As the youngest son in a
family with 4 brother and sister coming from Mekong Delta Chef Vuong Huynh Vi
Nguyen has to carry all expectation from his father since he was born. Vi Vuong
is the name that his father gave him with an expectation that he can become a
“Little King”.
Passionate reformed music but working as a
chef
Growing up in a family
that working in carpentry as a tradition from his grand-father generation and
his mother is just a common trader but Chef Vuong didn’t have a desire to
follow his parent career. He has a great passion in reformed music and he also has
a very beautiful voice. However his dream was fallen very early because of his
mother disagreement.
Thinking of his mother,
Chef Vuong has to put his dream aside then admit to the University of Law as
what his family expected. However the University didn’t open to welcome him so
he has changed to study in the College of Foods Technology.
Head Chef Vuong Huynh Vi Nguyen of Continental hotel – HCM City
Graduated in 2000, Chef
Vuong has moved to Continental hotel and worked as a chef assistant. As a
patient and hard worker he didn’t mind any type of workload even small or big
tasks in the kitchen of this hotel but somehow he still had a little bit low
mood
Chef Vuong shared that in
the first days working as a chef he was very shy. Every time someone asked him
what he is doing to live he didn’t dare to answer because everyone still looked
down the job of the chef at that time. When he went home he also didn’t dare to
tell his mother the truth. He told her that he is working in a 4 star hotel
located in the central of the city only. Day after day he has just been too
busy so that he couldn’t think of his future and what it will be. However being
as a chef for a while he started to love his job without notice that.
Cooking job is a hard job. Everyday Chef
Vuong has to start to work at 5 AM and finish by 9 or 10 PM. The direction
board of the hotel sees that Chef Vuong is a hard worker and have passion in
cooking job so they sent him to study more in School of Tourism and Hotel
Saigontourist.
After that Chef Vuong also was sent to
study more about European, Asian and Thai cuisine and not only cooking
technology but also about management skills for example kitchen management,
hotel and restaurant management … Meanwhile he also finished his school program in
Polytechnic University and received the
bachelor’s degree of food chemistry. After that he graduated and got another
bachelor’s degree of finance at the University of Finance and Marketing.
Chef Vuong said his
friends wondered why he studied so many things like that but he thought that
this knowledge will help him a lot in his career in the future.
Test his own capacity
Beginning to work as a
chef for a few years Chef Vuong has mastered cooking techniques so he wanted to
test himself in several contest or competition no matter if they are small or
big one. The first one is the national food contest organized in Binh Thuan in
2003 and 2004 by Tourism Department. Chef Vuong won the first prize for
individual item with the dish of squid stuffed with sticky rice and the first
prize for team item.
Since then every time there is any contest
or competition the hotel will choose Chef Vuong to become their representative
and attend. In 2005 in the food contest with the theme “Home taste” organized
by Saigontourist Travel Corporation. He won the second prize with the dish of
salad with snakefish.
Chef Vuong Huynh Vi Nguyen responded to questions of the judges in the Golden Spoon contest 2015. Photos: Organizing Committee
In 2015, chef Vuong has
won the runner-up position in the Golden Spoon contest. The final round with
the subject of “Secret black box” is a big challenge to Chef Vuong from
knowledge to skills as well as creativity and flexibility. When pick up the
ingredient named “lá é” he knew immediately that this is a kind of
spice that offer a great aroma as well as good taste and used to submit to the
King only before thanks to his knowledge. According to traditional Chinese
medicine, “lá é” or it is also called
Ocimum basilicum has a spicy taste so it has function to treat stomach pain, indigestion,
cold or flu and fever.. To balance this function Chef Vuong has combined it
with seafood. He also picked up a whole fish not only fillet so he used all
parts of head, bone to make the broth and the meat is to cook with “lá é”. With the menu that included salad
with stuffed squid, soup with fish and “lá
é”, beef with butter sauce, fried mango with strawberry sauce Vuong won the
second prize for the best presentation item.
Chef Vuong is not only
participating in local or domestic competition but also was invited to go to
abroad and perform Vietnamese cuisine at fairs. His bell always ring to lift up
Vietnam cuisine in other countries
Never stop studying
Being promoted to the
head chef position of Continental Hotel since 2010 when he was only 30 years
old was a huge challenge to him. The job of a manager is different with the job
of a chef because he is responsible for preparing menu as well as managing
human resources and the heaviest part is to control the consumable materials.
Besides that he also participates in orienting business development. New job
with a lot pressure required him a continuously improvement so even he is in
the manager position but he always study new things to be able to move further
in his career.
The advantage of Continental
hotel is its old French architect with 126 years. Therefore it required Chef
has to prepare menu that have the signal of the integration which combines
between modern and classic. Moreover high-class customer nowadays have a new
trend of cuisine which is less starch, rich protein so Chef Vuong has to
structure the menu so that it is suitable with current expectation of diners.
Given on training courses about nutrition so he knew what foods is good for
your health and how much foods is enough for us to eat.
Getting married in 2001,
Chef Vuong has two beautiful daughters now. When he has free time he usually
cooks for his family although at home his wife is the head chef.
Chef
Vuong said that if you want to be a chef you need to have passion and love your
job as well as hard working and don’t mind heavy workload. He has to accept to
scarify all his holidays and never has day off. I have to stay at the hotel
until 3 or 4 AM on occasion of holidays or Tet. Although it is very hard but
I’ve never thought that I will quit this job because it becomes a part of my
life.
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To me kitchen is the most ideal place because I
can talk to the foods – a part of my soul.
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Followed by Xuan Hoa
Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper