Bobby Chinn
"Pharaoh of Fine Dining in the Far East" — the chef who pioneered fine dining in Vietnam, Top Chef Middle East judge
Who is Bobby Chinn?
Bobby Chinn (born in New Zealand, of Egyptian-Chinese-English heritage) is an international chef who pioneered fine dining in Vietnam. He arrived in Vietnam in 1995 and opened Restaurant Bobby Chinn in Hanoi in 2001 — the first fine-dining restaurant to win the Five-Diamonds Award, hosting guests such as Bill Clinton and Bob Dylan. He is the author of "Wild Wild East" (2007) with a foreword by Anthony Bourdain, resident judge on MBC's Top Chef Middle East, and was appointed Tourism Ambassador for Vietnam to the EU in 2014.
Notable Quotes
“I accidentally became a chef, but I was born as a traveler.”
“My restaurant is not about money, I did not do it for the money. I was too stubborn and passionate to play that game.”
“Vietnamese food is an awakening. Fresh, light, healthy, contemporary with a lot of contrast.”
Advice
Passion must be real
"Speak it, live it, do it." Don't enter F&B unless you truly love food and people.
Learn from the very best
Bobby started from Hubert Keller's pantry. "When you learn from truly great people, you won't develop bad habits."
Master tradition before fusion
Many fusion dishes fail because the chef hasn't mastered the original. Be fluent in tradition before innovating.
Key Highlights
- ✓Pioneered fine dining in Vietnam: Restaurant Bobby Chinn (Hanoi, 2001) — Five-Diamonds Award
- ✓Author of "Wild Wild East" (2007) — foreword by Anthony Bourdain
- ✓Permanent judge on MBC's Top Chef Middle East; host of World Cafe, Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia
- ✓Tourism Ambassador for Vietnam to EU (2014); WWF Sustainable Seafood Ambassador (2012)
Biography
Bobby Chinn was born in New Zealand to a Chinese-American father and Egyptian mother. After careers on the New York stock exchange and in stand-up comedy, he returned to his passion for cooking, training at Elka Restaurant and Fleur de Lys in San Francisco under Hubert Keller. In 1995, he arrived in HCMC and opened his first restaurant Saigon Joe's. Moving to Hanoi, he opened Miro (1996), Red Onion (1997), and his flagship Restaurant Bobby Chinn (2001) — the fine dining establishment that paved the way for haute cuisine in Vietnam, winning "Best Restaurant," "Best Bar," and the Five-Diamonds Award. Guests included Bill Clinton and Bob Dylan. Anthony Bourdain wrote: "What Bobby doesn't know about Southeast Asian food is not worth knowing." He opened House of Ho in London's Soho, bringing modern Vietnamese cuisine to the world stage. He's a permanent judge on MBC's Top Chef Middle East, host of "World Cafe" and "Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia," and author of "Wild Wild East: Recipes & Stories from Vietnam."
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Articles & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
›Who is Bobby Chinn?
Bobby Chinn is an international chef of Egyptian-Chinese-English heritage, born in New Zealand. He came to Vietnam in 1995 and became the pioneer of fine dining in Hanoi with Restaurant Bobby Chinn (opened 2001) — winner of the Five-Diamonds Award, hosting guests like Bill Clinton and Bob Dylan.
›Is Restaurant Bobby Chinn in Hanoi still open?
Restaurant Bobby Chinn opened in Hanoi in 2001 as the fine-dining restaurant that pioneered Vietnam's high-end culinary scene. The original restaurant has since closed, but Bobby Chinn continues to influence Vietnam's F&B industry through TV, books and consulting.
›Does Bobby Chinn have a cookbook?
Bobby Chinn's most famous book is "Wild Wild East" (2007), for which Anthony Bourdain wrote the foreword. The book records his more-than-a-decade journey exploring Vietnamese and Southeast Asian cuisine.
›Is Bobby Chinn on TV?
Yes. Bobby Chinn is a resident judge on MBC's Top Chef Middle East and hosts "World Cafe" and "Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia". Anthony Bourdain once said: "What Bobby doesn't know about Southeast Asian cuisine isn't worth knowing."
›What has Bobby Chinn done for Vietnam?
Bobby Chinn was appointed Tourism Ambassador for Vietnam to the EU in 2014 and WWF Sustainable Seafood Ambassador in 2012. He plays an important role in promoting Vietnamese cuisine and tourism to the world.
Other Experts
Luke Nguyen
Vietnamese-Australian chef who brought Vietnamese cuisine to the world through 9 TV series and 5 cookbooks
Nguyễn Thị Kim Oanh
From Vietnam's first Miss Athletic to pioneering modern Vietnamese cuisine restaurant chains
Peter Cuong Franklin
Vietnamese-American chef who earned HCMC's first Michelin star — Anan Saigon at Cho Cu Market
Sam Tran
First Vietnamese female chef with a Michelin star — co-founder of Gia Hanoi
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