Meet the Only Chef to Beat Bobby Flay Twice

Viet Pham doesn’t just bring heat to the kitchen — or to the fried chicken at his restaurant — he’s the only chef ever to beat Bobby Flay not once but twice in head-to-head culinary competition. His victories on Iron Chef America and Beat Bobby Flay have cemented his legacy as one of the most innovative chefs to compete on Food Network.

But his journey to the upper echelon of the culinary world didn’t begin in a kitchen. Viet was born in a refugee camp in Malaysia, and immigrated to the U.S. when he was just 7 months old. Spending his formative years in California, the first-generation Vietnamese-American chef gives major props to his parents for their sacrifices that shaped the man he is today — both personally and professionally.

Whether he’s competing for culinary crowns or reinventing fried chicken, Viet is always cooking at the highest level possible or, as he puts it, “cooking from within” — always chasing perfection.

VIET: My parents’ sacrifice afforded me lots of opportunity as a first-generation Vietnamese American. Their journey and sacrifice taught me to be resilient, resourceful, compassionate and grateful — qualities that have shaped me into who I am today as a person, a chef and a leader.

Though Viet started his career in finance, he soon realized that world couldn’t fulfill his creative energy. Cooking, however, gave him a purpose and a place to use his imagination — a way to feed people and make them happy.

(Pictured: ground lamb roasted in onion ash and spring onions.)

VIET: I [was] always very creative growing up and have always had a wild imagination. It wasn’t until I focused on careers that did not satisfy my creativity that I was able to find my medium, and that was in cooking. Not only now does cooking allow me to expand on my imagination and creativity, but it also allows me the ability to feed people and make them happy — something that finance was never able to provide me.

VIET: It was never a specific meal or a fond food memory that made me realize my calling. Rather, as a kid, I loved watching cooking shows. I watched all sorts of cooking shows on PBS as a kid, and I think that was the true driving force and inspiration for me to become a cook.

VIET: Having the distinction of being Food & Wine's Best New Chef was the most profound recognition that I had ever received in my career as a chef. Once a young cook, I dreamed of this moment many times. As a Best New Chef, it has opened up so many opportunities for me, and it also got me recognized by Food Network. But, most importantly, it validated all of my sacrifices to be where I was at that time. It was one of the most special times in my life because now I was part of a very special family consisting of some of the best chefs in the country.

Viet holds a rare title in the world of competitive cooking: He’s the only competitor to beat Bobby Flay head-to-head multiple times. He first took down the acclaimed chef back in 2013 on Iron Chef America and again in 2018 on Beat Bobby Flay.

Viet beat Bobby on Iron Chef America with an unforgettable lineup of dishes, including beef fat ice cream with a ground beef cocoa crumble, a lamb sausage coated in green bean ash and a soft-scrambled eggs Benedict with sausage — all crafted around the challenge’s secret ingredient: ground meat.

Then, he did it again on Season 16 of Beat Bobby Flay, going head-to-head in a Nashville hot chicken challenge.

VIET: When I was younger, I remembered the original Iron Chef Japan would air on Fridays. It was a day I looked forward to most because, as a family, my parents would get takeout, we would sit together, watch Iron Chef Japan and cheer on the contestants.

Fast forward: After getting Best New Chef [by Food & Wine], I was invited to compete on Iron Chef America. As you can imagine, this was a dream come true but also one of the scariest moments in my life. What made it special was that I had my mom and dad in the audience watching me. In that moment, it was never about winning or losing. It was about honoring my parents and their sacrifices, which gave me the opportunity to be standing in Kitchen Stadium next to Bobby Flay.

Viet later achieved another impressive feat in 2022 when he took down The Titans on the first season of Bobby’s Triple Threat — a team comprised of three outstanding chefs in the industry: Michael Voltaggio, Tiffany Derry and Brooke Williamson.

After Bobby — or, technically, his team — fell once again to Viet’s quick, innovative cooking, Bobby said: “You know what, Viet? I’ll tell you this: We’re tired of you winning.”

Viet first appeared on Food Network in 2012 on Extreme Chef, where he placed second. Since then, he has become a familiar face on the channel, with appearances in more than a dozen shows. From Food Network Star and Guy’s Grocery Games to Iron Chef Eats, Kitchen Inferno and Supermarket Stakeout, he’s competed against — and alongside — some of the biggest names in the culinary space. Most recently, he returned to the spotlight on House of Knives, where he once again proved that pressure only sharpens his edge.

VIET: Early on in my cooking career, I was always taught to put my head down and work. This taught me discipline and what hard work meant. Going into cooking competitions, I approach it with a very similar mindset. I also put forth a lot of trust in my abilities and to stick with what I know at the time and not veer off that path. It also helps that I’m able to work extremely well under pressure!

VIET: Competing on House of Knives was very much different from other competitions that I’ve done because I wasn’t an early-on competitor. I was brought on later in the game to “stir up the pot.” I felt incredibly honored that I was considered good enough to be brought in to cook among such seasoned veterans, but also to come in with fresh energy and have the opportunity to win the game with only a few cooks versus the number of cooks that each ongoing contestant had already done. It was fun, fresh and exciting, to say the least!

VIET: My biggest takeaway from working with some of the most incredible chefs and cooks was to be humble and embrace humility. In an industry that is fueled by huge egos, it is important to be humble because when you are humble, you are more open to learning, which is paramount in this industry. After cutting my teeth in fine dining for so many years, I knew that I wanted to shift gears and focus on something that was simple and fun.

Fast forward: I started Pretty Bird. From a business perspective and my finance background, I knew that coming up with a scalable concept would be far more financially rewarding.

Today, Viet lives in Utah with his wife, Alexis, and runs Pretty Bird, a growing fast-casual spot known for Nashville-style hot chicken. The restaurant has four locations across the state — two in Salt Lake City, one in Midvale and one in Park City.

"We now have four stores in Utah, and my wife, Alexis, our incredible team and I are working hard every day to improve, grow and provide the best food and experience to our guests, all while incorporating my fine-dining foundation into everything we do." —Chef Viet Pham

VIET: As we approach our eighth year, we are focused on growth and improving our systems and operations. My active mind is always fiddling around with new ideas and concepts. One of the things I’m most excited about is a new menu item called a Pretty Q sandwich. It incorporates all the things I love and is all Americana — fried chicken and BBQ. You’ll have to tune in to @prettybirdchicken if you want to know more!

VIET: The JBF (James Beard Foundation) nominations have been great. They gave me validation that I was on the right path and that I was able to stand tall among my fellow chef peers. They have [also] boosted my restaurants into notoriety.