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Nini Nguyen
American chef From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Nini Nguyen is an American chef. Based in New Orleans, she is known for her appearances on Top Chef: Kentucky, Top Chef: All-Stars L.A., and Last Bite Hotel. Her first book Đặc Biệt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook was released in August 2024 under Knopf. In 2024, Nguyen won the debut season of Last Bite Hotel on Food Network.[1]
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Early life and education
Nguyen was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.[2] Her family immigrated to the area in the 1970s.[3] Her grandmother taught her to cook; Nguyen referred to her grandmother as "a huge influence as to why I became a chef."[4]
She attended Louisiana State University and received her bachelor's degree in business.[5][3] However, Nguyen graduated during the Great Recession and struggled to find work.[3] She enrolled in culinary school, but dropped out shortly after because she was gaining good culinary experience at her job.[3]
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Career
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Nguyen began her career working at the New Orleans bakery Sucré and later Coquette.[2] She then moved to New York City and worked at the Michelin star restaurant Eleven Madison Park for two years.[3] She next worked at the startup The Dinner Lab, and helped open a fledgling cooking school[3] called Cook Space, a cooking school in Brooklyn, where she created and led culinary programs.[6]
Television
Nguyen gained wider prominence as a contestant on season 16 of Top Chef.[7] Although she was eliminated early in the competition, she was invited to appear on the next season, Top Chef: All-Stars L.A.[3] The season premiered shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nguyen began teaching virtual cooking classes at that time.[8][9]
In 2022, Nguyen hosted Focus Features' Downton Kitchen, a cooking series inspired by Downton Abbey.[10] In 2024, she made her Food Network debut on season five of Tournament of Champions, where she entered the main bracket after winning the qualifying round.[11] Later that year Nguyen was a contestant on the cooking competition show Last Bite Hotel.[12] She won first place.[1]
Cookbook
In August 2024, she released her first book Đặc Biệt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook.[2] Of the title, Nguyen said "to be dac biet is to elevate or make more distinguished...In Vietnamese-American slang, it's like you're being extra, you're being dac biet. From the way I dress to the way I cook to just my personality, I feel like I am dac biet."[8] In a starred review, Sarah Tansley wrote in the Library Journal, "Nguyen’s delicious efforts to bring her unique cuisine and personal style to print will be a hit with fans and newbies alike."[13]
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Works
- Dăc Biêt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook. Nini Nguyen & Sarah Zorn. Knopf. 2024. ISBN 9780593535547
References
External links
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