Nikki Tran is a Vietnamese American chef specializing in Vietnamese-Cajun "Viejun" fusion cuisine.[1][2][3][4] Born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Tran owns Kậu Ba in Houston and Kậu Ba Quán in Ho Chi Minh City.[5][6] Her interpretation of Vietnamese cuisine draws on Cajun influences from her time in Houston, including a Cajun crawfish boil using freshwater prawns.[1] Tran was featured in the TV series Ugly Delicious[7] and Somebody Feed Phil.[8][9][10]
Career
editTran moved to Houston in the 2000s, where she worked as a "manufacturing technician at a chip provider".[11] While living in Houston, she was introduced to Vietnamese-Cajun crawfish, which she decided she wanted to introduce to Ho Chi Minh City.[11]
Tran opened Kậu Ba in 2013, without any professional culinary experience. On the restaurant's opening night, the chef she hired did not show, and Tran took over the kitchen herself.[11]
In 2018, Tran opened a second restaurant in Houston, Kau Ba Kitchen in Montrose.[3][11]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tran returned to Vietnam to care for her parents. She returned to Houston in 2024.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b Hubbell, Diana (2019-02-20). "Chef Nikki Tran's Viet-Texan Cuisine Reflects the Breadth of Vietnamese Food". Vice. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ "Cooking 'Viejun' style with Houston Celebrity Chef Nikki Tran". KPRC. 2023-05-01. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ a b McCarthy, Amy (2018-06-27). "'Ugly Delicious' Chef Nikki Tran's Houston Restaurant Debuts Next Month". Eater Houston. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ VCCorp.vn (2019-06-15). "nữ chủ nhân nhà hàng thành danh trên đất Mỹ". afamily.vn (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ "4 Houston Chefs to Watch Out For". Houstonia Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ "Rise of Saigon". Houston CityBook. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ "All the Restaurants From David Chang's 'Ugly Delicious' — From New Orleans to Shanghai". Food & Wine. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ "Saigon". Phil Rosenthal World. 2020-10-19. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ "Houston's 'ugly delicious' food shines in celebrity chef's new Netflix series". CultureMap Houston. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ Campbell, Sean (2018-10-09). "Truong Sa And Hoang Sa Streets: A Five Stop Foodie Guide". Vietcetera. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ a b c d e Dao, Dan Q. (2024-02-13). "Chef Nikki Tran is building a culinary bridge between Houston and Saigon". Chron.
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