The BentoBox 25

Chef Kevin Huynh’s Secret Weapon? He Never Stops Learning

May 14, 2024

How one chef’s eagerness to learn propelled him to the top of Philly’s busiest Vietnamese cafe.

To work in the restaurant industry is to accept a life of grueling hours, physical demand and, yes, profound satisfaction in serving people. To thrive in the restaurant industry is an added layer. It requires a different breed of human — someone who always strives to improve, no matter the position they find themselves in.

It also requires you to accept that when you truly love your work, you will never be satisfied. Julia Child said it best: “You'll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.” It’s this lifelong commitment to learning that separates chefs into two distinct groups: those who are happy just to teach, and those who never stopped being students.

For Chef Kevin Huynh of Càphê Roasters in Philadelphia, it has always been the latter.

When Huynh was growing up, he found himself drawn to the kitchen, where he would watch as his mom labored over Spam stew flavored with fish sauce, or thịt kho — a caramelized and braised pork belly. When he attended The Culinary Institute of America, he often found himself scrubbing pots and pans clean long after the rest of the class took off their toques and aprons for the day. When he graduated and moved back to his home state of Louisiana, he bounced around French kitchens that satisfied his craving for work, but fell short of satiating his need to get better.

Càphê Roasters is located in Kensington, Philadelphia. Via Instagram

“There was no constructive criticism,” he says. “I can’t grow in an environment like that.” Huynh left the industry altogether for a time in search of something more profound. But his love for hospitality never dissipated. When he moved to Philadelphia in 2022, he didn’t know what he wanted to do. Through some mutual connections, he picked up a job as a line cook at Càphê Roasters, Philly’s busiest Vietnamese cafe.

Huynh admits that he saw Càphê Roasters as a stepping stone within his culinary journey. “I didn’t think I was going to stay here. I wanted to help them grow and then move on,” says Huynh. He saw things that needed changing, like making the breading station for the fried chicken bánh mi more efficient. Or developing a system that streamlined items without compromising quality during the restaurant’s busiest hours. “I saw things I knew could be better. I wanted to set up a system and balance that works better for them,” states Huynh.

Just when he found himself satisfied and ready to move onto the next thing, his Chef put their two weeks in. Suddenly, Huynh found himself promoted to a position he never held in his career: Executive Chef.

Huynh became faced with the unique challenge of being thrown into the front of a team with little time to prepare. He focused first and foremost on redeveloping parts of the operation to be more logically efficient. “No wasted movement,” he calls it. This meant putting the final touches on streamlining the kitchen to be as competent as possible. Through his leadership, Càphê Roasters developed into a better, more methodical version of itself.

That isn’t where he stopped, though. Huynh made a conscious effort to put himself on the same plane as the rest of his staff. He wanted the entire team to teach him as much as he teaches them — there was no other way he’d find satisfaction in the work.

This mindset blossomed particularly well with two of his sous chefs, Minh and Leo, who Huynh made sure would contribute to the menu as much as he did. “When I became Exec, I was suddenly overseeing Minh and Leo, but they teach me so much,” says Huynh. “We all contribute to the menu and we all put every ounce of what we’ve got into the restaurant.”

Chef Leo’s Gochujang Curry Fries. Via Instagram

Leo, who came to Philadelphia from Trà Vinh City, Vietnam 10 years ago, tells me how he made gochujang curry fries for Huynh that eventually made its way onto the menu. The fries come golden-brown and crispy, topped with a blend of curry and gochujang, stir-fried odeng (fish cakes) and a side of cauliflower kimchi. It’s a recipe that Leo came up with on his own and Huynh was more than happy to add to the Càphê Roasters menu. Today, it’s an immensely popular item.

Leo goes on to explain that by working under Chef Huynh, he has become a better, more efficient chef. “I’ve learned a lot from Chef Kevin: time management, working under pressure, high standards for my food and a lot of new kitchen tricks,” says Leo.

But, again, it’s a give-and-take relationship. Leo might come in one day with his own recipe and the next day, Huynh or Chef Minh might come in with their own. When asked what his favorite dish he’s learned from Huynh was, Leo emphatically said “Chef Kevin’s Homecoming,” which is Huynh’s ode to his home state of Louisiana, with fragrant jasmine rice, red beans, andouille sausage, and a brined-then-fried chicken leg on top. It’s a mash-up of sorts that shows what Càphê Roasters is all about. Sure, it’s a Vietnamese coffee shop, but with Chef Huynh at the helm, the cuisine transcends borders. Every staff member is not just allowed, but encouraged to bring their roots into the restaurant.

Executive Chef Kevin Huynh with his signature dish, “Chef Kevin’s Homecoming.” Via Instagram

“We have room to play around here,” Huynh says with a smile. “If someone wants to bring in a dish, then we set up R&D, and try it out. There’s no harm in trying something.”

And when it works, it brings Huynh the fulfillment he needs. It makes him a better cook. It makes everyone else around him better, too. He compares this craving to constantly learn and improve to the dedication of Philly sports fans. “Think about how Philly fans are. They’re harsh. They’re passionate. They want their teams to get better. And when they do get better and win, they let the world know,” he says. “That’s all it is. That’s what cooking is all about to me.”

Check out the full list of The BentoBox 25.

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