Bobby Chinn facts for kids

Bobby Chinn is a famous chef, TV host, and restaurant owner from New Zealand. He is well-known in Asia and the Middle East. He became famous for hosting World Cafe on Discovery TLC. He also judges Top Chef Middle East. Bobby Chinn opened two popular restaurants in Vietnam. One was in Hanoi in 2001, and the other was in Ho Chi Minh City in 2011. In 2014, he moved to London and opened a Vietnamese restaurant called House of Ho.

Early Life and Education

Bobby Chinn was born in New Zealand. His father was Chinese-American, and his mother was Egyptian. His grandfather was Saad El Shazly, an Egyptian military leader.

Bobby went to school in Cairo and England. He later graduated from the Urban School of San Francisco. In 1986, he earned a degree in finance and economics from Richmond College in London. In 2020, Richmond College gave him an honorary doctorate.

After college, Bobby worked in finance for a while. He worked as a research analyst in Florida. Then he worked for a hedge fund in San Francisco. Later, he moved to New York City and worked at the New York Stock Exchange.

Bobby Chinn's Culinary Career

Bobby Chinn's journey in cooking began at the Elka Restaurant in San Francisco. He learned from famous chefs like Elka Gilmore. His big chance came when he worked with Hubert Keller at Fleur de Lys. Bobby worked hard in the kitchen, learning many skills.

He helped open a new restaurant called Coconut Grove. There, he became a "saucier," which means he was in charge of making sauces. After a back injury, he went to France to learn more. He then returned to San Francisco for surgery.

Restaurants in Vietnam

In 1995, Bobby moved to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. He worked at a restaurant called La Camargue. Within six months, he opened his own restaurant, Saigon Joe's. He then moved to Hanoi and opened another restaurant called Miro.

In 1997, he opened the Red Onion restaurant. It was located near the famous "Hanoi Hilton". The Red Onion was very successful. This success allowed him to open his own restaurant in 2001. He named it Restaurant Bobby Chinn.

In 2014, Bobby Chinn moved to London. He opened a modern Vietnamese restaurant called House of Ho. It is located in Soho, a lively part of London.

Television Shows

Bobby Chinn started his television career with his own show. It was called World Café Asia and aired on TLC. For the second season, named World Café Middle East, Bobby won an award. He was named "Best Entertainment Presenter" at the Asia Television Awards in 2007.

Today, Bobby Chinn is a regular judge on MBC's Top Chef Middle East.

Cookbook Author

Bobby Chinn wrote a cookbook called Wild Wild East: Recipes & Stories from Vietnam. It was released in 2007. The book is a guide to Vietnamese food. It also shares stories about Bobby's adventures in Vietnam. Famous chef Anthony Bourdain wrote in the book's introduction. He said that Bobby knows almost everything about Southeast Asian food.

Ambassador Roles

Bobby Chinn has also served as an ambassador for important causes:

• In 2012, he became a WWF Ambassador for Sustainable Seafood. He helped raise awareness about eating seafood responsibly. This helps protect ocean environments and fish populations.
• In 2014, he was named Tourism Ambassador for Vietnam in Europe.
• In 2021, he became a Goodwill Ambassador for the Naomi Tami Memorial Fund.