Sean "Sonny" Nguyen

The Path

Dishwashing was Sean "Sonny" Nguyen’s entry point in 2007, and it placed him at the most basic end of the line, where rhythm, discipline, and clean execution matter as much as any technique farther up the pass. The career that followed reads less like a reinvention than a steady build, grounded in the practical knowledge that comes from seeing service from every angle. Since 2016, he has been chef-owner of DOMU in Florida and chef of Do It True (Xinyi) in Taipei, Taiwan, roles that mark both experience accumulated and work still in motion. That continuity matters in the kitchen. The early years gave him a full view of restaurant life: prep before service, the rush after doors open, and the reset once the last plate is cleared. That perspective still seems to shape the way Sean Nguyen approaches food now, with control that does not tip into rigidity and ambition that does not need excess.

The Work Today

"A dish that hits all parts of my palate. A balance of flavors between sweet, salty, spicy and sour." Sean’s standard is plainspoken, but it is exacting in the way it sets harmony above any single dominant note. The emphasis is on range, not just force. That kind of measure points to food built with contrast and structure, where different elements have to hold their place against one another. The expectation is clear: a dish should land complete, with each flavor contributing to the whole rather than competing for attention.

Signature

OG kimchi butter wings are Sean’s signature dish. The name carries the kind of direct identity that makes a dish easy to recognize and hard to confuse with anything else.

In Their Words “A dish that hits all parts of my palate. A balance of flavors between sweet, salty, spicy and sour.”