Mai Pham

Author, Chef, & Owner, Lemon Grass Restaurant, Star Ginger (Sacramento, CA)

Mai Pham is the chef-owner of the acclaimed Lemon Grass Restaurant and Star Ginger in Sacramento, CA. She is recognized for her expertise in cooking and writing about the bright, fresh flavors of Vietnam, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian cuisines. Host of TV Food Network’s Vietnam: My Country, My Kitchen series, Chef Pham authored several notable cookbooks, including the James Beard-nominated Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table, named one of the top Asian cookbooks by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

A pioneer in collaborating with university, corporate, and healthcare foodservice operators, Chef Pham has helped bring authentic Southeast Asian flavors to a wider audience. Her latest menu innovation, Plant-Forward and Asian Vegetarian cuisine, was featured in the Culinary Institute of America's video series “Asia and the Plant-Forward Kitchen: Vietnam and Thailand.”

Chef Pham frequently presents at international conferences, including the Women’s Health Conference in Singapore and the EAT Food Forum in Stockholm, sharing her culinary expertise and promoting Southeast Asian cuisine. (Instagram: @lemongrass_sacramento)