Andrea Nguyen

California, San Francisco

Food Writer, Author, and Chef at Freelance

Writer, teacher, Beard🥇author of The Pho Cookbook + Vietnamese Food Any Day. Ever-Green Vietnamese drops on 4/25/23! SUBSCRIBE to my free newsletter. 👇👇👇

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Articles

Chris's Asian Bakery-style Hot Rolls

1 week ago | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

Whereas many people love a chewy open crumb in their bread nowadays, many Asian folks enjoy the soft pillowy gentleness of yeasted breads. Think of milk bread, "smiling" snowy char siu bao at dim sum, King Hawaiian sweet bread, and all those yeasted items sold at 85C Bakery and Cafe, and other similar Asian establishment. You can make them at home with little effort and the result of your effort will be ethereal.
April 2025 Newsletter

3 weeks ago | davidlebovitz.substack.com | Andrea Nguyen |Adam Roberts

“Who are these freezer people?” I used to ask myself. They’re the ones who would tell me they would freeze the 2 gallons (8L) of whey leftover from making cheese. They’re the people who have room in their freezer for turkey carcasses that they’re saving to make stock. Others put their summer bounty of tomato sauces in there, plus pesto, three-layer cakes, casserole dishes of lasagna and macaroni and cheese, pound cakes and assorted cookie doughs.
Sichuan Tangy Cabbage Stir-Fry (Bao Chao Bai Cai) - Viet World Kitchen

2 months ago | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

Every cook needs easy, 15 minute vegetable sides in their back pockets. I have many that feature cabbage -- salads, soup garnishes, and stir-fries. This Chinese cabbage just entered my life by way of Betty Liu's cookbook, The Chinese Way, which was published in 2024 by Voracious/Little Brown. Betty focuses on core Chinese culinary values by drawing a through line from traditional recipes to modern riffs.
How to Order Pho like a Pro? Here are menu tips and a pronunciation guide

2 months ago | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

Calling all pho lovers! A pho restaurant menu is full of so many options. I cook my own pho and know what I want but when I go out for pho, all the terms and add-ons can overwhelm. You read that right. Even for a so-called pho expert like myself, pho can seem daunting. Pho shops in Vietnam and eleswhere have a myriad of options because the noodle soup is the ultimate Vietnamese customizable dish. Indeed, you can have it your way.
20 Recipes for Welcoming the Year of the Snake

2 months ago | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

Lunar New Year is arriving too fast this year! Next Wednesday, January 29, we’ll say farewell to the Year of the Dragon. If you live near a Little Saigon, it’ll be crowded this weekend. Go soon to check out the festivities or wait till things die down a bit. Here’s what I recently saw, in case you don’t get to Little Saigon yourself! Go ahead and let loose. It’s a carb-laden holiday.
Vietnamese Pig Ear Cookies (Bánh Lỗ Tai Heo)

Dec 18, 2024 | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

Crunchy and swirly bánh lỗ tai heo are beloved by kids and adults in Vietnam. I adored them when I was young because they were charming, had a funny name that made me giggle, and were fried to slightly coconutty crunch. Viet pig ear cookies are traditionally a street vendor specialty because a vendor can specialize in it and do well. You don't an oven to make them.
Sticky Rice with Roast Chicken (Xoi Ga Ro Ti)

Dec 1, 2024 | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

Give Thanksgiving leftovers a Vietnamese makeover! Here's a fun recipe that you can make any time of the year but why not in the aftermath of the big American November feast? I’m hoping to persuade you to make my 30-minute Viet Roast Chicken Sticky Rice — Xôi Gà Rô Ti. Xôi = steamed sticky rice, Gà = chicken, Rô Ti = roastedIf you’re a French speaker, you may recognize rô ti to simply be the same as the French term rôti, which means roasted.
Viet Street Food + Dim Sum Made Easy

Aug 2, 2024 | allevents.in | Kinjal Dave |Andrea Nguyen

Let's have a virtual Bánh Cuốn + Cheung Fun blowout! Join me for this thrilling cooking class!About this EventViet Street Food + Dim Sum Made Easy(aka Bánh Cuốn + Cheung Fun Blowout!)Hello tender and glorious steamed rice rolls! You're cozy and delicious but you also tend to elude many home cooks. Traditional Vietnamese Bánh Cuốn (an iconic street food) and Cantonese Cheung Fun (a classic dim sum) require deft skills and finesse. Many people let pro cooks make them but you don't have to.
Chicken Tikka Skewers

Jun 20, 2024 | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

You don't need a tandoor oven to make great chicken tikka, which means chicken pieces in Hindi. This easy recipe, from Maya Kaimal's Indian Flavors Every Day, comes together easily with readily available ingredients. The main seasonings include a heady marinade of garlic, ginger, spices and yoghurt. Maya adds a little twist though. She punches up her chicken tikka skewers with a bunch of freshly grated lime zest. It adds zip and aroma, blending in well with the spices.
When is the Best Time to Travel to Vietnam?

Jun 20, 2024 | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

We just returned from Thailand and Vietnam. If we could, we would have stayed on vacation a little longer. I have to admit that this was an experimental trip for me and my husband. Even though I was born in Saigon, I can’t stand the heat and humidity that saps the life energy from me the moment I step outdoors. My first trip in 2002 to the motherland was in winter, during the dry season. We departed around December 31 to get in on an airfare deal.