Paul B. Kennedy has worked in the restaurant industry for 30 years - bringing delicious meals and welcoming environments together to create fond memories. Paul studied hotel management and received a degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University. He then moved to New York where he established himself in the restaurant world while honing a passion for writing and photography. In 2018, with only a backpack and a sense of adventure, Paul headed off to Vietnam. He has traveled extensively around the country ever since, documenting Vietnamese food culture and capturing its flavours. In addition to writing, cooking and traveling, Paul is passionate about teaching and volunteers his time to help others learn and grow. This is his first cookbook.
"""Ever since I was a child, I've always believed that you are able to learn, understand and appreciate another country's culture through their food....Paul Kennedy's tireless research and love for the Vietnamese culture and it's cuisine is inspiring on many levels."" --Chef Gaby Maeda; Food and Wine Magazine -- Best New Chef James Beard Winner -- Rising Star Chef of the Year ""From rice pyramid dumplings and salted egg chicken to taro pudding, Paul Kennedy explores the street food, heritage cuisine, colonial influences and hybrid dishes that make up Vietnam's multi-layered culinary landscape. Illuminated by detailed photography and peppered with sage local proverbs and insights into cultural practices, this tribute is both a delicious cookbook and essential destination primer for curious foodies and thoughtful travelers."" --Susan Kurosawa; Associate Travel Editor, The Weekend Australian ""Paul B. Kennedy's Vietnamese Food and Food Culture is a portal to an authentic culinary experience. Spiced with proverbs, cultural insights, fascinating facts, and gorgeous photography, the book is as much a coffee table showpiece as a working cookbook, offering a wide range of dishes from the north to the south of the country [...] Highly recommended."" --Andrew X. Pham; Author of Catfish and Mandala and The Eaves of Heaven ""Paul Kennedy has created an experiential journey of Vietnamese culture that could only otherwise be replicated through travel and immersing oneself in Vietnam for years. [hellip;] This book is written for anyone with a serious interest in food, jam packed with flavor and history told through the lens of a well-travelled, passionate chef."" --Chef Tony Messina; James Beard Winner -- Best Chef of the Northeast"