Christine Ha Writes New Food Stories From Her Parents' Culinary Heritage

Christine Ha, the Vietnamese-American chef who captured hearts by winning the U.S. MasterChef, is now weaving new culinary narratives, honoring her roots in Vietnamese cuisine. Her journey from contestant to judge showcases the richness of Vietnamese food culture through a blend of tradition and innovation. Ha's family originally hailed from Northern Vietnam, immigrating south after the 1954 Geneva Agreements. This heritage influences her palate, particularly her appreciation for Northern-style pho, characterized by its wider noodles and minimal herbs. Her grandmother was also renowned for crafting large bánh chưng during Tết. Amidst the turmoil of the Vietnam War, Ha's parents made the critical decision to leave the country on April 29, 1975. After stops in the Philippines and Guam, they eventually settled in Houston, Texas, when Ha was just two years old. Eighteen years later, as Ha began to explore her passion for cooking, she was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a rare autoimmune disorder that led to vision loss. While pursuing a Master's in Creative Writing, her blog, "The Blind Cook," established with her then-boyfriend (now husband) John Suh, caught the attention of MasterChef U.S. In 2012, Ha was invited to audition for MasterChef Season 3. Initially viewing it as a source of inspiration for her writing, she was also encouraged by friends and family to apply to raise awareness for the capabilities of visually impaired individuals. Her audition dish, "thịt kho" (braised pork), a staple of her childhood, reflected her ongoing quest to recreate her late mother's recipes. Khôi Phạm, Deputy Editor of Saigoneer, highlights Ha's commitment to her heritage. His reflection on Saigoneer Podcast notes, "I think she’s one of my favorite contestants because she sticks to her roots. Her audition dish is actually a very, very traditional dish. If you watch western cooking shows, the fish is usually filleted horizontally but for Christine’s dish, she cut it vertically. If you go to fish markets in Vietnam, all the butchers will cut it that way. She doesn’t even try to deconstruct it or add any frills, bells and whistles." A perfect balance of savory and sweet, her caramelized and braised catfish dish impressed the judges, and thus Christine’s life was changed from that point forward. From contestant to the other side Ha later took on a judging role for MasterChef Vietnam (Vua Đầu Bếp) Season 3 in 2015, becoming the first former contestant to serve as a regular judge in the international franchise. She described the transition from contestant to mentor as a "great feeling." MasterChef Vietnam Season 1 Runner-Up, Trí Phan, reflects, "From her story, I realized the most important thing when it comes to cooking is taste. And since then, I started to put more emphasis on flavor combinations that make sense, [instead of] throwing many things on a plate, just to make it look impressive." The Five Fungi Congee served at Christine’s new restaurant Xin Chao. It’s a grown-up take on a dish all Vietnamese children remember eating. Photo by Tam Le. To reference the ubiquitous Thai phrase known to anyone who has traveled to the Land of Smiles, filming MasterChef Vietnam was "same same, but different" from filming MasterChef U.S. "A lot of the challenges emulated the American ones, but there were still many differences. For example, the contestants cooked for the military, just like I did, but the military bases were so different. The ingredients in the pantry included a lot of fish and shellfish I’ve never heard of because they’re regional to Vietnam." Additionally, the unionization of film crew labor in the United States meant that production could only take place six days a week, stretching filming over a period of three months; whereas Vietnam’s ability to work seven days a week meant a rigorous one-month film schedule. Same same, but different. As a Việt Kiều, Christine faces the additional challenge of having only spoken conversational Vietnamese at home. "When I came to MasterChef Vietnam, it was terrible. Not only was there new slang, but there’s a different lexicon to speak formally on TV." If Christine’s upbringing was anything like mine — which, as a Việt Kiều who also grew up in Houston and attended the same university undergrad program as Christine, I think is a fairly safe bet — she may have only heard this formal way of speaking on Paris by Night which has been playing non-stop at all Vietnamese family gatherings since the late 1980s. "As I grew older, I didn't really have family around to keep it up. So I feel like my Vietnamese [was] rusty when I first arrive in Vietnam. It’s an ordeal when I travel with my husband John, who is Korean American, but has sight. Whereas I know Vietnamese, but I can’t see. So he has to spell out all the signs, and I need to remind him to include the accents or I won’t be able to read it. But it’s like riding a bike — it comes back." When I asked Christine about the dishes in Vietnam that surprised her the most, she had the same answer I did when I first moved to Saigon: the new street snacks. "In America, the Vietnamese food we got was what our parents brought over [in the late 1970s], which has stayed stagnant. Now a newer generation has come up with new dishes like bánh tráng trộn and bánh tráng nướng. That’s the kind of stuff that really intrigued me." Through her culinary explorations, Christine Ha continues to share the vibrant flavors and evolving spirit of Vietnamese cuisine with the world.