“Pro” Hue dishes in the heart of America

Diners belove the Moon Rabbit’s crab thick-noodle soup

From Finance Master to Master Chef

Kevin Tien was born and raised in Louisiana (USA), a first-generation Vietnamese-American in a large family. Initially, his career path had nothing to do with food. Tien studied finance, then earned a master’s degree in statistics and worked as an engineer and data analyst in the technology sector. Despite having a stable job with a good salary, earning nearly $150,000 a year almost 10 years ago, he soon realized his heart no longer belonged to “computer screens.”

“I worked part-time in various restaurant positions to cover tuition, and that’s when I felt the joy of transforming ingredients into dishes,” shared Kevin Tien.

This career shift wasn’t easy, as he had to leave a secure career to follow his passion. Yet, these courageous steps laid the foundation for his later success in the culinary field. Kevin Tien made a name for himself with restaurant projects like Himitsu in Washington, D.C., which made Bon Appétit’s top 50 best restaurants in America. He was honored by Food & Wine as one of “America’s 10 Best New Chefs” in 2018. He also appeared on famous television shows like Iron Chef and Chopped. Notably, he has been nominated four times for the James Beard Foundation Award - one of the most prestigious and respected awards in American cuisine, often compared to the “Oscars of the culinary world.”

When I shared that what impressed me most - enough to fly thousands of miles to meet him - was his “title” as a Master’s degree-holding chef, Kevin laughed heartily and explained that when starting his business, he had no investors and didn’t borrow from banks. All operating capital came from his personal savings from his previous job. His family, especially his mother, who had restaurant experience, and his girlfriend (later his wife), who also worked part-time in restaurants and understood the hours and pressures of the profession, fully supported him. This companionship became the foundation helping Kevin move forward confidently.

One easily noticeable difference at Moon Rabbit restaurant in the administrative center of the U.S. capital is the absence of pho or banh mi - the “iconic” dishes people typically think of when Vietnam is mentioned. Instead, Kevin chose to “blend and reimagine” Vietnamese cuisine to elevate it to a new level.

Enjoying “Pro” Hue dishes

Kevin only visited Vietnam for the first time in 2024 and toured many cities, including Hanoi, Hoi An, Da Nang, Phu Quoc... He was amazed by the development of the fine dining scene in Vietnam and harbors the ambition that when his son grows up, he might return to open a restaurant in Vietnam, not immediately, but when the time is right.

Chef Kevin Tien was featured in a famous American food magazine

When he learned I came from Hue Ancient Capital, Vietnam’s culinary capital, Kevin became even more excited because he was planning to visit there on his second trip to Vietnam. He loves the dishes from there and wants to elevate many common Hue street foods into delicacies with a fine dining style at his restaurant.

Kevin enthusiastically introduced two Hue dishes he painstakingly researched and created, which I’ve temporarily named “pro” Huế dishes for their sophistication, premium quality, and sky-high prices.

Banh beo, traditionally associated with Hue’s rustic image, instead of the traditional rice flour and shrimp filling, he kept the spirit of “banh beo” but transformed it with freshness. This dish evolved into “Water Fern Rice Cake” with added heirloom melon, fresh cucumber, creating coolness and modernity, elevating ingredient value, with traditional dipping sauce maintaining Vietnamese identity, accented with herbal mint bringing a cool taste and fruit sweetness from pineapple, and with crispy candied pumpkin seeds, dotted with Nori seaweed, hinting at an Asian-Japanese style.

Perhaps all of this created a refined taste experience, and at just $19 per serving, it transformed the “common Hue banh beo” into a truly “pro” high-end experience.

The second dish is “Sweet Potato & Crab,” which Kevin calls bun rieu cua or banh canh cua - a rustic dish with banh canh noodles and crab roe that has been “reborn.” Sweet potato tapioca gnocchi replaces the noodles, combined with tomato sauce and grilled crab roe. The highlight is Maryland jumbo lump crab meat, a premium crab meat, bringing the price per serving up to $30, which is 4.5 times more expensive than typical Vietnamese restaurants in America.

With these dishes, Kevin Tien not only introduces Vietnamese cuisine to international diners but also affirms a new approach, elevating traditional Ancient Capital Hue cuisine through creativity, premium local ingredients, and modern presentation style.

Perhaps, Kevin Tien is not just a chef making food but also a bridge connecting Vietnamese-American cultures through creative dishes, as proof of a pioneering spirit and aspiration to rise. And Moon Rabbit in the heart of the U.S. capital is not just a restaurant but a place that tells the Vietnamese culinary story in a way the world can appreciate - with a modern, sophisticated, and passionate voice.