Curated Cuisine: Nini Nguyen’s “Đặc Biệt” brings extra special flair to Vietnamese recipes

Curated Cuisine is a monthly WBUR CitySpace series examining all things edible, from the chefs cooking the food to the writers reviewing the recipes. Meet the people shaping the food industry, both local and national and enjoy a post-show bite inspired by the conversation.

New Orleans-based chef Nini Nguyen has developed her own version of the Vietnamese cuisine her grandmother taught her. Growing up in the land of gumbo and po-boys, and then later working in Michelin-starred restaurants like Coquette and Eleven Madison Park in New York City, Nguyen has incorporated an inspiring menagerie of ingredients and flair into a new book, “Đặc Biệt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook.” The “Top Chef: All-Stars” alum describes the term “đặc biệt” in Vietnamese culture as something special and luxurious or, more specifically in her cooking, adding something a little extra. 

Join Darryl C. Murphy, host of The Common, for a conversation with Nguyen about “đặc biệt” and see a demonstration of her unique cooking skills live on stage. Copies of the book will be available for purchase from our bookstore partner Brookline Booksmith. Nguyen will sign copies and guests will enjoy a cabbage and chicken salad and corn milk from the book following the conversation.

This event is produced in partnership with New England Culinary Arts Training.

About “Đặc Biệt”

A collection of contemporary, extra-special Vietnamese recipes, from beloved classics like Hanoi-Style Vermicelli with Grilled Pork and three variations of phở, to dishes with a New Orleans twist, like Southeast Asian Jambalaya and Sticky Fried Shrimp Bánh Mì — from “Top Chef” contestant and acclaimed chef Nini Nguyen.

In Vietnamese culture, to be “đặc biệt” is to be special and luxurious, or, as chef and cooking instructor Nini Nguyen puts it, it means adding something a little extra, like salty caviar on top of squid-stuffed pork, a surprise note of ginger and lime in a dipping sauce or sautéing shaking beef in farm-fresh butter for a creamy, delectable experience. Born and raised in New Orleans by Vietnamese immigrants, Nini gives us recipes that fuse the best of Vietnamese and New Orleans cooking and clear directions on how to prepare and arrange them, making for a flavorful, unforgettable experience that proves that being a little extra is easy and just right.

“Đặc Biệt” includes one hundred delicious and vibrant recipes that celebrate the essential flavors of Vietnam — salty, sour, bitter, spicy, and sweet — and the bright and perfectly balanced dishes they create.

Here are recipes for: charbroiled oysters in chili butter * Viet-Cajun seafood Boil * phở with everything * crispy fish sauce–caramel chicken wings * broken rice with pork chops and eggs * crispy noodles covered in a saucy stir-fry * BBQ pork ribs glazed with roasted nước mắm sauce * coconut crispy rice crepes * and many more.

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