Ngô Thanh Hòa Has His Life Story Written All Over Him
From MasterChef glory to a dragon and dove etched into his skin, he’s made a career of following his instincts, with a little ink to show for it
- From washing dishes in Sydney to winning the first season of MasterChef Vietnam at 40, Ngô Thanh Hòa took the scenic route to culinary success.
- His dragon and dove tattoos commemorate two defining chapters of his life, symbolizing freedom, ambition, family, and peace.
A late-blooming triumph
Ngô Thanh Hòa has had a long apprenticeship. He started cooking for his family at six, moved to Australia at 21, washed dishes, waited tables, worked in sales and restaurant management, and somehow found time to earn a Master’s degree in Marketing along the way.
After 18 years in Sydney, he returned to Vietnam to be closer to his parents, only to enter the first season of MasterChef Vietnam at 40 and win the whole thing.
Winning the title was the beginning of a second act. Hòa has since built his cooking around contemporary Vietnamese cuisine, taking the flavors he grew up with and giving them a cosmopolitan education. Fish sauce, tamarind, herbs, and chilli meet European technique earned from years spent on the other side of the kitchen pass.
Cooking with feeling
At East in Ho Chi Minh City, his open-kitchen concept puts that philosophy on display, while his “Cook With Love” mantra keeps the whole operation from becoming merely clever.
He has since taken his cooking abroad as a guest chef and culinary ambassador, proving that there’s no such thing as arriving late to the party if you bring your own menu.
Naturally, he commemorated the biggest chapter with a tattoo. The dragon he got after winning MasterChef is unlike the usual roaring, muscular sort. “It is more free-flowing, almost weightless,” he says, representing the freedom to rise above in the way he has always wanted to.
Then there’s the dove on his shoulder, combining his name with his father’s to form “Hoa Binh,” meaning peace. Between them, the tattoos read like a good life story in shorthand: ambition, family, freedom, and peace. Not bad for a man who spent years washing other people’s dishes before deciding to put his own name on the menu.
As seen in the pages of VMAN SEA 07: now available for purchase!
Photography and art direction Duke Winn
FashionFashionThe art and industry of designing, producing, and styling clothing, footwear, accessories, and beauty trends. It reflects cultural influences, personal expression, and evolving styles across seasons and markets.Go to Fashion Glossary Pham Minh Tri
Guest editor Dan Q. Dao
Words Lisa Le
Editor Dayne Aduna
GroomingGroomingThe care and maintenance of hair, skin, beard, and nails, including cleansing, shaving, styling, and scent. Once niche, men's grooming has grown into a major lifestyle category, and VMAN's VanityGo to Grooming Glossary Sol Team
FashionFashionThe art and industry of designing, producing, and styling clothing, footwear, accessories, and beauty trends. It reflects cultural influences, personal expression, and evolving styles across seasons and markets.Go to Fashion Glossary assistant Tyran Ng
Production Dory Mai and District One Studios
On location Oh Stoodiô
Frequently Asked Questions
Ngô Thanh Hòa is a Vietnamese chef and the winner of the first season of MasterChef Vietnam. He is known for his contemporary approach to Vietnamese cuisine and his work as a culinary ambassador.
After spending 18 years in Sydney, Australia, Hòa returned to Vietnam and joined the first season of MasterChef Vietnam at the age of 40, eventually winning the competition.
Hòa focuses on contemporary Vietnamese cuisine, combining traditional ingredients such as fish sauce, tamarind, herbs, and chili with European cooking techniques.
Hòa runs East, an open-kitchen restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City that showcases his modern interpretation of Vietnamese cuisine and his philosophy of cooking with love.
Hòa’s dragon tattoo symbolizes freedom and his ambition to rise above, while his dove tattoo represents peace and family. The latter combines his name with his father’s to form “Hoa Binh,” meaning peace.
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