By
Luke Burbank
June 28, 2026 / 9:39 AM EDT
/ CBS News
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Only in America: The rise of Viet-Cajun cuisine
Chef Trong Nguyen came from Vietnam as a teenager in the 1980s, and discovered that the clean bright flavors of Vietnamese food he grew up with paired perfectly with, of all things, the earthy, smoky spice of Cajun cuisine.
TL;DRAI
Trong Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee from the 1980s, created Viet-Cajun cuisine by blending Vietnamese and Cajun flavors; the fusion has grown to hundreds of restaurants across Houston. The movement reflects how immigration continuously reshapes American culture: despite hostile reception, Vietnamese communities built a food movement that gained acceptance and transformed the culinary landscape.
451 words~2 min read
