The Chef Anthony “Ni” Nguyen Interview on Canal Street Dreams *FREE SUBSTACK PREVIEW*

Summary

Canal Street Dreams: The Chef Anthony “Ni” Nguyen Interview – Detailed Summary

Release Date: May 9, 2025

Hosts: Eddie Huang and Natashia Perrotti
Guest: Anthony “Ni” Nguyen, Esteemed Chef

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1. Opening Anecdotes and Personal Insights

The episode begins with a candid and humorous exchange between the hosts and Anthony Nguyen, delving into personal and intimate topics right from the start.

• Anthony breaks the ice by discussing his struggle with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), sharing, “It was a little rough getting here, but we made it. We're good now, though.” (00:52)
• Natashia adds a personal touch by mentioning her own issues with bowel movements in a new environment, reflecting on how factors like water quality may affect digestive health.

This unorthodox beginning sets a tone of openness and vulnerability, allowing listeners to connect with the hosts and guest on a personal level.

2. Marriage Dynamics and Parenting Insights

The conversation transitions into the dynamics of marriage and the challenges of parenting, highlighting the blend of cultural backgrounds between Eddie and Natashia.

• Anthony shares his and Natashia’s approach to parenting, emphasizing preventative therapy to address personal baggage before starting a family: “We started therapy about two months ago. We call it preventative therapy.” (12:50)
• Natashia discusses the balance between affection and discipline, admitting, “It's been difficult for me. It's hard for me to say no. It's hard for me to set boundaries. And you really helped me with that.” (10:14)

The hosts reflect on their own parenting styles, drawing from their diverse cultural upbringings. Eddie admires Natashia’s relationship with her mother, stating, “I envy it.” (07:44), while Natashia appreciates the collaborative effort in parenting, acknowledging the importance of integrating different cultural practices for the benefit of their child.

3. Cultural Heritage and Culinary Pride

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on Anthony’s Vietnamese heritage and how it shapes his culinary philosophy.

• Anthony recounts his upbringing in Orange County (OC), California, particularly in areas like Garden Grove and Fountain Valley, which are renowned for their vibrant Vietnamese communities: “Growing up in such a bubble. It was kind of eye-opening when I left it, you know?” (15:00)
• Eddie compares his experiences in DC and OC, praising the authenticity of Vietnamese cuisine in both regions: “I grew up with it in DC. Like, DC got Eden Center. [...] If not, I wouldn't say I like the D.C. yeah. Yeah. Food, but the O.C. viet food is there, bro.” (15:34)

Anthony emphasizes the pride and preservation of Saigonese culture in Southern California, noting, “We really hold on to that, you know?” (17:17). He contrasts this with the southern United States, where Vietnamese cuisine often blends with local culinary traditions, creating unique fusion dishes that represent assimilation into American culture.

4. Culinary Journey and Professional Experiences

Anthony delves into his journey as a chef, from his early passion in high school to his professional experiences in his parents' restaurant.

• Anthony recalls his first foray into cooking through a home economics class in high school, where making crepes ignited his passion: “I would just make crepes on crepes. Like strawberry jam crepes, chocolate crepe.” (22:38)
• He discusses the pivotal moment when his parents insisted he join the family restaurant, Ni Bi Pho Bistro, to steer him away from a path of partying and towards a stable career: “They’re like, yo, you got to fucking reign it in, man. Like, you have to come work.” (23:31)

The hosts and Anthony share vivid stories about the chaos and learning curves in the kitchen, particularly focusing on the "walk" station—a high-pressure area requiring precision and skill.

• Anthony describes his initial struggles with heat management on the grill: “I switched up the heat and didn't understand how hot the walk should be.” (26:27)
• Eddie adds a humorous recount of his own mishap with the wok, illustrating the steep learning curve in professional cooking: “I went in there and I turned the gas too high… it almost set the whole shit on fire.” (27:10)

These anecdotes highlight the intense environment of a professional kitchen and the resilience required to excel as a chef.

5. Philosophy on Culinary Simplicity and Innovation

Anthony articulates his culinary philosophy, which centers on respecting humble ingredients and infusing them with creativity and cultural essence.

• He reminisces about his mother's simple yet nourishing meals, such as boiled cabbage with hard-boiled eggs, which nurtured him during his childhood: “It was those simple meals that, like, when my mom cooked for me, it was like nurturing, you know?” (18:30)
• Anthony explains how this inspired his approach to modernizing traditional dishes without losing their cultural significance: “We confit it instead of boiling it, then we char it hard. Then we have anchovy breadcrumbs over the top with chives, and we make a sauce from the egg yolks.” (19:10)

He contrasts his style with trend-driven culinary practices that prioritize luxury over simplicity, expressing his preference for making affordable yet delicious dishes: “I'm going to put my time and effort and intelligence into this and make it delicious.” (20:21)

6. Reflections on Culinary Collaboration and Growth

The conversation touches on Anthony’s collaborations and the impact of working with peers like Eddie Huang.

