Passionate about cooking, I was born in Da Lat, Vietnam. An upper, fertile mountain town, which is mostly known for its agriculture. I grew up in a culture where food is an important part of our daily lives. Vietnamese cuisine is very sophisticated. Century-old dishes, spices and cooking skills have been influenced by the Chinese and French. I grew up in a world of Buddha, simplicity, natural materials and raw materials, lots of fresh herbs, diverse flavors, great diversity of street food, creativity and ingenuity. The basis for my passion for food was therefore certainly already born here. Professional cooking started for me when I started working in the kitchen in our family business in Holland as a young teenager, under the guidance of my mother and aunt. They taught me traditional Vietnamese cooking skills. The cooking profession interested me immediately. I began to combine flavors, discover proportions and raw materials. The family business grew into an Asian franchise take away concept with several a la carte restaurants in addition. Among them also a Japanese restaurant. This is where I first came into contact with sushi. After years of learning and working in different restaurants and with different types of kitchens and chefs, I built up my experience. I have held various positions, from kitchen assistant to head chef. I also have a lot of experience in starting a restaurant or catering business. I have co-built several businesses and trained kitchen teams.