In 2021, Nguyen Ba Phuoc (Fuku Nguyen) is the first Vietnamese and the 9th foreigner to receive the Taste of Japan gold badge awarded by the Japanese Government.

Has been the family chef since childhood.

Nguyen Ba Phuoc was born in 1992 in a farming family in Son Tay (Hanoi). Phuoc's family has a tradition of men in the kitchen. From his grandfather, uncles and Phuoc's father, all are the main chefs in the family.

At the age of 6, Phuoc began to be taught how to cook simple dishes by his father. Whenever his parents and siblings were busy with farm work, little Phuoc was often "assigned" to come home first to cook for the whole family.

At first, Phuoc was very uncomfortable with having to cook rice. But when he discovered that if he cooked rice, he wouldn't have to do other chores, and people praised his cooking, he eagerly "rolled" into the kitchen to show off his skills. In middle school, Phuoc became the main chef in the family kitchen.

Phuoc’s passion for cooking grew with the years. “I wanted to become an actor, but my father said, ‘You’ll never starve if you cook,’ so I went to culinary school after finishing high school,” Phuoc recalls.

After graduating from a culinary school, Phuoc went to work and was exposed to Japanese food. “I was fascinated by the quintessence of Japanese culinary art. I really wanted to learn, but that field was too new, and no one in Hanoi taught it. So I decided to go to Japan to learn about their traditional cuisine to satisfy my passion for discovery,” Phuoc said.

In 2015, after convincing his family to let him go to school and preparing enough money, Phuoc packed his bags and set off to study abroad in the land of cherry blossoms.

“I am one of the first generation of Vietnamese people to go to Japan to learn cooking. I had to discover everything myself. There were times when I took the wrong path, but in the end I created a path to lead the next generation to follow in my footsteps,” Phuoc proudly recounted about his 10 years of hard work to become a senior chef of traditional Japanese cuisine.

Mr. Tomisawa - Ambassador of Japanese culinary culture, is the teacher who has the most influence on Phuoc's culinary style and thinking.

Twice wanted to give up

To save time and money, Phuoc tries to learn quickly and firmly grasp the basic knowledge of Japanese language and culture. This 9X always wants to learn to cook as soon as possible.

Normally, foreigners who come here have to spend 2 years learning the language and culture before they can learn to cook. But Phuoc only needed 1 year to become the best student in the Japanese department, qualified to go to vocational school.

The 9X recalled that tuition alone cost him 300 million VND/year - a huge amount for someone from a farming family like Phuoc. "Just when I was about to give up because I didn't have enough money to study culinary arts, and was about to apply for another university, I received a 100% scholarship from Hokuta Bunka Culinary Academy," Phuoc recalled.

This is the first scholarship the academy has awarded to a foreign student who has knowledge and passion for Japanese culture and wants to pursue a career as a chef.

As the only foreigner studying traditional Japanese cuisine, Phuoc always received "special" treatment. "The teacher told me: whether the Japanese students succeed or not is their business. As for me, having traveled 10,000km to come here, I must not forget my original goal of becoming a chef," Phuoc said.

However, despite being an excellent student in Japanese language and culture, he was shocked when he entered his first semester of his major: "In the first semester, I studied 16 subjects, but I failed 5 of them. The school threatened to cut my scholarship if my academic results could not improve."

“If you tried hard but still failed, there are only two reasons. One is that your efforts were not enough. Two is that your efforts were done in the wrong way. You should reconsider and start over.” The principal’s words when Phuoc was so discouraged and wanted to give up made him realize.

Overcoming all language barriers, Phuoc gradually adapted to the rigorous training process. 9X graduated with honors from the Academy. 9X is the first Vietnamese to become a traditional Japanese culinary chef, receiving a national chef's degree in 2018.

“Three elements create traditional high-class Japanese cuisine: Respecting the pure inherent flavor of ingredients, diverse, fresh and seasonal foods; Low-fat processing, balanced nutrition and good for health; Decoration recreating the natural beauty of ingredients, the rotation of the four seasons in food presentation,” Phuoc said.

