Chef Phúc Nguyễn: Cuisine is formed from flavors in the subconscious.

Studios Dining is a tranquil and inviting restaurant located on Nguyen Gia Thieu Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. During a visit to the restaurant, a Travellive reporter contacted Chef Phuc Nguyen – the creator of countless unique and delicious dishes – to chat and share interesting culinary stories for the new year.

Phuc Nguyen is a young chef born in 1997 from Nam Dinh. He began his culinary journey at the age of 18 and has pursued this path for over a decade, working in various restaurant environments and positions. As a result, Chef Phuc Nguyen has accumulated a wealth of experience over the years.

He shared: "My professional journey has been a continuous learning process, from flavors and techniques to the mindset of operating a professional kitchen." Phuc Nguyen studied at Le Cordon Bleu Australia and worked there for five years. During this time, he had the opportunity to work at restaurants such as Maha and Cutler & Co... After returning to Vietnam, this young man started at Gia Restaurant as a Junior Sous Chef, before taking on the position of Chef de Cuisine at the wine bar Le Goût de Gia.

Currently, Phuc Nguyen continues his development journey at Studios Dining. His previous work at renowned restaurants has given him confidence and creativity as he embarks on this exciting and challenging path.

When did your "career preferences" begin to develop?

My "professional palate" truly took shape when I returned to Vietnam and began cooking seriously with local spices and ingredients. Before that, memories of my family kitchen, meals with my father and grandmother, formed the initial emotional foundation. My time studying and working in Australia helped me develop my skills and professional mindset, but it was returning to Vietnamese cuisine that helped me realize what I wanted to pursue in the kitchen. Those beautiful memories shaped my personal identity and helped me create my own style as I embarked on the challenging path of the F&B industry.

How did your time working in Australia change your approach to cooking?

I learned to view ingredients as individuals with their own "personalities," and the chef's task is to highlight the strengths of each ingredient, rather than imposing a flavor on them. It must be emphasized again that I have immense respect for ingredients and always seek to bring them to life.

Working in professional kitchens also instilled discipline in me, from handling ingredients to organizing operations. For me, discipline is not opposed to creativity, but rather a condition for creativity to have depth. I worked with a disciplined mindset but still maintained freedom within boundaries. In my opinion, this is also a professional mindset that I have been influenced by during my time working in Australia.

Is your rich, flavorful cooking style a personal preference or simply instinct?

It's a natural development. Growing up surrounded by Vietnamese fish sauce and spices, my palate developed a multi-layered, distinct, and profound taste. My later work environment only helped me refine how I express that in a more restrained and purposeful way. I follow my taste instincts, discovering the many layers of flavor in each ingredient and spice, and then, day by day, I create, cook, experiment, and learn to perfect each dish.

I understand you've cooked many dishes that use fish sauce as an ingredient. So, for you, is fish sauce a seasoning, a base flavor, or a unique style?

For me, fish sauce is a flavor heritage of Vietnamese cuisine. Each type of fish sauce has its own unique flavor profile and needs to be placed in the right context within a dish. I don't see fish sauce as a distinct style to impress, but rather as a base flavor that needs to be subtly handled to enhance the overall dish. Cooking with fish sauce is also my way of staying connected to my roots, to the culinary "instincts" that have formed deep within my subconscious. My view is very clear: cuisine is formed from flavors in the subconscious. For me, these are memories of spices, fish sauce, and familiar ingredients that I gradually developed through skills, techniques, and modern culinary thinking. For me, cooking is a connection between emotion, flavor memory, and the ability to master ingredients.

Which approach are you taking: balancing mainstream tastes with experimentation at the studios?

I start with flavors familiar to diners, then expand the experience with small changes in spices, flavors, base notes, techniques, or ingredient handling. For me, experimentation isn't about shocking diners, but about sparking their curiosity and creating a sense of security by stepping outside their comfort zone.

In your cooking process, do you prioritize ingredients, ideas, or technique?

Ingredients are the foundation. When the ingredients are good and in season, techniques and ideas have room to flourish. A good dish begins with respect for the ingredients. I believe that ingredients are the core, the root, the crucial foundation upon which we create. Furthermore, the seasonality and origin of those ingredients are also extremely important. Every idea or technique is merely an element that depends on the root of the ingredients.

According to Phuc Nguyen, what are the principles for chefs to balance strong flavors without overdoing it?

I build flavor layers, tasting multiple times during cooking and always creating balance with acidity, fat, or natural sweetness. My principle is that fish sauce and spices should be clearly present, but not overpower the overall dish. I pursue building layers of flavor in each dish I create, and this building is based on harmony, balance, and restraint so that the many flavors in the dish have a chance to shine without conflicting with each other.

In your opinion, is grilling food over fire/heat the new "language" of contemporary cuisine?

Grilling is a primitive skill, yet it's very contemporary. Fire, charcoal, and wood create layers of flavor that no other method can replicate. I see grilling as a way of learning about time, intuition, and humility before the ingredients.

It's clear that Chef Phuc Nguyen's masterful use of fire and precise timing result in grilled dishes that are more appealing than ever. Each piece of meat, fish, and vegetable, expertly grilled and infused with smoky flavor, requires not only technical skill but also the intuitive "fire-control" instinct of each chef. Join Travellive as we delve deeper into his culinary journey and his concerns about this profession.

What are you looking for from your professional culinary career at this stage?

I seek out new flavors and learning opportunities every day, both in modern techniques and classic values. My current goal is to continuously improve everything from flavor and process to the overall customer experience. I am always learning to perfect my skills and strive for excellence and sustainable growth in the ever-changing F&B industry.

Do you have any advice for young chefs?

My only advice to those of you just starting out in this profession is to be truly patient, disciplined, and diligent in learning from the most fundamental principles. Learn in many ways, starting with small things and working hard enough so that your skills improve every day. Patience and discipline will take you further than fleeting inspiration.

Those words brought the entire conversation between the Travellive reporter and chef Phuc Nguyen to a close. With his youthful, dynamic perspective and unique culinary thinking, Phuc Nguyen is one of the young chefs with great potential for development in Vietnam's increasingly competitive F&B market. The author would like to quote one of his comments to conclude this article:

Looking ahead, I aspire to continue honing my skills, meticulously managing my kitchen, and contributing a small part to introducing Vietnamese cuisine to the world in an authentic, modern way while still respecting our roots.

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Ha Chu