• Anthony reflects on cooking together for events like "Crazy Rich Asians" dinners, illustrating the camaraderie and mutual respect in their professional relationship: “That cooking on the wok next to Eddie Wong led me to where I am now.” (30:04)
• Eddie recounts memorable kitchen moments, such as ensuring consistency in dish preparation despite external challenges: “I made two announcements in the kitchen. No seconds.” (29:18)

These interactions underscore the importance of teamwork and mentorship in the culinary field, fostering growth and excellence.

7. Closing Thoughts and Future Endeavors

As the episode wraps up, Anthony shares his excitement about future projects and personal milestones.

• He announces plans to start in vitro fertilization (IVF) in June, coupled with ongoing therapy to ensure a healthy family environment: “We are going to start IVF in June, and we're just really excited about that process.” (12:50)

The hosts conclude by teasing the continuation of this in-depth conversation in the full paid version available on Substack, encouraging listeners to subscribe for more exclusive content.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Anthony Nguyen: “We started therapy about two months ago. We call it preventative therapy.” (12:50)
• Natashia Perrotti: “It's been difficult for me. It's hard for me to say no. It's hard for me to set boundaries.” (10:14)
• Anthony Nguyen: “Growing up in such a bubble. It was kind of eye-opening when I left it, you know?” (15:00)
• Eddie Huang: “I thought you grew to 6, 10 because there was a post that you were 6. Yo, I'm like that gullible person on the Internet that will believe anything.” (13:22)
• Anthony Nguyen: “We confit it instead of boiling it, then we char it hard.” (19:10)
• Eddie Huang: “I make fermented tomatillo. We season with a fish sauce.” (20:47)
• Anthony Nguyen: “What I really want is to keep my head down, be humble, be confident, and just kind of do what I've always wanted to do.” (06:28)

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Conclusion

This episode of Canal Street Dreams offers a heartfelt and insightful glimpse into Anthony “Ni” Nguyen’s life, blending personal anecdotes with professional experiences. From navigating cultural heritage and culinary challenges to embracing vulnerability in marriage and parenting, Anthony’s story is both inspiring and relatable. The hosts, Eddie Huang and Natashia Perrotti, skillfully guide the conversation, creating a rich tapestry of discussions that resonate with creatives striving to turn their dreams into reality.

For the full, in-depth interview and additional exclusive content, consider subscribing to Canal Street Dreams on Substack.

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Note: The timestamps correspond to the moments in the provided transcript and are used to reference specific quotes and discussions within the summary.

Transcript

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[Anthony Ninwin]

All right, welcome back, Canal Street Dreams. Very special guest today, Anthony Ninwin. All right. It's one of my favorite chefs. I've cooked with this man before. Very intimate. We want to start the pod, though, in a new way this time. Yeah, right. We just like to know, like, where you're at when you come. So have you had a bowel movement today? And how was it? What was the quality of your bowel movement?

[Unnamed Chef]

It was as, you know, IBS gang. Every time I get nervous, man, it's just like the stomach just doesn't feel nice and it turns against me. So this morning was a little rough getting here, but we made it. We made it. We're good now, though.

[Anthony Ninwin]

You woke up a little nervous and then you. Was it wet? Was it tough coming out? What was it?

[Unnamed Chef]

My wife calls it squidgy.

[Anthony Ninwin]

You had a squidgy open to the day?

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah. She said you had a squidgy morning. So that's how it was this morning.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Did you poop today, babe?

[Unnamed Spouse]

I didn't.

[Anthony Ninwin]

You did.

[Unnamed Spouse]

I didn't. And actually it's been a bit of an issue in la. I was pooping so nice. And I think it's something with, like, the water here.

[Anthony Ninwin]

I don't know.

[Unnamed Spouse]

I don't know. Or like my body chemistry.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Adirondack water.

[Unnamed Spouse]

So I've actually been like the past week, I've been having some, like, in the evening, at night. I'll have a smooth move tea.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Oh, I've actually shit three times a day and she saw me wipe the second one.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Yeah, you pooped while I was doing my makeup.

[Unnamed Chef]

That's marriage though, right?

[Anthony Ninwin]

It is.

[Unnamed Chef]

That's marriage. She's doing her makeup. You're like, can you pass me some toilet paper real quick?

[Unnamed Spouse]

They're not totally silent, you know, it's like very. It's a. I would say it's a vocal poop.

[Anthony Ninwin]

This. I did. I did, like. How do you say that? Word. Like, I introduced you though, to like, my lifestyle early on.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Because like, we stayed in a very, very tight, like, apartment. Hotel College. It was like a college dorm style Airbnb hotel.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Yeah, we called it college College.

[Anthony Ninwin]

The bed was right next to the bathroom. Like, my distance to her was a distance between the edge of the bed to the bathroom. And like, I had to take a. In the middle of the night, like maybe one of our first dates. And she was just like, that's crazy.

[Unnamed Chef]

It wasn't our first date.

[Unnamed Spouse]

No, no, it wasn't our first date, but it was like, I think first time hooking up. I think, I think it was our second sleepover.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah, second sleepover.

[Unnamed Spouse]

And the first sleepover, actually. Yeah, it was like. First sleepover was a huge, like, hotel room, I think.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yes.

[Unnamed Spouse]

That was a tiny one. And I just remember he just got up and like we were sleeping and cuddling, whatever. He got up and just took the craziest shit. And that had never happened to me before. I was, I'm of the, I guess, mindset of like, you hide it until, like, I actually still like, won't take a shit in front of him.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Even though I tried hard to hide it. I was in there like, you'll just. It'll be cool, It'll be cool. And it came out like five piece brass band.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Like, yeah, I was impressed.

[Unnamed Chef]

And then you were like, you know what? This is the man.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Okay? The confidence, the confidence to do that and also the security within yourself. I was like, oh, this is not an insecure man at all. Like, he is, he is. He knows who he is and he's grounded. And in a way, I was like, whoa, I'm a little. I'm attracted to that.

[Unnamed Chef]

To be vulnerable.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Attracted to a shitter. Real shitters stand up.

[Unnamed Chef]

To be vulnerable shitters is, Is quite the feat, you know what I mean? To open yourself up and allow yourself to be comfortable.

[Unnamed Spouse]

I usually used to get dismissed from high school to take a shit. I would text my mom and be like, call. The front is like, I have to poop.

[Anthony Ninwin]

It tells you a lot about people. I feel like IBS is literally just neuroses. You know what I mean? That's why. Yeah, yeah. So I, I feel like it's, it's. It's all connected to the mental.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Well, your gut actually is.

[Anthony Ninwin]

It's.

[Unnamed Spouse]

It's connected to your brain. That's why your gut health is so important. That's why we need probiotics.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah. I wish my parents taught me about this shit and didn't make me drink milk until I was, like, 18. Oh, my God.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah, but lactose is actually fine. I think it's actually. Talking to my mom gave me ibs.

[Unnamed Chef]

It's crazy. Talking to my mom gave me gout.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Dud out.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Oh, my God.

[Unnamed Chef]

I'm sorry.

[Anthony Ninwin]

No. What made you nervous today? Is it. Is it the pod? The James Beards? What? What's making you nervous?

[Unnamed Chef]

Honestly, it's the Knicks.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Knicks Game one versus Celtics.

[Unnamed Chef]

Dude, that step that. We call it that Cancun crossover, bro.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Oh, my God. What has you nervous today? What has you nervous?

[Unnamed Chef]

What had me nervous is, like, we met way back in 2018, you know, when we were cooking, and the. When you texted me to come do the pod, it just felt like such a full circle moment. Oh, bro, don't be nervous. Don't be nervous. Yeah. And, like, that's kind of how it was. You know what I mean? Just like, damn. This person that I kind of looked up to as I was kind of going through my cooking career, finally meeting. And you weren't an asshole. And it was like, you know, people say, don't meet your heroes. Turn out you weren't an asshole. You're just cool as fuck, man. And, yeah, the fact that you just hit me up and then said, come out, like, I see what you're doing, it just meant a lot, you know? That's what made me nervous, was like, am I really at the point where people like this notice? And.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Oh, man.

[Unnamed Chef]

You know what I'm saying? No, no.

[Anthony Ninwin]

I'll tell you something, is, like, from the first time I cooked with you, you remember, like, I got your phone number. I got the other homies phone number that ended up doing, like, sourdough during the pandemic.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah, yeah, Zach.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah, Zach. Zach is awesome. I just really enjoyed that dinner we cooked together. And I was like, these guys are great cooks. And whether it's cooks, whether it's writers, like young, young directors, I'm always. If I feel the energy's cool, I'm just like, yo, I'm a resource for you. Like, you don't need to go cold. Call anyone else. Just, you need anything, hit me. And I think we ended up cooking a couple more times for, like, Adidas and things. And I just always saw, like, you were extremely focused, extremely detailed. The skills were all there. I enjoyed cooking with you, and I just followed it all the way till you went to Denver. And, like, I don't want to, like, short circuit the story because I want to ask you all these questions, but I saw it early on. I was just like, this dude's got it.

[Unnamed Chef]

Thank you. Yeah, it's, you know, like, growing up as a first generation Asian American in America, it's like, you know, we all have this through line where our parents are just like, you know, don't make any noise. Just keep to yourself. Like, don't just shh, you know, is what Vietnamese people say. It's like, don't fee noise. Like you're being too much, you know, just so, like, wanting to cook and do all that just felt so foreign to me, you know, like, going against that grain and going against what my parents wanted for me. So, like, I told myself if I was ever gonna cook, I'm gonna just keep my head down, be humble, be confident, and just kind of do what I've always wanted to do.

