Hung Huynh, born in Saigon, Vietnam, was first introduced to the culinary craft at the age of 10, under his mother’s guidance at the family’s Asian restaurant in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. By the time Huynh was in high school, he was cooking at one of the most prestigious luxury hotels in the country, Wheatleigh Hotel.

Unable to afford culinary school, Huynh took a job in Puerto Rico at a teppanyaki restaurant, entertaining customers with a phony Asian accent and dazzling knife skills.  His performances ultimately paid off — he secured a position at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico which funded his education at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA.)

After graduating from the CIA in 2002, Huynh worked his way through many of Manhattan's top kitchens including Lespinasse under the legendary Christian Delourvier and Thomas Keller’s Per Se. In 2006, he moved to Las Vegas to help open the iconic, three Michelin starred Guy Savoy. In 2007, on a whim, Huynh attended an open casting call for Bravo TV's reality cooking showTop Chef, ultimately winning the title of Top Chef against 15 hand-selected culinary professionals from around the country.

Since then, Huynh has continued to travel around the world, actively cultivating his knowledge of all different types of cuisines and cultures. In 2011, he became Executive Chef of CATCH in the Meatpacking District. His globally-inspired seafood restaurant became a international brand under his direction, with four more locations opening worldwide including in Dubai and Playa del Carmen. In 2013, he opened a modern Asian restaurant with the same group, housed in a multi-concept property on the Lower East Side.

In 2015, Huynh left behind the successful empire he help build in order to pursue other passions and goals. His ultimate goal is to revolutionize the way restaurants, farmers, cooks, and communities are integrated for the benefit of all.

Hung Huynh has been featured in top publications around the country, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, People, New York Magazine, New York Post, and New York Daily News. Huynh has made numerous television appearances including The Today Show Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, NBC New York Live, Food Network’s Chopped All-Stars, and the Cooking Channel’s Robert Earl’s Be My Guest.

AWARDS

Top Chef Winner, 2007, Bravo TV’s Top Chef

Best Fish Award, 2008, Bocuse d’Or

Judge on Beat Bobby Flay

On Chopped All-stars