i. Biography
Tony Nguyen is Executive Chef at ANQI in Costa Mesa, California, with Vietnamese family roots running through a practice shaped by precision and a clear point of view. His work is the bright, memorable heat of H-Town Bang crawfish, a dish that earned accolades in Houston and showed how flavor can carry memory as well as technique.
Coming Up
Technical training at the Culinary Institute of America gave Nguyen a kitchen framework built on pace, discipline, and exacting execution. That foundation later carried into restaurants with distinct identities, including Crustacean Beverly Hills and ANQI, where the demands of service meet the need for a recognizable culinary signature. Vietnamese family roots remain present in the structure of Nguyen’s cooking, not as backdrop but as an active influence. That lineage gives shape to the work, and it is part of what gives H-Town Bang crawfish its weight: a dish with enough force to earn accolades in Houston and enough character to signal a chef’s confidence in his own register.
Where They Are Now
At ANQI, Nguyen’s role sits at the center of the kitchen’s daily rhythm. The work combines formal training with inherited culinary memory, resulting in a style that values texture, balance, and dishes designed to stay with the diner after the plate is cleared.
Signature
Tony's signature dishes include H-Town Bang crawfish. The dish has the kind of name that announces its energy, and its Houston accolades make clear why it is notable in his body of work. As a signature, it points to a kitchen voice that can place familiarity and surprise on the same plate.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Tony
What is Tony Nguyen's current role?
As of 2026, Tony Nguyen is Executive Chef.
Where did Tony Nguyen train or study?
Tony Nguyen trained at Culinary Institute of America.