[Anthony Ninwin]

It's so funny. I think the Asian upbringing is really good for work. But I've been learning from Natasha because when Senna was born, I wasn't one that was like, yo, chill, chill. And she's like, it's a baby. He doesn't even know what you're saying to him. And I've seen, because I took a backseat on the parenting tip. I was like, you know what? Let me, like, try it her way. Because, like, I ended up pretty unhappy with my parents in our relationship. And I was like, I don't want that. And her relationship with her mother is incredible. I, like, I envy it.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Like, her mom is one of her best friends.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

And, like, I can't say that for my. So I noticed with her, she will let Senna, like, wreck her stuff. Go wild. But he's having fun, and I can see it, and I'm like, oh, this is awesome. And then, like, when Senna ends up, like, having a job and needing to, like, know what it's like that our parents taught us for, like, workplace stuff. I'll probably teach him what I know. But have you been experiencing that because your. Your wife is, like, an American person?

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah. So, yeah. It's like hearing your story is, like, literally the same story. Her and her mom were best friends. I always get a little bit emotional talking about it. She passed away six months ago. But, like, just like, thank you. Watching the relationship, it was like, damn, I didn't have that growing up. You know, my mom and my. And my dad, like, displaced from their country in 1975, came to America, didn't speak the language. They just had to provide for us. So the way they showed us love was by providing. Right. But as A baby, like, you need your parents, you need your mom, right? I learned about skin to skin contact. I practice with my dogs to get.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Ready for them, you know what I mean?

[Unnamed Chef]

But, yeah, that's a part of that I didn't really have growing up. So seeing Anna's parents and the way they interact with each other, seeing how her mom was just, like, caring and you know what I mean, just allowed her to make these mistakes, but pulled her aside and said, hey, this is how we do it now, you know? And I was like, damn, can you be my mom? You know? And like, we were like, we were best. We were best friends until the end. You know what I mean? She said, this is one of my favorite things. I hope she doesn't haunt me because I say this, but she. Near the end, she was like, I've decided I'm trans Asian. That's something I identify as an Asian woman because her. Her flavor profiles near the end were just. She wanted fish sauce. She wanted fish sauce, bro. And when we first met, she would just say some wild ass shit. I'm like, becky, you. You can't say that. You know what I mean? You can't say that, Becky.

[Anthony Ninwin]

This is so similar as her mom, like, won't eat my food. Really? She'll be really kind. Oh, great. And I'm like, you did none of this food movie. Okay.

[Unnamed Spouse]

But my mom is an almond mom. She doesn't eat in general. She'll maybe pick out a salad for, like the entire day.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Spouse]

So full.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Chef]

That's like my mom, she drinks coconut water and thinks that's nutrition. A whole meal.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah, it's really funny, man. But no, I think there's a lot to learn, you know? Like, I think when. When our parents first immigrated to this country, it was that at least in my home and among my community and family, it was like, Asians know better. Look at our kids. They're all going to Harvard. They all got great test scores. You know, like, we know how to raise kids better. And I was like, when you get to your 30s and you start to do family, you start to see patterns emerge in your cousins, in your Asian friends, families. And there's like, a lot of sadness. And I'm like, we might not have it all figured out. I think we all need to be sharing what we know.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Yeah, I think it's a la carte because there's so many things that you bring to parenting that I are foreign to me, but benefit our son so much. And then I've also. My mom was Growing like, she was the best. So much love, so much verbal affirmation, physical affirmation. We always kissed. We always hugged. I never felt deprived of any of that. But in some ways, I could have used more discipline. I could have used more guidance. And I think I always told myself, when I become a parent, I'll be very strict. But it's been difficult for me. It's hard for me to say no. It's hard for me to set boundaries. And you really helped me with that because you're. That's. That's in your nature. This is recording, so I think we got to really. The energy is great. Yeah. Now you're like, you said, what?

[Unnamed Chef]

Oh, no shit.

[Unnamed Spouse]

He's gonna have this saved on his body. No, you do. You're a great parent. But it is sharing, and it's taking things that have really worked from other cultures or your friends, whatever it is, your partner, and then applying it to your own family, which is.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah, I saw Katy Perry on Instagram talking about how, like, Orlando Bloom does the dishes, so she sucked his dick. So I do the dishes every day. I'm, like, still waiting. I do the dishes every. I see a dirty dish.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Like, I didn't know that it was.

[Anthony Ninwin]

It's like polishing your own dick.

[Unnamed Chef]

Okay.

[Unnamed Spouse]

I'm more of a. Like, Hermes. Get your. Get your dick sucked. Like, he loves. He loves the Knicks. He loves an orange jersey.

[Anthony Ninwin]

I like.

[Unnamed Spouse]

I like an orange box.

[Unnamed Chef]

Hey, there you go.

[Anthony Ninwin]

But I'll stop doing the dishes.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah, you do. Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

I'll just go work more.

