The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen 480 - Can You Scale Culture Without Losing Authenticity? - Viet Nguyen
Mar 18, 2026
Viet Nguyen, founder of KEI Concepts and James Beard Award semi-finalist who built a major Southern California restaurant group. He talks about launching Qua in Little Saigon and why Chinese cuisine matters to his roots. He describes the Qua culinary experiment, balancing data with daring menu moves, and the grind of scaling a hospitality business to a large, consistent group.
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Team Validation From National Recognition
- Viet Nguyen frames the James Beard semi-finalist recognition as validation of his team's long-term dedication rather than a solo achievement.
- He emphasizes the award spotlights Little Saigon and the community investment behind NEP Cafe's rise.
Choosing To Reinvest Big In Little Saigon
- Viet invested heavily in Little Saigon, spending nearly $20 million across the plaza and over $1 million on the Qua build-out to commit to the community.
- He views reinvesting locally as a responsibility because Little Saigon enabled his success and private capital has been moving away.
Personal Roots Drive Culinary Direction
- Viet's family history ties to Chinese migration in Vietnam inspired Qua and his focus on Chinese cuisine as part of his identity.
- Growing up in Saigon's Chinese quarters made Chinese food more formative than Vietnamese for him.
