Celebrated Chef Kimmy Tang is widely considered a pioneer in Asian fusion cuisine with over three decades of culinary experience. Tang was born and raised in Saigon and was first introduced to the culinary arts at an early age. She learned how to prepare traditional Vietnamese dishes because her mother would insisted that she prepare her own meals stating, “…You never know when it will come in handy”.
By the age of nine, Tang was already a celebrated chef who after school would set up a little kitchen to create and sell her wonderful culinary creations to children in the neighborhood. This would become Chef Tang’s first successful venture despite the fact that she allowed her customers to pay with toy money!
After the fall of Saigon in 1975, the Tangs lost everything and tried to flee Vietnam. Finally in 1986, after a seven-month detour in a Filipino refugee camp, the Tang family arrived to Bakersfield, California.
Now safely in the US, Tang went to work in a Chinese restaurant while attending night classes to learn English. After relocating to Los Angeles, Chef Tang perfected her culinary training in a popular Japanese restaurant and simultaneously pursued a fashion designing degree. Upon graduating, Chef Tang decided to combine her culinary and cooking passions by designing and opening the celebrated Michelia Asian Bistro.
Eager to unleash her culinary and creative talents, Chef Kimmy used Michelia to feature foods inspired by old Chinese and Vietnamese recipes while incorporating French cooking techniques to soothe Southern California tastes. This wonderful culinary blend “wowed” critics from the L.A. Times, Los Angeles Magazine and many others earning Chef Tang a 25 food rating in the Zagat Survey!
Longing to explore the world and perfect her culinary skills, Chef Tang sold Michelia in 2008 and started a journey to discover and study traditional recipes from Greece, Hungary, Spain, Romania, France, Italy, Germany, and also from her home country of Vietnam. This served to expand her cooking repertoire even further.
In summer of 2009, inspired by her time abroad, Chef Tang opened her first pho restaurant, 9021Pho in Beverly Hills. 9021Pho catered to the health conscious food-lover, featuring Asian recipes with French influences and a California inspired flair. Following the success of Beverly Hills, Chef Tang opened a second location in Westlake Village, California in 2010. Followed by Glendale and Sherman Oaks locations in 2011 and Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood in 2013.
In 2015, after she sold her interests in 9021Pho, Chef Tang takes another sabbatical and on this occasion she dedicates her time to writing, publishing the “Kimmy Tang’s Asian-Fusion Lenten Cuisine” her first book in a series of three. In addition to writing, she embarked yet again in a new culinary “discovery” tour. On this occasion she travelled through Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Czech Republic, China and Japan.
Upon her return to USA, Chef Tang opened a new gastronomic venture, Bistro Mon Cheri in Pasadena, California with a menu largely inspired by her travels abroad.
Hollywood’s elite cannot get enough of Chef Tang’s healthy approach to Vietnamese cooking. Mega stars Jackie Chan, Collin Farrell, Larry King, Mickey Rourke and Sofia Vergara make up Chef Tang’s fan base!
Finally, Kimmy’s deep sense of compassion for people and her deep desire to help children are her cornerstones. Chef Tang dedicates the rest of her time to charitable activities, especially children’s charities such as the Blue Heron Foundation, Casa Pacifica, Children’s Hospital, and the Special Olympics. It is now her mission in life to help children whenever and however possible.
Currently Chef Kimmy Tang holds a Nutrition and Wellness Consultant Certificate from the American Fitness Professionals & Associates
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