[Unnamed Chef]

So you're saying I don't have to do dishes anymore?

[Unnamed Spouse]

Manual labor doesn't turn me on as much as, like, a. A really hot gift.

[Anthony Ninwin]

I like it. I like it.

[Unnamed Spouse]

I'll do the dishes. I'm happy to do the dishes.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Good to know.

[Unnamed Chef]

There you go.

[Anthony Ninwin]

This is better.

[Unnamed Chef]

It's amazing to hear y' all, like, talk about, like, the marriage and what it's like to have a kid. Like, me and Ann are kind of in that process. Yeah, we're going to start IVF in June, and we're just really excited about that process. We started therapy about two months ago. We call it preventative therapy. We want to just. We. We both realized we came with a lot of baggage, so we wanted to, you know, address those things before we have kids. I am not trying to scar my kids with my trauma. You know, growing up, I want to do a little bit better than. Than how my parents did, so.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yo, my bad. I'm so bad at research. I thought you had kids because you would write about it and there was photos. I also thought I was like. I thought you grew to 6, 10 because there was a post that you were 6. Yo, I'm like that gullible person on the Internet that will believe anything.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yo, get. Don't. Don't let this man on Facebook.

[Anthony Ninwin]

No, yo, don't give this person on TikTok Facebook.

[Unnamed Chef]

Hate to see this man coming, dude. Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

I don't even need a tinfoil hat. I'll just believe anything. Okay, so you don't have kids yet?

[Unnamed Chef]

I don't have kids yet. I'm only 6ft. Not 6.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Not 6, 10. No children yet.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

I love this.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

This is incredible. I've been. I've been bamboozled by the Internet again, because I saw your wife with, like, mad kids.

[Unnamed Chef]

Y. Yeah.

[Unnamed Spouse]

One of them is really there.

[Anthony Ninwin]

They look like they could have been Antigone.

[Unnamed Chef]

They're, like, all blonde.

[Unnamed Spouse]

You never know what you're getting, though, with mix.

[Anthony Ninwin]

There was a couple that look like they had soy sauce. I was like, there may be even, like, caramelized fish sauce in one of.

[Unnamed Spouse]

These cooking for them. You know, it's starting to manifest physically.

[Unnamed Chef]

So my proudest moment was when one of my nieces, she was three years old, she looked at me and said, uncle Leni, can we get soft shell crab? And I. Because we went to get soft shell crab at a Vietnamese spot, so she associated that with Vietnamese food. So I was like, oh, my God, this little white girl. Let's go.

[Unnamed Spouse]

What a dream to have a toddler with that palette.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Like, wow.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah. And everywhere I go with them, they're just like, are you okay? Did he kidnap you? I'm like, hey, yo, man, this is my niece, man.

[Anthony Ninwin]

You know, I also wanted to get in your story. So the viewers, like, know and stuff is like, yo, you grew up in O.C. what town in O.C. did you grow up in? Was it Westminster?

[Unnamed Chef]

Well, I spent a lot of my time in Garden Grove, California. Westminster, like Little Saigon. My parents, we moved to Newport Beach. We were living in Irvine and Huntington beach, that kind of that area. But a lot of my family was in Fountain Valley, Garden Grove.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah. Because we ended up spending a lot of time in OC Eating at Vietnamese restaurants. And before moving to la, I did not know that. Like, probably some of the best Vietnamese food outside of Vietnam is an O.C. i grew up with it in DC. Like, DC got Eden Center.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Like, the Vietnamese food goes crazy in D.C. so when I went to O.C. i'm like, yo, this is on par. If not, I wouldn't say I like the D.C. yeah. Yeah. Food, but the O.C. viet food is there, bro.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah. I think a big part of it is when everyone, you know, after the war, a lot of us ended up in Southern California, and that's one of the biggest Vietnamese populations in America other than Houston. So, like, we all just ended up there. And I grew up in this big bubble. I was like, oh, this is like, this everywhere. Like, in America, you know, there's Vietnamese, or everybody was using chopsticks. And it wasn't until I moved away that I realized, oh, shit. You know, like, when I first met Anna and I took her out to go eat, we. I took her to eat bun bo hu. And it's like a spicy beef noodle soup with, like, chili oil. I wore a white T shirt, and it looked like a Jackson Pollock painting by the end.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Dude.

[Unnamed Chef]

And I had to.

[Anthony Ninwin]

It looks like what I made this morning.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah, it looked like a. Yeah, yeah. So it was just like, growing up in such a bubble. It was kind of eye opening when I left it, you know, and to experience what America is really like, you know, not just in a comfort zone.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah, I forgot. I have actually eaten. Vietnamese food in Houston is fire. Vietnamese food in New Orleans is fire. I think in the south, it gets a little more localized, regionalized, like, fusiony. It mixes with soul food. It mixes with French food, which is really nice in those areas. I felt like the DC Vietnamese food and the OC Vietnamese food was very much like Saigon transplanted into those cities. It just tastes like straight up Vietnamese food. How would you explain it?