Thanks to the strict training process of the teachers, Phuoc now confidently affirms that an ordinary Japanese chef cannot understand traditional Japanese cuisine as deeply as he does.

10 years of hard work

The more he is exposed to good chefs and the culinary elite, the bigger Phuoc's goal becomes. The 9X Vietnamese is determined to become a head chef in a traditional Japanese kitchen.

“But before becoming a head chef, to be assigned to work in a Japanese kitchen, I had to really ‘work hard’ to achieve it,” Phuoc said.

Every day, Phuoc diligently works from 6am to 11pm. There are days when he works 18-20 hours and has to sleep at the restaurant. The 9X does not hesitate to do everything in the kitchen from cleaning, washing utensils, preparing everything for his seniors to get ready for the new day's work.

Phuoc always kept in mind that he had to try his best to overcome the prejudice that foreigners would find it difficult to successfully pursue traditional Japanese culinary arts.

Being able to cut open a tuna is a testament to the Vietnamese man's tireless efforts, something that very few foreign chefs can do.

In 2019, Phuoc had the opportunity to slaughter tuna in Japan for the first time. Before that, even though he had time off to slaughter tuna, Phuoc still asked to go to work, throwing himself into everything to have the opportunity to learn and gain experience from those who went before him.

Being left-handed, Phuoc had to practice every day to be able to hold a fish knife with his right hand. “For more than a year, I had to practice using my right hand for even the smallest daily activities such as brushing my teeth, holding chopsticks, etc., to holding kitchen utensils. I took advantage of practicing my right hand during breaks so that it would not affect my work.”

Phuoc’s training and daily efforts have been recognized by the strict and demanding Japanese chefs. After just over a year in the kitchen, Phuoc was able to hold a knife to cut tuna, something that takes normal chefs 5 years to do. That proves that Phuoc has put in many times more effort than the average person.

In 2018, Phuoc was awarded the title of outstanding citizen of Muroran City, Hokkaido. He appeared in newspapers, on television... as an example of a typical Vietnamese chef in Japan.

Recalling the time from graduating from the culinary academy to being recognized as a traditional Japanese cuisine chef, Phuoc still "shudders".

“Those were truly ‘horrifying’ memories. Everyone wondered where I got the energy to work so hard and still be so cheerful. The desire to become a traditional Japanese chef was so great that it was the motivation that helped me do things that I can’t do now,” Phuoc recalled.

Go to return

Phuoc spent 3-5 years mastering the skills in traditional Japanese cooking, but it took nearly 10 years to understand and find the soul of culinary art and be recognized. Through a long process of hard training, Phuoc's efforts have gradually helped him shine.

In 2021, Phuoc was nominated to participate in the competition and won the gold badge of the Taste of Japan program - the most prestigious award for foreign chefs cooking traditional Japanese dishes.

“Achieving the gold badge means that I am recognized by the Japanese government and people. Those who pursue traditional Japanese cuisine take me as their motivation and spiritual support, which is what I am most proud of,” Phuoc said.

Vietnamese lotus and traditional Japanese food, a delicate combination of two cultures.

Not stopping there, Phuoc continues to do in-depth research on traditional Japanese cuisine. He hopes to have the opportunity to help young Vietnamese people who are passionate about cooking and want to become chefs in Japan. Phuoc is always ready to recommend and support them in applying for scholarships, so that no one has to find their own way out like he did before.

After 10 years of hard work abroad, earning hundreds of millions of dong each month, Phuoc still decided to return to Vietnam.

9X opened a high-end restaurant introducing traditional Japanese culinary art, also a way to show gratitude to the Japanese culinary masters who have devotedly taught him over the years.

“10 years ago, I took a path that no one had taken but had a clear destination. I went to return. I always longed to return to my homeland, to pursue the path I had chosen from the beginning: to become a chef of traditional Japanese cuisine,” Phuoc said.

Photo: Character provided

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