Two times James Beard Nominated, Tony J. Nguyen is a second-generation Vietnamese-American born and raised in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Hospitality Management, and after working in New York restaurants for two years, he returned to Houston in 2014 to open Wokker TX Ranger, a food truck serving Asian-Texan fare. In 2017, Nguyen became chef and partner at Saigon House Midtown where he revamped the menu to include experimental versions of his mother’s traditional Vietnamese recipes. In 2019, Saigon House made Thrillist’s list of Best 28 Vietnamese Restaurants in America and was named Best Vietnamese Restaurant and Best Pho by Houston Press. Nguyen received recognition as a 2022 James Beard Award for Best Chef, Texas, finalist and 2023 Outstanding Chef. He owns Saigon House FM1960 that serves Viet-Cajun fare.