Vietnamese chef Thu Pham Buser is making waves in New York City with her traveling dining series “An Co” (Feast), celebrating the diversity of traditional Vietnamese ceremonial cuisine across the North, Central, and South regions.

Each “An Co” event features a unique menu, showcasing carefully curated specialties prepared with meticulous craftsmanship.

In the heart of America, diners can enjoy Central Vietnam’s cao lau noodles, a mountain-inspired spread of grilled chicken, bamboo sticky rice, wild vegetables, and grilled pork sausage with mac mat leaves, or a coastal seafood feast with lau tha hotpot and herring rolls.

The Mekong Delta banquet, often sold out in advance, tempts guests with dishes like straw-grilled frog, tamarind crab, chicken and rambutan salad, and bun ken noodles.

Chef Thu Pham sources key ingredients directly from Vietnam, relying on friends and family to transport them to the U.S.

For her debut “An Co” event, she imported the iconic Hoi An noodles - soaked in ash water to achieve their golden hue and chewy texture - to recreate the authentic cao lau flavor of her homeland.

When hosting the mountain-region feast, she even ordered over 100 bamboo tubes and regional spices from Vietnam.

“I know that for many guests, this might be their first time tasting these specialties or ingredients. That’s why I feel responsible for presenting the most authentic version of Vietnamese cuisine,” she shared with New York Eater.
The Vietnamese chef brought authentic Hoi An noodles to the U.S. for her cao lau dish.
Grilled chicken, bamboo rice, and pork sausage with mac mat leaves - mountain specialties presented in the U.S.

Although importing ingredients from Vietnam is costly, the chef remains committed to authenticity.

Thu Pham also incorporates traditional techniques into her feasts - from vegetable carving to the art of layered jellies - skills she learned from her mother, a former restaurateur in Ho Chi Minh City.

In 2025 alone, Chef Thu Pham has hosted two “An Co” events: one recreating the nostalgic flavors of old Saigon and another highlighting Vietnam’s coastal cuisine.

At the Saigon-inspired event, guests savored grilled goat in fermented tofu (chao), shaking pork with green mango and chili, slow-braised herbal duck noodles, and jasmine-lychee ice cream reminiscent of childhood treats.

Dessert featured hand-churned jasmine-lychee ice cream, elegantly plated yet nostalgic.

In August, due to overwhelming demand, the “An Co” event extended its schedule from one to five days.

That session featured coastal delicacies such as green pepper-grilled fish, squid pancakes, seaweed salad, bun quay noodles, and desserts like jackfruit ice cream and coconut cake.

ăn cỗ mâm cỗ đặc sản tại mỹ
The duck noodle soup dish captivates diners with its rich herbal broth.
Diners enjoy the hand-crafted ice cream served with a modern touch.
The coastal feast dazzled guests with a variety of seafood specialties.

Bun quay, a famous dish from Phu Quoc, involves vigorous “stirring” at multiple stages - from mixing fish paste to preparing the noodles and sauces. Guests even get to perform the “quay” motion themselves when making dipping sauce.

Chef Thu Pham’s “An Co” follows a pop-up dining model, hosting limited-run feasts for several days or weeks in select venues - from gardens and mobile stalls to upscale restaurants. Marketing is largely driven by social media.

Launched in July 2023, “An Co” has since held seven sold-out events, each reinventing its menu and setting every few months.

The series has garnered glowing reviews from U.S. media outlets for its authenticity and artistry.

Linh Trang – Trong Nghia