[Unnamed Chef]

I would say the same. The people in Southern California, they're die hard Saginese, you know, like, they rep that shit hard. There was a business owner that put up the red flag with the yellow star, the communist flag, and they destroyed him. They were just like, nah, fuck that, you know? So I think there's a lot of pride in that, in Saigon culture, in Vietnamese culture there. So we really hold on to that, you know? Whereas, like, the South. I love when you see Vietnamese food fusing with other cultures. Like you were saying New Orleans. You know what I mean? Like, that to me, is what makes Vietnamese food so exciting. And so, like, this is how we share our culture. This is how we assimilate. This is how we become American, you know, not just Vietnamese American, but American, you know?

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah. And then, like, for me, a seminal dish growing up in D.C. was like, after work, my mom would take me and my brothers to this one Vietnamese shack. And they had only like three dishes on the menu. It was grilled beef on rice, grilled pork chop on rice. But the one we would get was the grilled quail on rice. So my favorite dish growing up from Vietnamese restaurants with the grilled quail.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

What was yours?

[Unnamed Chef]

Oh, man. My favorite thing growing up, it's something you can't get at restaurants. Like, my mom would work 10, 12 hour days, come home super late, and she would always cook for us still. But on nights through she was really, really tired, she would make a really humble dish. It was boiled cabbage. And then she would hard boiled eggs. And with the hard boiled eggs, we add fish sauce, mash it up, and then we dip boiled cabbage in that sauce and eat it with rice.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Chef]

And then from the water that you boil the cabbage, you turn into soup. So it was such an easy thing, but for me, it was those simple meals that, like, when my mom cooked for me, it was like nurturing, you know, that was. That was my thing.

[Anthony Ninwin]

And you got the caramelized cabbage on the menu.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah, yeah. That was the first dish me and my wife ever worked on. As sapse was this cabbage dish because I wanted it to, I don't know. It's such a humble, like, product. It's a head of cabbage. Right. But to treat it with respect and to have such, like, nostalgia with it, I think that's what makes that dish so good. You know, we. We confit it instead of boiling it, then we char it hard. Then we have anchovy breadcrumbs over the top with chives, and we make a sauce from the egg yolks. So it essentially has the feeling of that dish without copying it one for one.

[Anthony Ninwin]

That's something we talk about a lot because I think there is this trend with food. It's always been a thing in food where it's just, instead of skilling a dish with an ingredient that's very humble and not expensive, people are just like, put gold on it, put caviar on it. Oh, here it is. That's my least favorite style of cooking. My favorite style of cooking is what you're doing. Like, let's take something that costs maybe 80 cents on the plate. But I'm going to, I'm going to put my time and effort and intelligence into this and make it delicious. Like, that is, to me, chefing. Thank you.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah, yeah. I think a lot of our food has to go through, like several passes when we're making it. First, we give it to the entire kitchen team, the entire dining room team. We go through a general manager, and then finally it comes to myself and Anna. And when I eat it, it has to feel Vietnamese, right? It doesn't have to be a Vietnamese dish, but when I eat it, I have to, like, viscerally feel something. Because if I don't feel it, then.

[Anthony Ninwin]

I know it's got to have a place on the table.

[Unnamed Chef]

There you go.

[Anthony Ninwin]

That's it.

[Unnamed Chef]

You know?

[Anthony Ninwin]

You know, and you don't know, and you don't have to explain it. It's just like, does it fit on the table?

[Unnamed Chef]

Exactly. And like, when people are eating it, they just go, oh, you know, like, we have a chili on the menu, and it's like we just. We make fermented tomatillo. We season with a fish sauce. And it's like when you eat it, like, oh, this is Vietnamese.

[Anthony Ninwin]

You know what I mean?

[Unnamed Chef]

And it's like that. That. That's what, like, excites me, you know, is like kind of blending cultures, but making it feel like both, you know what I'm saying? And respecting both cultures.

[Anthony Ninwin]

And I'll explain it for an American audience. Cause sometimes when we talk in this way, I think some Americans tune out. Like, oh, they're just keeping us out of their table. It doesn't fit. Like, no. If you go to, say somewhere like the South Beverly Grill, Hillstone Honor bar, right? Their sushi, I would not want to eat anywhere else. Like, it. I wouldn't order that sushi. But when I'm there eating, like a kale salad and a spinach dip, their sushi with extra sugar and vinegar and soggy ass rice, I'm like, oh, no, that's the California roll that belongs.

[Unnamed Spouse]

It hits every time.

[Anthony Ninwin]

I'm like, oh, no. I need that sweet and sour sushi that you're making in the back over there.

[Unnamed Chef]

I need the egg rolls from Cheesecake Factory. You know what I'm saying?

[Unnamed Spouse]

Like, absolutely. A self cheesecake roll from Chili's. Like, are you. That is some crazy.

