Mai Pham

Chef-owner, Lemon Grass Restaurant and Star Ginger; Sacramento, CA

Mai Pham is the chef-owner of the nationally acclaimed Lemon Grass Restaurant and Star Ginger in Sacramento, CA. A recognized expert on Asian cuisine, she is known for her fresh Southeast Asian cuisine featuring the bright flavors of Vietnam, Thailand, and beyond. She has hosted Vietnam: My Country, My Kitchen on the Food Network and authored Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table. That cookbook received a James Beard Award nomination and was named among the best cookbook titles in 2001 by The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. She has also authored The Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking, which was featured on NPR’s Fresh Air and in Martha Stewart Living. Her newest book, Flavors of Asia, a collaboration with The Culinary Institute of America, features the best recipes from seven countries in Asia. In recent years, Mai has partnered with campus, corporate, healthcare, and government dining entities to launch Star Ginger outposts, which feature on-trend Southeast Asian flavors, from hearty authentic Thai curries and grilled meats to fresh, flavorful Vietnamese noodle soups and salads, among others. Born in Saigon and raised in Vietnam and Thailand, Mai worked as a television journalist for various ABC News affiliates and later as a speechwriter for a California governor before returning to her love of food and cooking. (Sacramento, CA)