Nini Nguyen

Chef and Cookbook Author (New Orleans, LA)

Nini Nguyen is a chef and cookbook author whose cooking is rooted in her Vietnamese heritage and the bold, soulful flavors of Louisiana. After training in kitchens including Eleven Madison Park, she earned national recognition on Top Chef and has since appeared on Tournament of Champions, Bobby’s Triple Threat, Guy’s Grocery Games, Wildcard Kitchen, and 24 in 24. She won the premiere season of Last Bite Hotel. Her debut cookbook, Đặc Biệt: An Extra Special Vietnamese Cookbook, was released in 2024 and named one of Amazon’s Best Cookbooks of the Year. Praised as “an invaluable guide to the fundamentals of Vietnamese cooking,” the book is both a practical introduction to Vietnamese food and a personal celebration of the dishes, people, and traditions that shaped her and she hosts an intimate 14-seat supper club in New Orleans. (Instagram: @chefnininguyen)

Photo credit: John Troxell