Chef Tu\u1ec7 Nguy\u1ec5n:<\/em><\/strong> I think my confidence in being in front of the camera really came from my childhood. My mom was always taking pictures and videos of me, so I grew up feeling comfortable in front of a camera. She also has this vibrant personality, and I think I inherited that from her. It\u2019s always felt natural to me\u2014there\u2019s never been a time when I didn\u2019t want to be on camera.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I started creating content, it was more about figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. In high school, I was on the path to becoming a nurse. I was volunteering at hospitals and doing everything to prepare for nursing school. But at the same time, I was watching a lot of YouTube\u2014everything from fashion to makeup to comedy. I thought it was really cool, but I didn\u2019t think it could be a career until I heard creators talking about making a full-time living from it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, I started dabbling. I made some fashion and makeup content because those were things I was interested in, but I didn\u2019t really know my niche. By my senior year, when it came time to apply to nursing school, I realized I didn\u2019t want to do it. I didn\u2019t know exactly what I wanted, but I knew I was curious about other options. That\u2019s when culinary school came up. It was something I was genuinely interested in and wanted to explore.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I went to culinary school, I discovered this deep love for food and cooking. That\u2019s when I started taking content creation more seriously. I realized I had something unique to offer in the culinary space. Growing up as an immigrant in Oxnard, L.A., eating my mom\u2019s Vietnamese food, I noticed there wasn\u2019t much representation of that experience.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I focused on food, I saw a real purpose in my content\u2014whether it was showing people how to enjoy Vietnamese dishes or showcasing the diversity of Vietnamese cuisine beyond pho and b\u00e1nh m\u00ec. That\u2019s when I knew food was my niche and what I wanted to dedicate my content to.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: We read somewhere that you were inspired by Anthony Bourdain<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN:<\/em><\/strong> Yes, definitely. I came to America in third grade, around eight years old. At the time, I didn\u2019t speak any English, so making friends was really tough. I ended up watching a lot of TV, and one day I came across Anthony Bourdain\u2019s show and the episode where he was in Vietnam really stood out to me. He was eating Vietnamese food and talking about the culture in a way I had never seen in American media. It sparked something in me. I remember thinking, \u201cThat\u2019s so cool\u2014he\u2019s in Vietnam, eating food I know, in places I recognize.\u201d It made me feel incredibly proud to see my culture represented like that. I\u2019ve been a fan ever since.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: You mentioned that Vietnamese cuisine is more than just pho and b\u00e1nh m\u00ec. From your perspective, if you had to pick one or two dishes that represent the essence of Vietnamese cuisine, what would they be?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: Oh, that\u2019s such a great question. I think braised dishes like c\u00e1 kho t\u1ed9 (braised catfish) or th\u1ecbt kho t\u00e0u (braised pork belly) really embody the essence of Vietnamese cuisine. They\u2019re such classic, family-style dishes. They\u2019re not difficult to make, but when you have them with rice and a whole meal, they transport you. For me, they remind me of spending time with my family and take me back to Vietnam. Those dishes hold so much nostalgia and connection to home.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The culinary space is so male-dominated, and I feel that as soon as I walk into a room full of male chefs. I can sense the judgment\u2014like, \u201cWho\u2019s this girl with a full face of makeup and Jordans in the kitchen?\u201d But this is who I am, and I think it\u2019s important to break that mold.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n MM: You talked earlier about finding your niche, and I think what\u2019s so interesting about your content is the way you bring your passions and personality into your projects in a way that\u2019s so seamless. How do you balance that, especially while running a restaurant and juggling everything else?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: <\/em><\/strong>Oh man, thank you for saying that\u2014it really means a lot. When I went to culinary school, they instilled this very traditional mindset about how chefs should present themselves in the kitchen: no makeup, no nail polish, proper shoes, and all that. And while I still follow the rules\u2014I keep my nails short and neat, for instance\u2014I also express myself. I wear makeup in the kitchen, and my nails might have a subtle French gel manicure.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As someone who loves fashion and beauty, I feel that being in the kitchen shouldn\u2019t mean giving up those forms of self-expression. Just because I\u2019m a chef doesn\u2019t mean I need to strip away the parts of myself that I love.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The culinary space is so male-dominated, and I feel that as soon as I walk into a room full of male chefs. I can sense the judgment\u2014like, \u201cWho\u2019s this girl with a full face of makeup and Jordans in the kitchen?\u201d But this is who I am, and I think it\u2019s important to break that mold.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If I can show other women\u2014especially younger women\u2014that it\u2019s okay to be yourself and express who you are while pursuing a career in this industry, then I\u2019m doing something meaningful. We don\u2019t need to fit into a box or conform to outdated standards.