Today we’d like to introduce you to Phi Nguyen.
Phi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My family is in the Nail Salon business so my first trade was learning the family business and I was working in the salon at an early age. I hated doing nails with a passion and decided to try something new. One of the nail clients suggested I work as a server in a Japanese restaurant since I had personable skills that can translate to serving. I quit the next day and started working as a server at Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse in Winchester, VA in 2001 The owner asked me 2 weeks in if I would be interested in training to be a hibachi chef. At the time, I was in awe of the showmanship of the chefs and how cool flipping the knives and joking with the customers was, but I didn’t have any of those juggling skills or cooking for that matter, so I turned down the offer. About one month in the Head chef and a few other chefs really gave us servers a hard time and were being such snobs and looked down on the servers. I got really mad at the way they were treating us, so I talked to the owner and told him I would like to train to be a chef with the intention of climbing the ranks and take the head chef’s job. For the next year, I had to work as a busboy and dishwasher and trained cooking on my breaks, and practice my juggling at home on my own time. After earning my stripes and working my way up in the kitchen, I finally made chef and was given the blue chef hat. That was when Chef Blue began. After another year, I made Head Chef of the restaurant. What started as something different turned into something I really enjoyed doing. Cooking and performing for the guests was really really fun! I decided I needed to feed my skills by learning more from more masters. My chance came when I was recruited by a restaurant in Rome, Italy called Ginza Gold. They saw my YouTube videos (blu3ninjava is my YouTube channel) and needed someone like me to help grow their restaurant. So, I accepted the job and flew out to Italy to train the style of European Hibachi. While in Italy, I was able to move to Milan and Sweden to learn for a few months to learn from other master and vastly improved my cooking skills and showmanship. Upon returning to the states, I continued to feed my skills by traveling the country absorbing from as many great chefs as I can, working in California, Washington, Texas, Louisiana, Michigan, Indianapolis, and somewhere during those tours I was invited by Rachael Ray to appear on the Rachael Ray show in New York. https://www.rachaelrayshow.com/video/incredible-hibachi-tricks
I was called back to Virginia as my Master had opened another Steakhouse and wanted me to run that one for him. Owing him everything as he gave me my start and skills, I returned back to Virginia to fulfill 2 years to help get his restaurant off the ground. Once completed, I was once again recruited by a company in Bryon Bay, Australia to come work for them. I was eager to learn from chefs down under so I took the job and spent a year traveling the outback and learning many different versions of hibachi cooking down under. After returning back to the States, I settled in California with my then-girlfriend, my wife now, and decided we need to settle down and stop traveling so much. I took a cushy job as a head chef at Kobe Japan in Pleasant Hill, CA. I was able to build up the restaurant so well that after 3 years, the owner opened up a second location and made me a partner. I was promoted to GM/Part owner and continue to work there for many years.
In late 2019 my father who lives in North Carolina became gravely ill and being the oldest of 3 kids, it was my duty to be close to him and help. So, at this point, we packed everything up, gave up the business, and moved my wife and 2 kids to North Carolina. Shortly after Covid hit and as we all know, it killed the restaurant industry. My father who after a few successful surgery needed much time off so I stopped cooking and helped run the family nail salon. After covid, nothing was the same, and once my father recovered and was close to full health, I started searching for a local chef job. Restaurants weren’t really hiring or paying anything close to before. So, I decided I would start a Mobile Hibachi Business. The concept is really simply, instead of people having to drive to the restaurant and wait for a table and play the roulette game of are you going to get the fun chef or the boring chef, we will bring the restaurant to you. And I mean bring the restaurant to you as we are a full-service company. We bring the commercial-size hibachi grill just like in the restaurant, tables, chairs, linens, plates, chopsticks, etc… and of course, an amazing fun experienced veteran chef. So, our clients can now enjoy the hibachi experience in the comfort of their own home or venue. Our food quality is so much better, and you are guaranteed a fun chef each time.
It was a really scary beginning for us as the first month, we had only 3 bookings, but after the 2nd month, we were averaging 15 bookings a month in 2021. In 2022 was broke every record set in 2021 and I had to expand to having as second truck and a second chef to help keep up. We were average 23 bookings a month.
YouTube channel MR. BEAST heard of us and actually had us on one of the episodes, and we got to appear and cook on the channel and it has over 134 millions view! we are around the 5 min mark
Another YouTuber FvFamily also had us out for their son’s birthday, and that one garnered over 8 millions view
Lamelo Ball, star basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets FYI, is a big hibachi lover, and we were lucky to be the chef of his 21st birthday party; we cooked on the rooftop of his penthouse, and I got to sit next to him while we played poker! I’ve been back to cook for LaMelo’s girlfriend Anna Montana as well, and they will have us out whenever they have the craving of private hibachi.
Our prices are definitely premium. But there are private chefs popping up almost every month now and can offer much lower prices; however, we pride ourselves in being the best, with the best food, service, and chef, and we know there are clients out there who want the best. So, we decided instead of lowering the bar by lowering the prices, we will continue to raise it for those that want it.
For 2023 we still enjoy and love what we do, but hope we can expand to the food truck side for special events and hopefully, one day have a brick-and-mortar. Now with a total of 4 kids, I’m working on spending more time at home, and hopefully one day, I can train my replacement to take over!!!
That’s all I got for now!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The struggles was the first month of not making enough to pay the bills; I ended up selling my prize possession, my BMW motorcycle, to make ends meet. Once the ball got rolling it was learning the business and all that entails. We made a lot of mistakes but learned from them. Continuing to learn. But without the support of my wife working behind the scenes, it would have never been possible. One of the things I was not prepared for was the hours a day sitting in front the of the computer, answering questions, sending quotes, finding clients through posts on social media, etc..etc..etc… I never knew how much time was spent typing away and sometimes for nothing.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We collaborate with companies all the time. Wine companies holding a tasting menu and we would pair our food with their wines. We working with wedding venues for people who want a hibachi reception or wedding. We work with party planners who come in and set up, and we handle the food. We donate all the time to our local first responders and feed them for free. We volunteer and cook for our local sheriff’s office to help feed them. We do charity events where most recently we fed the guests free of charge as they did the ribbon cutting for an Addiction ministry. We donate 1,400 gift certificates to fundraisers for auction, we raised over 4k for an Ovarian cancer fundraiser. We support local schools and make donations, and we always when we can play in charity golf tournaments and sponsor those events. The community was what helped grow our business and we NEVER ever shy away from supporting our community and heroes like our police and firefighters.
Pricing:
- 80-120 per person depending on menu
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hibachichefblue.com
- Instagram: @hibachichefblue
- Facebook: @hibachichefblue
- Twitter: @hibachichefblue
- Youtube: blu3ninjava
Teresa Wood
June 30, 2023 at 9:39 pm
I love following this story. I had the pleasure of serving Chef Blue and his family at Hendough. Hats off to you sir for doing what you love and loving what you do!