Tuệ “Tway Da Bae” Nguyễn is ready to serve elevated versions of homestyle Vietnamese recipes to LA.
LA ’s “ Restaurant Row ” just got a new snazzy accession . La Cienega Blvd , where nightlife and food interlock with idealistic mouthful and live music , is one of the most sought after blocks in Los Angeles for any chef . And now , it ’s home to ĐiĐi , a high - remainder Vietnamese restaurant born from the culinary talents ofchef and Tiktok star “ Tway Da Bae ” Tuệ Nguyễn .
At 25 yr old , Nguyễn put her cultural desktop , visibility from the digital worldly concern , and acquirement for craft tasty dishes into a pipe dream coaction with the leading life style corporate in Los Angeles , H.wood . Known for Bootsy Bellows , Delilah , Harriet ’s , Poppy , Shorebar , and more . H.wood holding are quintessential Los Angeles night life spots that showcase the loudness - and - glamor that makes everything in West Hollywood feel like a picture .
Located next to the pop nightclub Poppy , ĐiĐi ’s outside has laidback countryside appeal with far - out coastal fronts and nods to the regal Saigon - metropolis centre of Nguyễn ’s domicile country , Vietnam . The sunshine - yellow wooden exterior flanked by two Indochinese tigers facing off with one another opens to an interior affirming that Nguyễn ’s dreams were actualized here .
Photo courtesy of ĐiĐi
Nguyễn worked with designer John Sofio to create an interior that reflects how vivacious Vietnam and its food is . A green floral wallpaper traverse the roof and amber luminousness fixture installed on pillars perfectly spotlight the plush navy blue and red - piped booths . A beam wooden taproom border by blood-red flowered wallpaper is visually spectacular and is pore as the instant of ĐiĐi . Nearby are table with chairs placed on top of beautiful model roofing tile . Underneath whirling tropical rooter , these seat sit down across from paneled windows that open up to the street . There ’s also a swank , individual VIP segment in the back next to the kitchen .
“ I desire people to vibrate with this place so much because we really captured the essence of Vietnam and translate it into a restaurant . As much as I get laid the history of Vietnam , I experience like no one who was uncover to modern - solar day Vietnam talks about how beautiful [ it is ] and [ how ] far we have get , ” aver Nguyễn .
The same can be say about Nguyễn ’s fruitful culinary career . She take off her Instagram five twelvemonth ago , gaining popularity during the pandemic by sharing simple recipe TV of Vietnamese family dishes . Everything was history from there , as her virality allow for more visibleness of Vietnamese finish and helped to educate many followers over the years . She even traveled to Vietnam doubly last year and took some of her followers with her on a unavowed research stumble to love local culinary art and show them and the H.wood group ( back in Los Angeles ) parts of Vietnam that are unknown to many .
“ I was study the food there with strangers and convey their view , ” says Nguyễn .
Her personality on Tiktok and Instagram is likewise all about sharing , inform , and exposing others to her civilization . She set out a shortsighted form series called “ Under building '' where she charter her followers on the journeying of ĐiĐi ’s creation . From October 2022 at 755 N La Cienega Blvd , the uninventive beige skeleton of an eatery is transform into a lavish locus .
“ I have been kind of rolling this whole cognitive process outon social mediafrom ĐiĐi ’s research and development to the space ’s three-D rendering and article of furniture , ” says Nguyễn .
Photo courtesy of ĐiĐi
Opening on July 20 , the next nocturnal ( 6 postmortem examination to 2 am ) epicure blank space - to - be will introduce a gastronomy level of Vietnamese culinary art to West Hollywood .
“ My favorite dish right now is our Bo Tai Chanh , ” says Nguyễn . “ It is Vietnam ’s beef carpaccio but in simple footing , I basically accept a bowl of pho and put it into the carpaccio . ”The effete dish is an herb salad with mint , cilantro , Thai St. Basil the Great , onions , and spiced beef fat drizzled on top with a fresh squeeze of lime succus .
“ I wanted to take home - y formula and produce lofty versions of them because I want people to not see Vietnamese food in a cheap way and bet past the idea of Pho and Banh Mis , ” says Nguyễn .
Bo Tai Chanh|Photo courtesy of ĐiĐi
To do this , however , takes time . hone some of the menu ’s dishes and producing enough for a dining room is a beast of an assignment , which Nguyễn has recruited her family to facilitate with . Together they create a dinner menu that invest the same have sex authenticity found in Vietnamese mom - and - pop plates into a sumptuosity setting with epicure ingredients and formula to lionize Southeast Asian cuisine and its balanced flavor profile . With 25 dishes , such as Pisces sauce - flavored Chicken Wing appetiser , a Pandan or Tamarind cocktail , a Whole Fried Thai Snapper with a touch sauce called Tway Ploy , and a Vietnamese Coffee Crumble , the highest - priced smasher is Kevin ’s Pho , which serves two and features sliced wagyu gripe .
“ My stepdad , Kevin , came in to instruct the chef what I believe is going to be the star of the menu — his pho , ” says Nguyễn . “ It takes 6 to 12 60 minutes to make , and we needed him to come in because I was n’t go to partake in that recipe publicly , and he is such a perfectionist at heart . ”
Nguyễn seems to have utilize her stepdad ’s perfectionist tendencies to build ĐiĐi ’s frontline as well .
Whole Fried Thai Snapper|Photo courtesy of ĐiĐi
“ rent staff was a difficult process , and we went through so many people , but the team we have now I trust so much that they got me when I needed them too , ” says Nguyễn .
Applying this degree of guardianship and commitment to every aspect of ĐiĐi has resulted in a union between the beauty of the distance and the quality of the food that feels conversant yet accentuated .
Always honoring her culture , Nguyễn chose the name ĐiĐi because it is both easy to say and is Vietnamese for “ permit ’s go , ” which , if you ’re looking to prove the next treasure in LA , is sound advice .
Kevin’s Pho|Photo courtesy of ĐiĐi
