FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. — Haley Nguy?n wears many hats.

Educator. Mom. Tour guide.

But these days, the chef’s toque is the most prominent. She recently opened Xanh Bistro, her second restaurant venture. Saigon Grille in Irvine was the first in Southern California.

Her food has gotten rave reviews from diners writing on blogs - success she attributes to her early days. She shared with Nguoi Viet 2 some of her background and the secrets of her success,

NV2: I’d like to know about your beginnings, and what you remember about life before coming to the States.

Nguy?n: I grew up in a humble but happy small town called Di An. I remember being so obsessed with food all the time, maybe because we had so little back then. The food market was something I missed most after we migrated to Albany, Ind., in 1975; I was 13 at the time, and was fascinated with new foodstuff like hamburgers, pizza, etc. I especially liked French fries quite a bit.

NV2: At what point did you decide to pursue culinary art professionally? What was your path before?

Nguy?n: After migrating to the U.S., my life took a different path. I pursued a career in business administration, but cooking was always a passion. Even in college at Indiana University in Bloomington, my friends and I used to cook Spam 10 different ways in our dorm rooms and thought of ways to spice up instant noodle soup.

I worked in business management for about two years. I didn’t last very long. Then I decided I wanted to travel, and so I became a flight attendant for about eight years. But, you know, even when I was a flight attendant, or working in business, I was always cooking and letting people taste. One day after several years of working in the corporate world, I just decided to open a restaurant in Boulder, Colo. I named the restaurant Annam Café, and started my life as a culinarian.

NV2: What culinary program were you enrolled in and what year did you start training?

Nguy?n: Since eating and cooking is an obsession for me, I think my training has to be from people who cook for me and feed me. From my grandmother to friends and neighbors, someone is always teaching me how to cook. When I went and opened my first restaurant, I started to talking to a lot of Vietnamese people and cooking with them much more. Technically, I had no formal training until after I moved to California, when I started to travel back to Vietnam to train under different chefs.

NV2: How did you get involved in teaching at The Art Institute of California — Orange County? What kinds of Vietnamese foods do you teach students to make?

Nguy?n: Culinary education happened accidentally; one of my customers liked my food and suggested that I should teach Vietnamese cooking in a small cooking school in Boulder. After moving to Southern California, I continued to teach at several different culinary schools, one of which was The Art Institute of California.

Generally, I teach very simple stuff in beginning. If it is an advanced class, I go on to teach — not complicated —but more involved dishes. I always try to stick to traditional dishes to keep it authentic… things like bánh xèo and cá kho. I emphasize really working with ingredients like nu?c m?m. Giving someone a recipe without getting them to taste the nu?c m?m in the first place is pointless. Also, in my classes, I take students out to eat… because unless you’re immersed and more familiar with the people and the culture, it is very difficult to visualize the food.

NV2: What do you find are some common misconceptions about Vietnamese food?

Nguy?n: People usually don’t have misconceptions. It’s more like they just don’t know what to think about it. They’ve heard of it, but don’t know what it’s supposed to be. Vietnamese food is getting more and more well known, but there is still a general population out there that has no clue as to what it’s like. It’s almost like talking about something very high tech to me. I wouldn’t even be able to imagine.

NV2: Tell me about EastWest Cooks, your endeavor that leads culinary and cultural journeys through Southeast Asia

Nguy?n: To supplement my courses in Asian cooking, I lead culinary tours to Southeast Asia, with emphasis on Vietnam. The idea came up when students would ask me about the possibility of my leading a culinary (trip). People were interested in travel to Vietnam. Plus, these culinary expeditions are not just about the food, but also about the people and the land that come with it. Once people know, they actually love it.

I do two trips a year, with anywhere from six to about 20 people. One tour is usually for students, and those are with a bigger group and cheaper… because we don’t stay at luxury hotels. On average, it is about $3,500 to $3,700 per person, per trip.

NV2: Give us an overview of the Xanh’s menu, and the type of cuisine you want to offer.

Nguy?n: Like its name, the theme of the restaurant is ""health and hope."" It is authentic Vietnamese food with an international dessert menu. I’m bringing back traditional dishes that have been forgotten over the years. For example, canh bí r? và tôm tuoi, or rau lu?c ch?m chao. These are simple and delicious country dishes that soothe the soul, not to mention the health benefit they offer.

For dessert, Vietnamese typically have chè xôi. … So I put together a dessert menu that’s not really French, but not exactly Vietnamese. We have bread pudding (which is about as American as you can get), but I add an Asian twist by pairing it with tamarind sauce. There’s crème brulée, which is French, but I add coconut flavor. There’s chocolate soufflé… very American… flavored with hibiscus tea… very Spanish. I don’t care for fusion foods per se, but the desserts for me are just more fun.

NV2: Finally, what do you cook for yourself at home when you have the time?

Nguy?n: Between teaching, raising kids and leading tours, I often eat standing up. It’s in my blood, though, and so I’m grateful that I get to do what I love. I cook simple food at home and, thanks to my three sons, every meal is a celebration around our house even when the dish isn’t up to par.