[Anthony Ninwin]

The buffalo wonton things at Cheesecake are fire. Like, I order them for her Cheesecake.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Factor Cheesecake Factory order every time. It's buffalo chicken blast with this Caesar salad. It's like it's a crab rangoon, A.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Buffalo chicken Crab rangoon.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

It is fire. Yeah, Fire.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Talk to us. So I know you grew up, like, doing pho at your mom's restaurant, right? So when did you get the itch? Like, were you told to just go work in the restaurant? Like, a lot of kids. Like, where does the dream begin? Like, the itch.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah. I first started cooking when I took this home EC class in high school. And we made. I remember so clearly, we made crepes. And I was like, oh, shit, you could just add this, this, and then do this, and then I got snacks. That's what you're telling me. So then, bro, I would just make crepes on crepes. Like strawberry jam crepes, chocolate crepe, you know, crepe master. And that's kind of how I started cooking. And then, you know, in 2010, my parents opened up Ni Bi Pho Bistro, a small, traditional Vietnamese restaurant. And I was a wild kid, you know, it was like my sixth year in a two year college. Just popping molly, like going to monster. Yeah. Just going to raves. And then it just. They're like, yo, you got to fucking reign it in, man. Like, you have to come work.

[Anthony Ninwin]

I see what was happening in your brain because this happens to me a lot. On the pod, you're about to tell, like, a really, really good story that might get you in trouble. And you're like, you're like, no, no.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yo, my mom gonna see this shit and she's gonna beat my ass and.

[Anthony Ninwin]

My gout's gonna flare up.

[Unnamed Spouse]

But not the whole, let me treat that with.

[Anthony Ninwin]

My mom doesn't know. That's like, oh, yeah, that time I stole a Cutlass supreme and came down the street with my boy. Never happened. I did not steal the Cutlass Supreme. But yeah, so. So you were doing a lot of Molly, having a great time.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah, yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Living it up.

[Unnamed Chef]

And my parents like, no, you have to really rein it in. Like, what's your future look like? You know, and just come work with us while you figure that out. So I was at the cashier just, you know, doing that thing, getting really bored, and I would look over and I would see all these dudes just cooking and just like laughing. And it would just look so like this chaotic organization, you know? And I have crazy adhd. I can't sit down and read. I can't. Like, I have to move around. So, like, that really attracted me, that. That kind of energetic, you know? So I was like, can I try that, mom? And she's like, okay, first you can bag noodles. Let's see how well you do with bagging dry noodles. I did that. Then she let me on the grill. Then she let me on the walk. And. And she's, okay, this. You have my. Have something.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Okay, talk to me though. Grill. What Happens like, what was your first day on the grill?

[Unnamed Chef]

Like, okay, first day on the grill. Crazy IBS in the morning. My mom is my chef, man. So it's like, I get it at home, and then I come to work, and she's still there.

[Unnamed Spouse]

You know what I mean?

[Unnamed Chef]

She's still there.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Chef]

So I'm like, grilling chicken, I'm grilling pork. And she's looking over and she's kind of seeing, like, okay, this guy has, like, this intensity. Like, he's focused. And she's never seen me focused. Like, not with schoolwork, not with, like, movies, not with anything that requires that attention to detail. But she would see me like, okay, I have to wait for the chicken to grill this much before I flip it or else it gets stuck on the grill. I'm noticing all these things that she's not telling me, and my movement is getting quicker, I'm getting faster. And she's just like, okay, this. This kid is. He means what he's saying finally. You know what I mean? Like, he finally says he's finally becoming someone that, you know, will provide something in the. Like, you know.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I know what you mean.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

But so the grill, that first day, she saw.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

And she moves you to the walk. What happens on the walk?

[Unnamed Chef]

The walk. I fuck up hard, dude. I don't know. You know what I mean? The flame is too high, too low. I don't know anything.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Tell it. Tell us the exact. Because it's. The walk is very, very difficult.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

That is the station where if you put someone new who has not had practice and there's not someone standing with them, showing them.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

They try to do things they've seen like other Chinese do with the knee. I would just flip, and I'm like, bro, you're done. You're done. You're done. Get them off. Get him off. Like, he's going to set the restaurant on fire. Like, I'm going to say, like, tell us about your first day on the walk.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Because now you're like, MasterChef. And it's cool, but, like, people can learn from, like, your up on the first day. Yeah.

[Unnamed Chef]

Like, I just didn't understand when I first started, especially on the walk, I didn't understand heat. I didn't understand how hot the walk should be, how much oil to have in the pan, what I. The movements I should be doing.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Chef]

But it was really understanding heat and understanding fire that really made that station easy for me.

[Anthony Ninwin]

And the water coming off the top.

[Unnamed Chef]

We didn't have water.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Oh, you did? Okay.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah, we did have water.

