Preston Nguyen

 

For the Nguyen family, Dallas College’s Culinary Program is a family affair. Preston Nguyen is the latest member of his family to attend Dallas College’s Culinary, Pastry, and Hospitality program (CPH) which offers students a unique opportunity to get in-classroom instruction, curriculum embedded with industry certifications and credentials, and hands on training with some of the most renown organizations in the food industry.

Preston and his parents, Peter and Emma Nguyen (who also attend/attended Dallas College CPH ), were able to put their skills to the test when they competed in the 9th Annual World Food Championship.

“This has been a huge blessing to be able to compete with my parents and have such a supportive group of friends and family to help me get here! This competition has brought us closer together and given us memories to last a lifetime. We put so much hard work into doing our best this past weekend and it’s a great feeling knowing the judges appreciated our efforts.”

Emma, Preston Nguyen and Peter with Check

 

Equipped with his Dallas College Education and the support of his parents, Preston was able to win the competition which earned him $100,000! Leading up to the finale, one of Preston’s qualifying dishes was a Mediterranean Lambchop with Harissa Riced Cauliflower, Stuffed Vegetables, and Roasted Garlic Hummus.

“It was heavily inspired by the restaurant I work at. It also helped that we learned a lot about mother sauces and bases at school (Dallas College) and we also practiced chargrilling our veggies.”

 

The winning dish, however, was a quail dish described as Fried Quail Lollipops with Hot Honey Glaze, Southern Quail and Dumplings, Deviled Quail Eggs, Carolina Boiled Peanut Caviar, Hoppin John Rice and Good “Thyme” Cornbread Cake with Peach Butter.

Preston is the youngest competitor ever to win the competition and being considered by many a culinary prodigy. He attributes much of his success to the opportunities he has received at Dallas College, the guidance of his parents, and his unwavering commitment to learning everything he can.