With over 72,000 followers on Facebook, American chef Chad Kubanoff is a familiar face to many fans of Vietnamese cuisine. On his personal page, he frequently shares videos of himself manually preparing a wide array of traditional dishes such as banh mi, fresh spring rolls, banh hoi, banh xeo, and bun bo Hue. On one occasion, Chad even shocked internet users by attempting to cook field rat meat—a delicacy that not a few Vietnamese people themselves would dare to try.
Recently, Chad has drawn widespread attention once again by officially opening his very own banh mi shop in Ho Chi Minh City.
From Test Runs to an Official Banh Mi Shop
According to updates shared on his fanpage, Chad Kubanoff and his wife officially launched their banh mi shop on August 3 in the An Phu Hung residential area, Tan Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Prior to this, the couple held several pop-up banh mi events that garnered immense support from crowds of local and international customers alike.
Customers lining up to buy banh mi sold by Chef Chad
Notably, right on its official opening day, the shop quickly sold out. On his fanpage, an excited Chad Kubanoff shared, “We completely sold out in just two hours on our very first official opening day! A huge thank you to everyone who came out and bought banh mi today. The support has truly exceeded all expectations.”
Right on its official opening day, the shop quickly sold out within two hours
The American chef also had a message for those who missed out, letting them know the shop would reopen at 8:30 a.m. the following morning. During this initial phase, the shop is only preparing around 50 loaves of banh mi per day, operating from Monday through Thursday, and closing immediately once they run out. Customers are therefore encouraged to arrive early to secure their portions.
During the initial phase, the shop only serves around 50 loaves of banh mi per day
What delights many visitors is that almost all the ingredients are prepared by the couple from scratch. The filling features charcoal-grilled meat prepared entirely by Chad himself. The piping hot slices of meat are freshly cut and tucked straight into the bread alongside pickled vegetables, scallions, and cilantro.
Almost all ingredients are prepared by the couple from scratch
In his uploaded videos, the American chef handles operations with remarkable skill and agility. While swiftly grilling meat and assembling sandwiches, he constantly smiles, greets, and chats with his customers. The final result is a batch of banh mi with ultra-crispy crusts that many diners describe as irresistibly delicious.
After trying it out, one Vietnamese customer left a fairly detailed review: “I tried this banh mi, and here are my thoughts. Given the quality, the price of 70,000 VND is entirely justified. The meat is seasoned to perfection, tender, and carries a distinct smoky charcoal flavor. My wife, who is usually very picky about pickles, absolutely loved the shop’s pickled daikon and carrot. In my opinion, it would be even better if chili powder were sprinkled directly onto the meat instead of mixed into the sauce. By the time I reached about two-thirds of the sandwich, I found it a bit too salty, and the flavor of the meat overpowered the sauce. Overall, I give it an 8.5 out of 10 and am very eager to try more of his banh mi varieties and other fusion dishes.”
In the comment sections beneath his posts, many other customers have left glowing remarks praising the delicious banh mi, the fragrant meat, and the high quality.
A single banh mi is priced at 70,000 VND and was rated 8.5/10 by Vietnamese diners.
In reality, Chad Kubanoff is no stranger to the food community. A few years ago, he first drew attention with a humble self-introduction: “I am a chef who loves Vietnam, but I don’t speak it well.”
Since then, he has continuously shared videos exploring everyday dishes and modest local eateries across Ho Chi Minh City, quickly winning the affection of a vast Vietnamese audience.
The male chef continuously shares videos exploring everyday dishes and modest local eateries across Ho Chi Minh City
The American chef has expressed that he feels immensely joyful and happy to see his content embraced by the Vietnamese people. Initially, Chad only expected his videos to attract foreign viewers looking to learn about Vietnam. Therefore, he was utterly surprised to find that his largest viewership came from local Vietnamese and the overseas diaspora alike.
“Many Vietnamese living abroad say they feel homesick when watching my video content,” Chad once recounted. “But what surprised and touched me the most was when first- or second-generation overseas Vietnamese shared that I inspired them to reconnect with Vietnamese culture and feel prouder of their roots.”
According to Chad, ever since he moved to live and work in Vietnam, what he loves most is the street food culture. He is particularly impressed by the convenience, unpretentious charm, and incredible richness of roadside eateries.
“In a massive city like HCMC, I always feel like I have to keep exploring because there is constantly a new dish or a new spot to try. The culinary scene here is endlessly diverse.”
When asked about his favorite Vietnamese dish, Chad admitted it is a tough question because his “go-to favorite” is always changing. Bun bo Hue was the first dish he ate upon arriving in Vietnam, completely different from any Vietnamese soup he had tried back in the U.S. “I had never tasted a broth with so many layers of texture, and I fell in love with it almost instantly. Nowadays, my absolute favorites are bun moc, mi Quang, banh canh ca loc, and banh da cua. The wonderful thing is that you can easily find all of them right here in HCMC,” Chad shared.
For Chad, filming cooking videos and experiencing Vietnamese dishes not only helps him build his culinary knowledge and skills but also deepens his understanding of Vietnamese culture and daily life.
Filming cooking videos and experiencing Vietnamese dishes helps Chad build his culinary knowledge and skills
From an American Chef to a Man Devoted to Vietnam
Falling in love with the culinary arts at the age of 18, Chad Kubanoff—hailing from Pennsylvania, USA—relocated to Ho Chi Minh City to live and work as a chef in 2008. He credits the late chef Anthony Bourdain with inspiring him to discover the beauty of Vietnam, particularly its gastronomy. Sheer curiosity and a deep desire for adventure brought him to HCMC.
Initially, Chad’s parents were shocked and worried upon learning he wanted to move to a country on the opposite side of the planet. “To many Americans of my parents’ generation, mentioning Vietnam only brought to mind war. But after visiting me multiple times, they completely understood why I love life here so much,” he shared.
Beyond his passion for Vietnamese cuisine, Chad also found his other half in Vietnam. He married his wife, Thuy, in 2011. Before tying the knot, the couple quit their jobs and rode a motorcycle across Vietnam together, stopping through numerous provinces to explore and taste local specialties.
In 2013, Chad and his wife moved back to Pennsylvania, USA, to settle down. There, they opened “Same Same,” a restaurant specializing in Vietnamese street food that received glowing reviews from diners. The restaurant was even featured by the renowned food publication Eater.
By late 2022, after spending over a decade living in the U.S., Chad, his wife, and their three children decided to return to Ho Chi Minh City, driven by their enduring love for Vietnam.
Chef Chad Kubanoff and his wife
Thuy Kubanoff shared that the entire family is happy with their current life. She fully supports her husband’s passion for Vietnamese cuisine and hopes the family will remain rooted in Vietnam for many years to come. As for Chad, alongside running his shop, he intends to keep producing travel and food content to spread his love for Vietnamese cuisine to every household.
Photo source: Yes Chef, with Chad Kubanoff.
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