How this started

I grew up in a household where the kitchen was never quiet. My grandmother kept a small notebook — not a recipe book exactly, more a log of ratios and reminders she’d never bother to say out loud — and I spent years trying to decode it. That notebook is probably why I ended up at the Saigon Tourism Vocational College, where I trained in professional cooking and hospitality. But formal training only answered some of the questions.

While I was still a student, I worked in hotel kitchens and restaurant prep lines — places where the margin for vagueness is zero. A head chef doesn’t want to hear “about a tablespoon.” That pressure to be precise about ingredients, timing, and technique stayed with me long after graduation.

The field research came later. Over several years I traveled to nearly every province in Vietnam — from the limestone hills of Hà Giang down to the mangrove coasts of Cà Mau — not on a single continuous trip but in phases, returning to regions as seasons changed, because the same dish tastes different depending on when you eat it. A bowl of bún bò Huế at 6 a.m. in a Hue alley is not the same experience as one assembled outside its home city. I wanted to document both the dish and the context.

How I research and write

Every article on FoodVietnamese.com goes through the same process: field notes first, then cross-referencing with documented sources — academic research, official records from the Vietnam Institute of Nutrition, historical food writing — and only then do I write. If I can’t verify a number or a claim, it doesn’t go in.

I pay particular attention to regional variation. Vietnamese cuisine is not a single cuisine. The version of a dish that exists in its home province and the version that has traveled and adapted are both legitimate, but they’re not the same thing, and I try to make that distinction clear rather than flatten everything into one “authentic” description.

Nutrition data on this site — calorie counts, macronutrient figures — comes from verified sources including the Vietnam National Institute of Nutrition. I don’t estimate, and I flag it clearly when a figure applies to a specific preparation rather than the dish in general.

Background & credentials

• Professional culinary training, Saigon Tourism Vocational College (Trường Cao đẳng Nghề Du lịch Sài Gòn)
• Kitchen and hospitality experience across hotel and restaurant environments in Ho Chi Minh City
• Field research covering nearly all 63 provinces and municipalities of Vietnam
• Editor and lead author at FoodVietnamese.com since its founding

About FoodVietnamese.com

FoodVietnamese.com is a bilingual (Vietnamese/English) reference wiki for Vietnamese cuisine — covering regional specialties, cooking techniques, ingredients, and the cultural context that makes a dish what it is. The goal is not to be the most entertaining food site on the internet. It’s to be the most accurate one about Vietnamese food specifically.

The site does not accept sponsored content or paid placements. When I recommend a preparation method or describe where a dish originates, that comes from research and personal experience — not from anyone’s marketing budget.

Get in touch

For corrections, sourcing questions, or research inquiries: use the contact form. I read every message, though replies may take a few days depending on travel schedule.

You can also follow field notes and trip updates on Facebook and Instagram (@kellythuy2000).