This Vietnamese shaking beef offers something extra

Shaking beef (bò lúc lac) is a French-inspired Vietnamese dish that features tender cubes of beef in a savoury-sweet stir-fry.

Nini Nguyen is loudly and proudly embracing her Vietnamese culture now more than ever before. The Vietnamese American chef, who grew up in New Orleans and moved to New York City to further her career, gained national exposure as a contestant on “Top Chef” in 2018.

“I’ve always been inspired by food from all over the place. But when I moved to New York, I think what made me most unique is that I’m Vietnamese and from New Orleans,” Nguyen said on a video call from her home back in New Orleans. She “really tapped into that” as she competed against contestants from all over the country.