Nini Nguyen Author Talk • Dac Biet: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook

Nini Nguyen is a New Orleans–based chef and cooking instructor. After starting her career in some of the country’s most innovative kitchens, such as Coquette in New Orleans and Eleven Madison Park in New York, she competed in season 16 of Top Chef, as well as Top Chef: All-Stars, becoming a fan favorite. At the beginning of the pandemic, she leaned into her passion for teaching, originally honed at Cook Space in Brooklyn, New York, and built her Cooking with Nini virtual classes into a robust business. The classes, which she teaches several times per week, are wildly popular and perpetually

Chef Melissa King, winner of Top Chef All-Stars: Los Angeles Season 17 and Fan Favorite, holds the most challenge wins in Top Chef history. She has judged shows such as Bravo's Top Chef and The Julia Child Challenge on Food Network and is the host of the National Geographic docuseries Tasting Wild. With a B.A. in Cognitive Science from UC Irvine and top honors from the Culinary Institute of America, King blends modern California cuisine with Asian flavors.

She has led Michelin-starred kitchens in San Francisco and cooked for notable figures like Oprah Winfrey and Al Gore. King donates her platform to causes like Stop AAPI Hate and The Trevor Project, raising over $40,000 for marginalized communities. As a proud Asian-American, queer woman, she advocates for diversity through collaborations with Levi’s, GAP, and more.

Based in San Francisco, she runs a business offering culinary experiences, virtual cooking classes, and King Sauce, her line of sauces and spices.
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Dac Biet: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook - A collection of contemporary, extra special Vietnamese recipes, from beloved classics like Hanoi-Style Vermicelli with Grilled Pork and three variations of Phở, to dishes with a New Orleans twist, like Southeast Asian Jambalaya and Sticky Fried Shrimp Bánh Mì—from Top Chef contestant and acclaimed chef, Nini Nguyen

In Vietnamese culture, to be dac biet is to be special and luxurious, or, as chef and cooking instructor Nini Nguyen puts it, it means adding something a little extra, like salty caviar on top of squid stuffed pork, a surprise note of ginger and lime in a dipping sauce, or sautéing shaking beef in farm fresh butter for a creamy, delectable experience. Born and raised in New Orleans by Vietnamese immigrants, here Nini gives us recipes that fuse the best of Vietnamese and New Orleans cooking and clear directions on how to prepare and arrange them, making for a flavorful, unforgettable experience that proves that being a little extra is accessible and just right.

Dac Biet includes 100 delicious and vibrant recipes that celebrate the essential flavors of Vietnam—salty, sour, bitter, spicy, and sweet—and the bright and perfectly balanced dishes they create. Here are recipes for:

*Charbroiled Oysters in Chili Butter * Viet-Cajun Seafood Boil * Phở with Everything * Crispy Fish Sauce Caramel Chicken Wings * Broken Rice with Pork Chops and Eggs * Crispy Noodles Covered in a Saucy Stir Fry * BBQ Pork Ribs Glazed with Roasted Nước Mắm Sauce* Coconut Crispy Rice Crepes * and many more