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: What\u2019s unique about your content is that it\u2019s successful not just from a growth and management perspective but because it really resonates with people. I imagine your audience is incredibly diverse\u2014some might initially come for the food, but they stay because of the other parts of yourself that you share. Food content can feel like a monolith sometimes, but I think people connect with your authenticity and root for your success beyond just a recipe.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: <\/em><\/strong>I agree with that.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: Of all the dishes you\u2019ve profiled on your channels, which one surprised you the most in terms of audience response?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: <\/em><\/strong>Oh wow\u2026 the one recipe that always comes to mind is the first one I ever shared: the easiest fried rice in the world. It completely blew up and really changed the direction of my career and my social media presence. That\u2019s when I realized I didn\u2019t need elaborate recipes or polished \u201cchef-y\u201d tips. People just want recipes they can recreate easily with ingredients they have on hand.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That video did so well because there was no overthinking involved. It was during the pandemic, and for the first time in a long time, my whole family was home. I was in such a great mood, and I decided to make fried rice for everyone. I just recorded it on a whim, and it translated so naturally to the audience. That\u2019s when I realized I didn\u2019t need a high-production setup to create impactful recipe videos.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: That\u2019s amazing. Was that literally your first food video?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN:<\/em><\/strong> It was! That was my very first recipe video. Up until then, my food content was more about vlogging. I\u2019d take people around Vietnam, show them where and how to eat different dishes, or do eating videos. People saw me as \u201cthe foodie girl,\u201d but they didn\u2019t know I cooked.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I started sharing my cooking content, people were surprised. They\u2019d say, \u201cOh, you cook?\u201d Then, as I shared more of my journey, they realized I went to culinary school and had a professional background in food. I\u2019d never really talked about it or posted about culinary school because I didn\u2019t think people would watch or care. But once I did, the connection deepened.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For my audience, my main focus is keeping recipes simple and approachable, sharing easy recipes that people can recreate without feeling overwhelmed. I always ask myself, \u201cCan my little sister make this?\u201d That\u2019s my benchmark. I grew up taking care of my sister, and she does not cook at all. In fact, I dedicated an entire cookbook to her! If I know she could follow the recipe, I\u2019m confident anyone else can, too.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n MM: Many of your recipes are rooted in traditional Vietnamese cuisine. How do you decide when to innovate to engage your audience versus preserving the integrity of the original recipe?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN:<\/em><\/strong> It\u2019s a very different process for \u0110i\u0110i versus my content. For the restaurant, I have to think about creating dishes that are restaurant-quality while also making them practical\u2014like ensuring the kitchen staff can prepare them efficiently during service.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But for my audience, my main focus is keeping recipes simple and approachable, sharing easy recipes that people can recreate without feeling overwhelmed. I always ask myself, \u201cCan my little sister make this?\u201d That\u2019s my benchmark. I grew up taking care of my sister, and she does not cook at all. In fact, I dedicated an entire cookbook to her! If I know she could follow the recipe, I\u2019m confident anyone else can, too.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to keeping tradition alive, it\u2019s tricky because \u201ctraditional\u201d means different things to different people. For me, a dish is traditional if it tastes like something I grew up eating or if it reminds me of the food I had in Vietnam. That\u2019s my standard\u2014if the flavours take me back home, then I feel like I\u2019ve done justice to the recipe.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: At what point did you decide to take the leap from content creation to running a brick-and-mortar restaurant?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: <\/em><\/strong>Honestly, there was never a moment where I felt ready\u2014I still don\u2019t feel ready! It all started with a year of doing pop-ups. Straight out of the pandemic, I began hosting pop-ups every month. I just wanted people to try my food and see that I\u2019m more than someone who cooks online. I needed to prove to myself and others that I could do this in real life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The pop-ups ranged from sit-down dinners to simple sandwich pickups. Even though I didn\u2019t feel fully prepared, the opportunity to partner with H.Wood to open a restaurant came my way. I thought, \u201cWhy not?\u201d If the opportunity is there, I might as well take it. There was nothing to lose\u2014just a chance to work hard, run with it, and do the best I could.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: How did the reality of opening a restaurant compare to what you initially expected? What was your biggest eye-opener?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN:<\/em><\/strong> I thought the recipes I had in mind from the start would be the ones on the menu. I figured we\u2019d just perfect them and that would be it. But curating a menu for a restaurant is so much more complex than I expected. There are so many technical considerations\u2014what works, what doesn\u2019t, and even the For example, Vietnamese food is very pork-heavy, but we\u2019re in West Hollywood, where not a lot of people eat pork. I had to rethink things. So now, we only have a few pork dishes on the menu. If it were a more traditional menu, it would probably be almost all pork and shrimp.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: What was the original inspiration behind your restaurant?