Could Nashville Hot Chicken Taste Any Better? Chef Viet Pham Thinks So

How 'Iron Chef' champ and James Beard semifinalist won big by putting his own spin on a classic

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Published July 20, 2023

Chef Viet Pham at Pretty Bird Kitchen

Bonjwing Lee

As a child, chef Viet Pham was more interested in McDonald’s than his mother’s beef pho, the national dish of Vietnam, or banh xeo, sizzling crepes flavored with coconut milk, turmeric, pork, bean sprouts and herbs.

Born in a Malaysian refugee camp, Pham moved with his family to the suburbs of Chicago when he was 8 months old. Today, he owns four Nashville-style chicken restaurants called Pretty Bird in the Salt Lake City area. Pretty Bird was named one of the best fried chicken spots in America by USA Today and the best fried chicken in Utah by Food Network. Pham, a French-trained chef, defeated Bobby Flay twice on Iron Chef America.

Pham’s story begins after his parents left Vietnam by boat in 1978. They didn’t know if they could ever return home, so they named him “Viet” and his older brother “Nam.” It was a suggestion from his grandparents, who claimed, “That way, he’ll never forget his country.”

After arriving in America, the family settled in the suburbs of Chicago. For Pham, it wasn’t easy growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood. “We were bullied because of our name and our ethnicity,” he recalls. “I thought if we were like the other kids, we wouldn’t be picked on.”

That’s why he started eating at McDonald’s, hoping “I’d be just like them. The only time we could have McDonald’s was on Fridays, my parents’ payday.”

The family relocated again to the Bay Area in California, where his parents started a food truck catering business. “They woke up at 3:30 a.m. to prep, served breakfast and lunch to local businesses, went home and got ready for the next day,” Pham says. Watching his parents struggle encouraged him to study and work harder. “It shaped me for who I am. They came with nothing, didn’t know anybody,” he says. “Through hard work and perseverance, they made a living and supported us.”

Pretty Bird Hot Chicken

Bonjwing Lee

After a career in finance, he attended culinary school, training under award-winning chef Laurent Gras. After opening Forage in Salt Lake City, Pham won Food & Wine’s best chef award. It wasn’t until a Los Angeles chef introduced Pham to Nashville hot chicken that he discovered that chicken wasn’t just comfort food. “It blew my mind,” he recalls.

He developed his own take on the Southern classic, plying friends with tastes as he tweaked his recipe. “I had a portable electric turkey fryer in my Prius,” he says. “I’d drive to friends who owned bars and cooked for their staff in the back of a parking lot.”

Exterior of Pretty Bird Kitchen in Salt Lake City

Bonjwing Lee

Pham opened Pretty Bird in 2018, Salt Lake City’s first locally owned Nashville hot chicken restaurant, a teeny space of 525 square feet, growing to serve more than 800 people daily. A menu of just one fried chicken sandwich and a traditional fried chicken — served mild, medium, hot or blazing “hot behind,” a term from restaurants when someone behind you is carrying a hot item. “There’s a complexity to it,” says Pham, who blends all his spices. “It piques your senses and makes you want more.”

Pham feels fortunate to have a supportive group of friends and family believing in his passion for cooking. Despite obstacles and hard work, Pham has a positive attitude. “I find ways to get through problems and persevere. Optimism is the key to success,” he says. “It makes you happy.”

He met his wife, Alexis, a marketing professional, at an industry wine festival. “She runs the company,” he says, “and all I do is create, put the vision out there and train the staff.” Pham proudly cites giving his employees high pay and benefits at his four fast-casual restaurants, and he plans to continue expanding the business.

Chef Viet Pham with his family

Chef Viet Pham

His parents tell him they love his chicken and feel incredibly proud of their son. “They sacrificed so much to get here,” he says. “My parents worked all the way till their retirement. They see their legacy passing on through my brother and [me].”

When he’s not cooking, Pham enjoys nature walks and bike rides. He serves as a spokesperson for the International Rescue Committee, helping displaced refugees find job opportunities. The organization provides farmland for Sudanese and Asian refugees, enabling them to cultivate native foods and vegetables to sell at farmers markets.

“Growing up in America, every single person has an opportunity to do something for themselves and their community,” Pham says. “In Vietnam, my parents didn’t have opportunities, but here we have the freedom to go into whatever field we want. That’s what America is about, and that’s what makes me really proud to be an American.”

Share Your Experience: What’s your favorite all-American meal? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.