Viet Pham facts for kids

Viet Pham is a super talented chef! He even won the famous TV show Iron Chef America. He is known for his amazing cooking skills and creative dishes.

Viet Pham's Early Life

Viet Pham was born in 1979 in a refugee camp in Malaysia. His parents came from Vietnam during the Vietnam War. When he was just five months old, his family moved to the United States. He has lived there ever since.

Growing up, Viet sometimes felt different. He even tried to avoid eating traditional Asian foods. He thought eating American food, like hamburgers, would help him feel more "American."

Chef Viet Pham's Career Journey

Starting in the Kitchen

Viet Pham went to culinary school in San Francisco. After finishing school, he first worked with computer software. But his passion was cooking! His first chef job was at Casey's Irish Pub Downtown in 2006.

Later, he moved to Provo, Utah, to work at Spark Restaurant and Lounge. In 2009, Chef Pham opened his very own restaurant called Forage. He started Forage with another chef, Bowman Brown.

Awards and TV Shows

In 2011, Viet Pham received a big award. Food & Wine Magazine named him the "Best New Chef." This was a huge honor for his cooking.

In 2012, he became an Iron Chef America winner! He beat the famous Chef Bobby Flay on the show. He also appeared on another TV show called Extreme Chef.

Later, in 2018, he faced Chef Bobby Flay again. This time it was on the show Beat Bobby Flay. Guess what? Viet Pham won again!

Pretty Bird Hot Chicken

In 2016, his restaurant Forage closed down. Viet Pham and Bowman Brown decided to go their separate ways. Chef Pham then started a new and exciting project.

He opened a fast-casual restaurant called Pretty Bird Hot Chicken. It started in downtown Salt Lake City. This restaurant is famous for its delicious fried chicken. Pretty Bird has become very popular. By the end of 2022, it had expanded to four locations. These include the original spot, Sugar House, Midvale, and Park City.