American guy married Vietnamese man, loves Vietnamese food

Clips of his Vietnamese culinary experiences posted by American Chad Richard Kubanoff (37 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) received "millions of views" on social networks.

On his personal page with nearly 700,000 followers and more than 25 million likes, Chad has caused excitement by posting many interesting clips of him cooking traditional Vietnamese dishes such as bitter melon soup stuffed with meat, grilled pork vermicelli, watercress soup, stir-fried pickles with eggs...

"I am a chef who loves Vietnam"

This chef also created another social media channel not long ago with the description: "I am a chef who loves Vietnam, but I don't speak well." He "treats" his fans to clips of him experiencing dishes and restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City and is greatly loved by Vietnamese people.

Chad is loved for his clips of Vietnamese culinary experiences.

Contacting Chad, the American chef said he felt happy and pleased when his channel received great attention from Vietnamese people over the past time. Expecting that his content would be viewed by foreigners, Chad was extremely surprised when the channel was also loved by Vietnamese people and overseas Vietnamese.

“Many Vietnamese people abroad feel homesick when watching the clip. But what I find most shocking and interesting is when first or second generation Vietnamese overseas tell me that I inspire them to connect with Vietnamese culture, making them feel proud of their roots,” chef My Thuat said. Chad said that when he moved to Vietnam to live and work, street culture was what he loved the most. For him, the convenience and simplicity of eating on the street is very interesting. Especially in a big city like Ho Chi Minh City, he always feels like he has to constantly explore to find a new dish, a new restaurant to try, because the cuisine here is extremely rich and diverse.

“If you ask me what my favorite Vietnamese dish is, it’s a really hard question for me because my favorite dish always changes, and they’re all delicious. I think Bun Bo Hue is a very special dish because it was the first one I had in Vietnam and it’s very different from the Vietnamese soups I’ve tried in the US.

I have never tried a soup with so many textures, I immediately loved it. I can say that my current favorite dishes are bun moc, mi Quang, banh canh ca loc and danh da cua… all of which can be found right here in Ho Chi Minh City,” Chad added.

Chad likes many Vietnamese dishes.

The American chef said that the cooking and eating clips of Vietnamese dishes that he shares not only help him gain more knowledge and skills about Vietnamese cuisine but also help him understand more about Vietnamese culture and life.

Be a Vietnamese son-in-law

Having been a professional chef since the age of 18, in 2008, Chad moved from Pennsylvania (USA) to Ho Chi Minh City to live and work as a chef.

Chad said chef Anthony Bourdain helped him see the beauty of Vietnam, especially its cuisine. It was curiosity and a thirst for adventure that brought him to Ho Chi Minh City.

“My parents were initially shocked and scared when I told them I was going to live in a country halfway around the world from the US. Most Americans of my parents’ generation only think of one thing when talking about Vietnam: war. My parents have visited many times over the years and completely understand why I like living here so much,” he said.

Chad's happy family.

Not only did he fall in love with Vietnamese cuisine, he also fell in love with a Vietnamese girl and officially got married in 2011. Before getting married, he quit his job and rode a motorbike across Vietnam with her, stopping in many provinces and cities and enjoying regional dishes.

In 2013, he and his wife returned to their homeland. In Pennsylvania, they opened a restaurant selling Vietnamese street food, which was loved by many diners. The website specializing in culinary writing, Eater, also introduced Chad's restaurant, Same Same.

At the end of 2022, because of the many ties of friendship with Vietnam, Chad and his wife and 3 children returned to Ho Chi Minh City to live and work, after more than 10 years living in the US.

Confiding in Thanh Nien , Ms. Thuy Kubanoff (Chad's wife) said that she and her husband feel happy and content with their current life. She supports her husband's love of Vietnamese cuisine, as well as working with him to build the happiness of their small family. She hopes that the whole family can live in Vietnam for a long time.

Chad said that in addition to continuing to produce more content about travel and cuisine, he also intends to open some small food stalls. The American chef's Vietnamese culinary journey will continue...

thanhnien.vn