Brian Nguyen, Cohort 60

Brian always loved cooking but lacked the confidence to believe he could
pursue a culinary career. A series of part-time jobs working in restaurants led
him to NECAT, where he hoped to advance his professional skills and build
the foundation for a successful culinary career.

While the classes and subject matter came easily to him, the commute from
Malden to Roxbury did not, but he showed up for himself every day and put
100% of his energy into his training. “Chef Chris pushed me really hard, I hate
baking, so he made me bake almost every day,” he said. “He always had faith
in me to get to get it done, and that helped me believe in myself”.

During his NECAT training he took a part-time job working at the popular
Vietnamese restaurant, Le Madeline, where he went on to become Sous Chef.
At Le Madeline, Brian gets to flex his culinary muscles, creating innovative
specials and menu items.

Brian believes in paying it forward and sharing lessons learned with current
NECAT students and has visited to share his journey and his success is an
inspiration.