In The Hot Seat with Chef Nini Nguyen

It's an honor to welcome Chef Nini Nguyen to the Hot Seat! Nini is a New York City based chef and a recent contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef All Stars. She's a big fan of spicing up her dishes with Red Clay and we were delighted to ask her a few of our favorite questions. 

Let's get started!

How did you start cooking?
I started cooking very young in my grandmother's kitchen. She would let me assist her with very traditional Vietnamese dishes she would make. I didn't realize I wanted to be a chef until I was almost finished with college. Feeding people has always brought me joy and I feel lucky to have made it my career.

What inspired you to apply for/go on Top Chef?
A friend of mine met a producer and gave them my name. It took a couple of years to actually get casted but it was my late brother who really inspired me to go.

What are your top three HOTs right now?
Nail art, cute face masks and voting.

And top three NOTs?
Artificial sweeteners, not wearing a mask and (probably controversial) oat milk.

Favorite Red Clay Product?
Red Clay Verde on everything!

Biggest Guilty Pleasure?
Frozen pizza on lazy days.

One dish you couldn't live without?
A good old cheeseburger, thin patty with American cheese.

Your go-to meal?
I always lean towards simple dishes. I love roasting chicken over sourdough bread with lots of lemon. Classic and incredibly delicious.

...Ok, YUM.

Where can our Red Clay fam find you?
You can find me on instagram @chefnininguyen or my website www.chefnininguyen.com.

Thanks so much, Chef!