<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN:<\/em><\/strong> \u0110i\u0110i means \u201clet\u2019s go\u201d in Vietnamese, and honestly, it turned out even better than I expected. Partnering with the H.Wood team was amazing. The design of the space is absolutely gorgeous\u2014it\u2019s colourful, vibrant, and full of texture. I showed them pictures and explained that I didn\u2019t want another beige L.A. restaurant. I wanted it to feel homey and comforting, like being in Vietnam. When it came to the food at \u0110i\u0110i, this was my first real experience standing up for myself and saying, \u201cThis is what I truly want to serve.\u201d It wasn\u2019t just about the dishes\u2014it was about the intent and what the food represents. For example, we have a whole fried snapper on the menu, complete with the head, tail, eyes and teeth. That\u2019s how it\u2019s traditionally served in Vietnamese culture.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In L.A., though, it\u2019s rare to see whole fish served like that. My partners weren\u2019t sold on it at first, especially because of the bones. But I fought for it\u2014I wanted \u0110i\u0110i to stand out. We eventually compromised by doing a pocket cut. We removed the rib cage and most of MM: Amazing compromise! How\u2019s the restaurant doing now? Has it met or exceeded your expectations so far?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN:<\/em><\/strong> I can\u2019t believe we\u2019ve made it past a year and a half! That\u2019s a huge milestone, especially in L.A. I feel so blessed and thankful that people keep coming back and loving what we\u2019re doing. Right now, we\u2019ve started doing late-night events every Friday at \u0110i\u0110i. We have a DJ, bottle service, and a whole vibe. It\u2019s been incredible to see the space evolve into something even more dynamic.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: So you\u2019re expanding the concept into more of an event or club-type space?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: <\/em><\/strong>Yeah, and it\u2019s so amazing to see people celebrating their birthdays or anniversaries at the restaurant. I\u2019m always in awe. There are so many places they could choose, but they pick \u0110i\u0110i. It makes me so happy and giddy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: In terms of guest feedback, what\u2019s been the most meaningful thing you\u2019ve heard about the restaurant?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN:<\/em><\/strong> I\u2019d say the most meaningful feedback has come from Vietnamese people who travel all the way from Orange County to visit \u0110i\u0110i. It\u2019s incredible when they tell me they want to bring their parents or grandparents here. That makes me so happy because it\u2019s not just a place for friends or date nights\u2014it\u2019s somewhere they feel proud to share with their family.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For me, if I eat at a restaurant and think, \u201cOh, I need to bring my mom here because she\u2019d love it,\u201d that makes the place special. Hearing people say they want their parents or grandparents to experience an upscale Vietnamese restaurant is so meaningful. It feels like I\u2019m creating something that MM: You\u2019ve done so much in such a short time\u2014opening the restaurant and now your cookbook, \u0110i \u0102n: The Salty, Sour, Sweet and Spicy Flavors of Vietnamese Cooking with TwayDaBae, which you\u2019ve described as a kind of scrapbook of your journey. How do you balance sharing your personal stories with the recipes to create a narrative? It\u2019s not just a cookbook\u2014it\u2019s so personalized, but it still feels accessible to a broad audience. How did you decide what to include or leave out?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN:<\/em><\/strong> I think the journey of creating and sharing content\u2014and hearing how it resonates with people\u2014shaped my approach to writing \u0110i \u0102n. Even though my story is personal, it\u2019s one that a lot of people can relate to, especially older siblings, immigrants or anyone who\u2019s struggled to find their footing Those shared experiences make the stories in the cookbook feel relatable. I think that\u2019s why the book feels so connected to people\u2014it reflects struggles and journeys that many of us go through. It\u2019s not just my story; it\u2019s a story that belongs to so many others as well.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: Which of the recipes in the book are you most proud of?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN:<\/em><\/strong> Oh, all of them! But if I had to pick, I\u2019d say my Th\u1ecbt Kho recipe\u2014braised pork belly with quail eggs. I think it\u2019s the best recipe I\u2019ve ever put out. It\u2019s such a quintessential Vietnamese dish, but I\u2019ve made it so accessible and easy that people feel confident making it as part of their regular dinner rotation. That makes me so happy. It\u2019s also the recipe I\u2019ve seen replicated the most by my audience, which is really special.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n My honey-glazed shrimp recipe is another one I\u2019m incredibly proud of. It was the first recipe I ever created\u2014for a final in my Garde Manger class. It was also the first time I watched my colleagues try something I came up with, and they loved it. That experience meant a lot to me. So, those two recipes are probably my best work so far.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: How did writing a cookbook compare to opening a restaurant?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: <\/em><\/strong>Writing the cookbook actually took longer than opening the restaurant! I had no idea how much work goes into writing a cookbook. There are so many rounds of edits and changes\u2014it\u2019s such a detailed process. But it was also my fault because it took me three years to finish. During that time, I was doing so much: hosting pop-ups, opening the restaurant, making my own fish sauce… It felt like the cookbook was always looming in the back of my mind. I\u2019d constantly be thinking, \u201cYou need to write the cookbook. You need to work on this for the cookbook. You need to finish the cookbook.