An interview with Netflix chef Nikki Tran

An Evening with chef Nikki Tran – Food, Identity & The Stories We Eat

Chef Nikki Tran joined us for an intimate conversation reflecting on food as identity, memory, and belonging. He spoke about growing up in Vietnam, building his career as a chef in Houston, and the experience of returning home later in life, carrying multiple cultures, kitchens, and versions of himself.

A particularly resonant moment was Nikki’s story of travelling the world with his own fish sauce — a practical, deeply personal reminder that some flavours cannot be substituted, and that food often becomes a portable form of home. He also reflected on missing his grandmother’s cooking, and how that absence continues to shape his sense of belonging.

The evening concluded with shared homemade Vietnamese food, accompanied by sourdough from a Vietnamese bakery in Avalon, a fitting expression of the night’s themes of migration, adaptation, and cultural continuity.

A thoughtful, grounded discussion that reminded us how food holds the stories we struggle to articulate. Thank you to Nikki for being so vulnerable and open with our expert interviewer Anastasia.