Chef Tu
Chef Tu’s Vietnamese-California cuisine began garnering press and accolades, first in 2016 with his weekly pop up dinners “AN – a Vietnamese Dining Experience.”; then in 2017 San Francisco Chronicle named him Rising Star Chef. In 2019, he was a featured contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 15 and invited to host ABC’s Taste Buds: Chefsgiving which was nominated for a James Beard Award.
As a first generation Vietnamese-American, food justice comes naturally to Chef Tu, who finds opportunities to use the medium of food as a vessel for meaningful work from cooking with incarcerated men in San Quentin; to being a community ambassador in Oakland working with Asian Health Services and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. Tu’s involvement with food recovery and the Zero-Waste Movement is something else he got from his mother: During the Vietnam War, when supplies were rationed, she learned, out of necessity, that corn silk could be dried and used as tea or toasted, deep-fried, or sautéed to serve with rice. Chef Tu not only applies these Zero Waste principles in his own kitchen, he is a James Beard Smart Catch Leader, recognized for promoting the use of sustainable seafood options; and an avid teacher, sharing the riches and lessons of his birthright through food.
There’s something unique and delightful about Vietnamese coffee. Here in the Bay Area, we’re immersed in a cultural melting pot where you can find an Italian style Espresso on one street corner, and across the street find Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Earlier this year, our very own Luigi Di Ruocco jumped on a video call with Chef Tu David Phu, the Bay Area Chef known for his unique brand of Vietnamese-California cuisine.
In the video below, Chef Tu demonstrates his own Vietnamese Coffee recipes; the Traditional Ca Phe Sua, the Vietnamese Cold Brew, and the Vietnamese Egg Coffee. You can see the full breakdown of Chef Tu’s recipes on our recipes page!
Recipes by Chef Tu
Traditional Vietnamese Coffee | Cà Phê Sua
Our thanks to Chef Tu for adapting this Cà Phê Sua recipe using our Dark French Roast. We developed this darker roasted French Roast especially for our friends and clients in the Bay Area's Vietnamese community. This coffee is darker than dark, perfect for traditional coffee brewed with a Phin (...)
Vietnamese Egg Coffee | CÀ PHÊ TRỨNG
Cà phê trứng, Vietnamese egg coffee, is made by beating an egg yolk with sweetened condensed milk until it makes an airy, creamy, meringue-like fluff. Chef Tu says he thinks it's better than traditional Vietnamese Coffee (...)
Vietnamese Matcha Coffee | Cà Phê Matcha
While Cà Phê Sua brought preserved milk (condensed milk) to Vietnamese coffee culture, this recipe goes a step further with the addition of matcha. Cà Phê Matcha brings a beautiful, earthiness that makes traditional Vietnamese Coffee less aggressive (...)
Iced Ube Mocha Latte
A Chef David Tu x Mr, Espresso Recipe. Ube has sweetness, similar to its sweet potato cousins, with a green tea earthiness and hints of vanilla. It goes well with sweets and also has an amazing ability to mask bitterness, making it a natural pairing for chocolate and coffee(...) ⠀
VIETNAMESE COCONUT COLD BREW
This Coconut Cold Brew by Chef Tu is a favorite for a hot summer day, tangy barbecue dishes, a hot, spicy meal, or anytime you need a treat (...)