality known for her Vietnamese and Louisiana-inspired cuisine. She first rose to prominence on Top Chef: Kentucky (Season 16) and returned for Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. (Season 17), where her creativity and culinary flair captured viewers' attention. In 2024, Nguyen won the series premiere of Last Bite Hotel^[1] on Food Network.

Early Life and Education

Nini Nguyen is an acclaimed American chef of Vietnamese heritage, known for her innovative approach to Vietnamese and Southern cuisine. She was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, a city with a rich culinary heritage that has greatly influenced her career and style. Nguyen's early exposure to cooking and diverse food cultures through her Vietnamese heritage and New Orleans upbringing shaped her culinary perspective.

In 2004, Nguyen enrolled at the University of New Orleans, only for Hurricane Katrina to arrive a year later, sending her and her family to Baton Rouge, where she entered business school at Louisiana State University (LSU).^[2]

Career

Early in her career, Nguyen started as a pastry chef working in kitchens in New Orleans. She then honed her skills in New York City working at Michelin-starred restaurants like Eleven Madison Park^[3]. She later moved into savory cooking with the touring pop-up, Dinner Lab. She also has a knack for teaching and mentoring other cooks. She expressed this passion through her work at Cook Space, a recreational cooking school in Brooklyn where she developed the culinary program.^[4]

Television

Nguyen is best known for her appearances on various cooking competition shows on the Food Network and other platforms. She gained national recognition when she competed on Season 16 of Top Chef, a popular culinary competition show on Bravo. Since then, she has become a staple in the culinary television world, appearing in numerous series that highlight her cooking skills and charismatic personality.

In 2024, she appeared in Last Bite Hotel, a six-week Food Network series that aired through Halloween. She competed on the show alongside other prominent chefs, ultimately winning the season finale on October 29, 2024.

Cookbook

Nguyen released her debut cookbook, Đặc Biệt: An Extra Special Vietnamese Cookbook, on August 27, 2024. The cookbook combines her Vietnamese heritage with her Louisiana upbringing, offering readers a variety of recipes that are accessible yet distinctly flavored. Đặc Biệt has been well-received for its approachability and Nguyen's engaging writing style^[5].

Following the book’s release, Nguyen embarked on a national book tour across the United States, with stops in major cities including New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York, and Oklahoma City. A second leg of her book tour is planned for 2025, which will coincide with her anticipated appearance at the Ojai Food and Wine Festival.

Publications

Đặc Biệt: An Extra Special Vietnamese Cookbook. New York: Knopf. August 2024. ISBN 978-0593535547

References

^ Williams, JaNae. "Kevin Lee's 'Last Bite': How did the OKC chef do in the Food Network finale?". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
^ Threadgill, Jacob (2024-09-03). "Chop It Up: Chef Nini Nguyen's "Đặc Biệt" cookbook is alive with color, history and her penchant for giving food something extra". Streetlight. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
^ "Nini Nguyen: Contributor for Serious Eats". Serious Eats. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
^ "Nini Nguyen". Bravo TV Official Site. 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
^ Zorn, Nguyen, Nini & Sarah. "Dăc Biêt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook". Library Journal. Retrieved 2024-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[1] Williams, JaNae. "Kevin Lee's 'Last Bite': How did the OKC chef do in the Food Network finale?". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2024-11-10.

[2] Threadgill, Jacob (2024-09-03). "Chop It Up: Chef Nini Nguyen's "Đặc Biệt" cookbook is alive with color, history and her penchant for giving food something extra". Streetlight. Retrieved 2024-11-10.

[3] "Nini Nguyen: Contributor for Serious Eats". Serious Eats. Retrieved 2024-11-10.

[4] "Nini Nguyen". Bravo TV Official Site. 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2024-11-10.

[5] Zorn, Nguyen, Nini & Sarah. "Dăc Biêt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook". Library Journal. Retrieved 2024-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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