Andrea Nguyen
Biography
Andrea Nguyen is a culinary bridge builder, leading authority on Asian cuisines, and award-winning author. She has written seven acclaimed cookbooks, including The Pho Cookbook and Ever-Green Vietnamese, which won awards from the James Beard Foundation and International Association of Culinary Professionals. Releasing in August 2026, her eight cookbook is Cooking Thai, a collaboration project with multi-Michelin starred chef Pim Techamuanvivit.
While studying at the University of Southern California and working as a bank auditor and then communication consultant, Andrea always found time to cook. She luckily was able to make a career of it. A former Saveur contributing editor and Cooking Light columnist, she has also contributed articles and developed recipes for Food & Wine, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. She resides in Santa Cruz, California, where she also publishes the Pass the Fish Sauce newsletter and Viet World Kitchen blog.
A curious cook and cookbook lover since the age of ten, Andrea is living a dream life that she could have never imagined when she and her family fled Vietnam in 1975.
Books
The Pho Cookbook (2017) explores the fascinating world of pho in modern Vietnamese history and culture, but through recipes. There are traditional long simmers to nod to Hanoi conventions, as well as pressure cooked pho. The book explores pho in its many guises — in soup, stir-fries, dumplings, sandwiches, and even cocktails. The Pho Cookbook won a 2018 James Beard Award winner.
Vietnamese Food Any Day (2019) liberates cooks from having to shop at Asian markets to make great Vietnamese food. The recipes all rely on supermarket ingredients. Beginner, intermediate, and experienced cooks have relied on the book to make tasty Viet food any time they want. During the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of people cooked through the entire book!
Ever-Green Vietnamese (2023) focuses on Viet cuisine’s plant-centric philosophies. The flexitarian, vegetable-packed recipes include accessible takes on classics like microwaved bánh cuốn, air-fried crispy chả giò imperial rolls, and shallow-fried bánh tôm sweet potato and shrimp cakes. The book invites cooks to craft beautiful, delicious food and eat healthily. In 2024, Ever-Green Vietnamese was a Beard Award finalist and won an International Association of Culinary Professionals award.