​Growing up in Vietnam with limited resources, Trong Nguyen was largely self-taught, learning the foundations of cooking from his grandmother at an early age. Those early influences shaped not only his palate, but his understanding of food as comfort, culture, and connection.

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After immigrating to the United States, Chef Trong spent over three decades building a successful career in the casino industry, eventually serving as a Director of Marketing. While excelling professionally, his passion for cooking never faded. He studied techniques from high-end restaurants, learned from accomplished chefs, and refined his craft in every spare moment.

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Driven by purpose rather than security, Chef Trong left the corporate world to pursue his dream of opening a restaurant. A decade later, he is the Executive Chef and Owner of Crawfish & Noodles, one of Houston’s most recognized destinations for Viet-Cajun cuisine.

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A Global Culinary Voice

Chef Trong is credited with helping define the Viet-Cajun crawfish movement, bringing bold garlic butter flavors and his signature twist on salt & pepper blue crabs to a new generation of food lovers.

His work has been featured on:

• Netflix

• Food Network

• Travel Channel

• CBS

• PBS

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And recognized by global brands and publications including:

• United Airlines

• Singapore Airlines

• People Magazine

• Condé Nast

• American Express

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Through these platforms, Chef Trong has helped introduce Viet-Cajun cuisine to a global audience while keeping Houston at the center of the story.

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Recognition & Honors

• James Beard Award Semifinalist (2018, 2019)

• James Beard Award Finalist (2020)

• Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants (Multiple Years)

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His impact goes beyond awards. It lives in the tables filled with friends, families, and food lovers sharing crawfish by the pound.

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His Greatest Accomplishment

For Chef Trong, success is not measured in press features or accolades. It’s measured in memory.

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Bringing people together through food — giving guests something meaningful to remember long after the meal is over — remains his proudest achievement.

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“Time goes by too fast, and life is too short. I want people to look back at this restaurant with a positive memory and smile.”