\u201d It felt never-ending.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: How much of a role has your engagement with your audience on social media played in shaping your culinary philosophy and approach to cooking?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: <\/em><\/strong>A huge role. When I started culinary school, I had a very traditional mindset. Everything had to be precise, picture-perfect, and meet these high standards. But as I started sharing recipes with my audience, I realized the easier and more accessible a recipe is, the better.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n My approach now is always about simplicity. That\u2019s my guiding principle when creating recipes to share with an audience. I never want people to watch my videos and think, \u201cThese are pretentious recipes I could never make.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: That connection with your audience\u2014especially the ones who try your recipes and share feedback\u2014must make you uniquely aware of what people actually want.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: <\/em><\/strong>Absolutely. It\u2019s such a valuable feedback loop. Hearing directly from people who make my recipes gives me insight I wouldn\u2019t get otherwise. It helps me stay grounded in what works and what resonates with my audience, which represents a wide variety of people.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: A lot of your work focuses on celebrating and demystifying Vietnamese cuisine. Are there any common misconceptions you really want to address or dispel?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: <\/em><\/strong>Definitely. I think people are starting to come around to fish sauce, which is great\u2014it\u2019s not as intimidating to them anymore. But I feel like the next step is for people to embrace and appreciate the \u201cstinky\u201d stuff, like shrimp paste and dried shrimp, and start adding those into their cooking.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: What do \u201cstinky\u201d ingredients do for a dish?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: <\/em><\/strong>They add so much depth and complexity\u2014another layer of flavour that many people don\u2019t realize is possible. It\u2019s like unlocking a whole new dimension of taste. But to be fair, it\u2019s something you have to ease into if you didn\u2019t grow up with it. It\u2019s similar to durian, which I never thought of as stinky until I moved to the U.S. In Vietnam, it has this sweet, pleasant smell that you instantly recognize. But here, people describe it as one of the worst things they\u2019ve ever smelled. It\u2019s all about perspective and exposure.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: You\u2019ve got so much on your plate\u2014how do you stay motivated and find joy in cooking when it\u2019s constantly coming at you from every direction?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: <\/em><\/strong>For the longest time, I didn\u2019t even cook at home. I\u2019d only cook if I was filming videos or working at \u0110i\u0110i. I\u2019d always eat out or order in, and I remember asking myself, \u201cWhy am I doing this? I have a perfectly good kitchen at home.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, I realized I was just burned out. I didn\u2019t want to think about what to eat or cook for myself\u2014it felt like work. But then I remembered when I first moved to L.A., my parents didn\u2019t support my decision to go to culinary school. I was living in my car and struggling to feed myself. When I think back to that time, it puts everything into perspective. I don\u2019t want to take for granted all the opportunities I have now. Yes, it\u2019s a lot, but I remind myself that I\u2019m the first in my family to do this, and I want to make the most of every opportunity that comes my way.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MM: We\u2019re so looking forward to your culinary keynote and demo sessions at RC Show in April. What are you most looking forward to about coming to Toronto?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n TN: <\/em><\/strong>I\u2019m not sure what to expect, but the one thing I always look forward to in any new city is trying the food. I want to know what you\u2019re known for, what\u2019s the best of the best. That\u2019s always my first priority. I\u2019ll be at RC Show on my birthday, actually, so I\u2019m extra looking forward to it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Chef Tu\u1ec7 Nguy\u1ec5n, a.k.a. social media icon @TwayDaBae, is an acclaimed Vietnamese chef and one of the fastest rising stars in the culinary space. Since graduating from culinary school and beginning her content creation journey, she has showcased her skills through sold-out pop-ups in Los Angeles and New York City, which led to her partnering with the world-renowned h.wood Group to open the hottest new restaurant in Los Angeles, \u0110i\u0110i. Her debut cookbook Di An was released in September 2024 with Simon & Schuster and named one of the best cookbooks of 2024. She can be seen as the current host of Making it Big on BuzzFeed\u2019s food network Tasty and as the host of People\u2019s digital food show, Celeb Eats.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n IG<\/em><\/strong>: @twaydabae<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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demographic of the area.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
They nailed it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
the bones but kept the head and tail intact. It still has that whole-fish presentation, but it\u2019s easier for diners to eat. So, boom\u2014everyone is happy!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
honours their culture and family connections in a way they want to share.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Di-An-Book-Cover.jpg\")
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in life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nAbout Chef Tu\u1ec7 Nguy\u1ec5n\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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