The Chef
Khanh
Nguyen
Vietnamese-Australian Executive Chef at the two-hatted King Clarence, Sydney. Trained under Luke Nguyen, Dan Hong, and René Redzepi. East Asian flavors fused with European technique. One philosophy: cooking is architecture.
Cooking is architecture.
Ingredients are materials.
Flavor is design.
The Story
Khanh Nguyen grew up between two kitchens — his grandmother's in Ho Chi Minh City, where pho simmered for half a day and every spice was measured by instinct, and his family's kitchen in Western Sydney, where those same recipes adapted to new ingredients and a new audience.
That duality — tradition and adaptation — became the foundation of everything. Asian soul, modern technique, global ingredients. Precision without pretension. Fine dining without losing the street.
From apprentice at Red Lantern to Sous Chef at Mr Wong to an 11-week stage at Noma Australia — Khanh built his craft across Sydney's most demanding kitchens. In 2018, he moved to Melbourne to open Sunda, where his Vegemite curry roti became iconic. In 2023, he returned to Sydney as Executive Chef of King Clarence — earning Best New Restaurant (Gourmet Traveller 2024) and Two Hats (Good Food Guide 2025 & 2026). The mission remains: make it perfect, make it meaningful, make it yours.
The Journey
Red Lantern · Apprentice
Sydney · Under Luke Nguyen
Bécasse · Chef de Partie
Sydney · Under Justin North
Mr Wong · Sous Chef
Sydney · Under Dan Hong
Noma Australia Pop-up · Stage
Sydney · Under René Redzepi
Bentley Restaurant Group · Junior Sous Chef
Sydney · Under Brent Savage & Nick Hildebrandt
Cirrus Dining · Senior Sous Chef
Sydney
Sunda · Opening Head Chef → Executive Chef
Melbourne
King Clarence · Executive Chef
Sydney
Recognition
Retained in 2026
"Fun and delicious in equal measure"
Retained in 2020
Vegemite Curry Roti
"Star chef Khanh Nguyen can really, really cook"
Hosted and mentored 2025 finalists (not a personal award)