With numerous prestigious awards and industry recognition, the restaurant has firmly established itself in what is arguably the world's most immigrant-diverse and opulent market.
Lily Hoa Nguyen, founder and CEO of Vietnamese Foodies, began her cooking journey at a very young age. With memories of her family’s kitchen in Ho Chi Minh City, where Vietnamese food was always bursting with flavor, Lily became “the best cook in the family” at the age of 13. Her passion for cooking became an integral part of her life, and an unexpected skill that would change her future.
In 2012, Lily left Vietnam and started a new life in Paris, Istanbul, and finally settled in Dubai in 2016. In a place famous for its culinary diversity, she noticed the lack of traditional Vietnamese dishes. This sparked her passion, urging Lily to share Vietnamese dishes through cooking classes. These classes were quickly well received and became the foundation for further development.
In early 2018, Lily decided to turn her ideas into reality, opening Vietnamese Foodies - the first restaurant in the JLT area (Dubai). From a small, cozy space, with a menu focusing mainly on fresh, affordable dishes, the restaurant quickly became a favorite destination for Dubai residents. Pho with rich broth simmered from marrow bones for 14 hours or fresh spring roll became indispensable symbols, attracting diners and creating a loyal customer base.
Currently, Vietnamese Foodies has 10 branches in famous prime areas of Dubai such as Downtown Dubai and DIFC. At the DIFC branch, the restaurant not only serves traditional Vietnamese dishes but is also famous for its fast and attentive service, catering to the needs of busy office workers. This is a combination of traditional values and modern trends, creating a unique culinary space for diners.
It is known that the staff working at Vietnamese Foodies come from many different countries, in which the number of Kitchen Managers are all from Vietnam. You have the opportunity to learn international standard working processes, a culturally diverse environment and especially improve your foreign language (English) to quickly integrate and advance in your career.
The success of Vietnamese Foodies does not stop at brand development, but also in taking the human factor (staff, customers, etc.) as the center of every business decision. As a Vietnamese, the tradition of sharing and connecting for the staff in particular and the homeland in general has always been carried out periodically by Ms. Hoa and incorporated into management as one of the core elements of the business. Specifically, on the occasion of Lunar New Year every year since its inception, the restaurant has always carried out meaningful activities such as sharing 100% of revenue with employees through the culture of "lucky money" to show the spirit of sharing and gratitude to the team that has contributed to building the brand.
Vietnamese Foodies has received great recognition in the Dubai food industry with prestigious awards such as "Best Casual Restaurant" at the Time Out Dubai Restaurant Awards in 2019 and 2020, as well as "Best Asian Restaurant" and "Best Family Restaurant" in the following years. Notably, in 2024, the restaurant was honored with the "Most Popular Asian Restaurant" award at the What's On Awards and the "Best Family Restaurant UAE" award from BBC Good Food. Lily's leadership talent is also recognized by her continuous presence in the "50 F&B Power Figures in Central Asia" list by Caterer Middle East magazine for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024.
See more information about Vietnamese Foodies here: https://www.facebook.com/vietnamfoodies
