Nikki Tran is a Vietnamese American chef specializing in Vietnamese- Cajun "Viejun" fusion cuisine. [1] [2] [3] [4] Born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Tran owns Kậu Ba in Houston and Kậu Ba Quán in Ho Chi Minh City. [5] [6] Her interpretation of Vietnamese cuisine draws on Cajun influences from her time in Houston, including a Cajun crawfish boil using freshwater prawns. [1] Tran was featured in the TV series Ugly Delicious [7] and Somebody Feed Phil. [8] [9] [10]
Tran moved to Houston in the 2000s, where she worked as a "manufacturing technician at a chip provider". [11] While living in Houston, she was introduced to Vietnamese-Cajun crawfish, which she decided she wanted to introduce to Ho Chi Minh City. [11]
Tran opened Kậu Ba in 2013, without any professional culinary experience. On the restaurant's opening night, the chef she hired did not show, and Tran took over the kitchen herself. [11]
In 2018, Tran opened a second restaurant in Houston, Kau Ba Kitchen in Montrose. [3] [11]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tran returned to Vietnam to care for her parents. She returned to Houston in 2024. [11]
Nikki Tran is a Vietnamese American chef specializing in Vietnamese- Cajun "Viejun" fusion cuisine. [1] [2] [3] [4] Born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Tran owns Kậu Ba in Houston and Kậu Ba Quán in Ho Chi Minh City. [5] [6] Her interpretation of Vietnamese cuisine draws on Cajun influences from her time in Houston, including a Cajun crawfish boil using freshwater prawns. [1] Tran was featured in the TV series Ugly Delicious [7] and Somebody Feed Phil. [8] [9] [10]
Tran moved to Houston in the 2000s, where she worked as a "manufacturing technician at a chip provider". [11] While living in Houston, she was introduced to Vietnamese-Cajun crawfish, which she decided she wanted to introduce to Ho Chi Minh City. [11]
Tran opened Kậu Ba in 2013, without any professional culinary experience. On the restaurant's opening night, the chef she hired did not show, and Tran took over the kitchen herself. [11]
In 2018, Tran opened a second restaurant in Houston, Kau Ba Kitchen in Montrose. [3] [11]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tran returned to Vietnam to care for her parents. She returned to Houston in 2024. [11]