Nini Nguyen is a New York based chef, instructor, recipe developer and recent contestant on Bravos’ Top Chef Kentucky, Season 16.  Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Chef Nini combines her Vietnamese heritage and NOLA flair into a unique cooking style.

 

Early in her career, Chef Nini started as a pastry cook at restaurants like Coquette & Eleven Madison Park.  She later moved into savory cooking with the touring pop-up, Dinner Lab. She also has a knack for teaching and mentoring other cooks. She expressed this passion through her work at Cook Space, a recreational cooking school in Brooklyn where she developed the culinary program. 

 

As a naturally curious person, Chef Nini’s favorite pastime is roaming through markets in different cities, tasting, smelling and squeezing all the fruits and vegetables she can get her hands on. Since being on Top Chef, Chef Nini Nguyen has kept herself busy collaborating with chefs, hosting private events and starting a pop-up dinner series nationwide.