[Anthony Ninwin]

That's the other thing. The dude will be on, and the water's coming off.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Like, bro, you're about to just get popped because.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah, you're gonna get, like, the oil fire. Yeah, it's in there, and it's like, it's game over.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Okay, so heat for you. Keep going. My bad.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah, no, no. Heat for me was a really important aspect of. Of cooking that I learned there because it was easy for me to kind of just see the, like, what was going on. You know what I mean? Honestly, talking about my mom's restaurant triggers me a little bit.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah, it does. A little bit.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Chef]

I'm coming to that realization right now as we're talking.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Well, I'll jump in and tell you. My first day on a walk, it was the first thing you do, triggered me and got me so fucked up, was just lighting it that every time you gotta use it, you gotta light the pilot.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

And I had freebase shit before, so I knew, like, how to freebase shit. But I went in there and I turned the gas too high, like. Cause I was, like, thinking it was, like, hot knifing stuff. And I went. And I was like, ah. And the fire just went up and caught my face and caught the dude next to me. The dude's like, yo, why do you have the gas up on high? I was like, I don't know, man. I just want to make sure to light it. It almost set the whole shit on fire. So every time I light a wok, I'm still a little nervous. And anyone who's cooked with me with a wok knows, I'll do the chef thing. You know how chefs sometimes where all of us chefs have a weakness?

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

We have a thing we don't want to do. On the punch list, I'll just hand the barbecue lighter to something. I gotta go to the walk and.

[Unnamed Chef]

Have them light them.

[Anthony Ninwin]

I hate lighting the walk, but once.

[Unnamed Chef]

I'm on, I'm on. Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Like, I can do all the shit on the walk.

[Unnamed Chef]

Do you remember when we cooked together for the crazy Rich Asians dinner?

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yes.

[Unnamed Chef]

And we were on the walk together. That was the second time I was nervous to cook. I was like, oh, my God, not a walk again, bro.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Did he make you like the walk? Was he like, here's.

[Unnamed Chef]

You know what? I don't remember if he made me like the walk or not. I just do remember the IBS acting up, the sweat coming down, like, all right, Just pay attention to Eddie, bro. Yeah, don't up his. Don't up his.

[Anthony Ninwin]

You know, I looked at that team that day and there was. Remember the guy that gave away all the Hainan rice in the first seating?

[Unnamed Chef]

Yes.

[Anthony Ninwin]

And then we had no Hainan rice for the second season because we made this special chicken stock Hainan rice. Everybody liked. They kept asking for seconds on the first run. And I made two announcements in the kitchen. No seconds.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yes.

[Anthony Ninwin]

We are budgeted for, like, this much rice per seating. One guy just. He just was so happy. People were excited. He gave away all of our rice in the first seating. It was a bit of a clown car for that one dish because of that guy. But I remember looking around when we had to go toss things on the walk, and I was just like, anthony's the guy today. And it was just the two of.

[Unnamed Chef]

Us on the walk that day.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Flow state on the wall.

[Anthony Ninwin]

And it was fun because it was that kung fu, kung pao bistro.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah, it was a Chinese.

[Unnamed Spouse]

It was that dinner.

[Anthony Ninwin]

Yeah, that dinner used to pass by.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Kung fu bistro all the time. And he would tell me about this dinner.

[Unnamed Chef]

Yeah.

[Anthony Ninwin]

And they had good walks because it was a takeout. Yeah.

[Unnamed Chef]

It was like me. It was like, oh, my God. That was a moment for me. It was like, what are the. Those canon events.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Chef]

You know what I mean? Like, that cooking on the wok next to Eddie Wong led me to where I am now.

[Anthony Ninwin]

You were fired.

[Unnamed Chef]

Thank you.

[Anthony Ninwin]

You were fired. There was no slip up. Every dish came out crispy at that event.

[Unnamed Chef]

Oh, thank you.

[Unnamed Spouse]

You were locked in.

[Unnamed Chef]

I was locked in. I had to be. He was locked in. I had to be.

[Anthony Ninwin]

We both had the knee thing going. You can always tell, like, a guy on the walk and the guy that's like, doesn't do it is just like stirring it like a pot. And the guy who knows his, like, kick it. Like you have a rhythm.

[Unnamed Chef]

You're like, happy birthday. You know, you're like singing.

[Anthony Ninwin]

You have to put your in.

[Unnamed Spouse]

Do you feel like there's. There's something. There's like a correlation between having a season in life, doing a lot of Molly, and then being fire on the walk. Because you guys, like, you're both like, okay, Molly boy. Molly boy. And then you're both fire on the walk, doing like this, like, cooking looking dance.

[Anthony Ninwin]

It was like glow stick.

[Unnamed Chef]

There was a glow stick movement.

[Unnamed Spouse]

What is the rave to walk Pipeline?

[Anthony Ninwin]

I actually think this is real. That is the end of the free preview of this week's episode for the full paid version. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber on our substack Canal Street Dreams. Thank you.