Try meals by Chef
Dan Nguyen
About
Before embarking on his celebrated culinary career, Chef Dan Nguyen worked on oil rigs. A graduate in petroleum engineering, Nguyen began his professional life on an offshore operation near Louisiana.
In 1985, at his mother’s request, he relocated to Chicago to assist his brother in the family’s restaurant business. Trading the warmth for Chicago’s brisk winters, Nguyen found comfort in recreating the vibrant, tropical flavors of Vietnam.
Together with his brother, Nguyen opened Pasteur in 1985, Chicago’s first Vietnamese restaurant and a pioneering establishment that introduced authentic Vietnamese cuisine to the city’s diverse dining scene. He later expanded his culinary portfolio as chef-owner of acclaimed concepts such as Viet Bistro and Simply It, and through partnerships with notable restaurants including Le Colonial in Chicago and Houston.
Even after long days in the kitchen, Nguyen continues to cook dinner for his family every night—an enduring ritual that he calls “the best time to reconnect and take things slower.”
Today, Chef Dan Nguyen is thrilled to bring Vietnamese cuisine to a larger stage at CookUnity, where he shares his deep-rooted flavors and traditions with eaters across the country.
Kitchens
Meals by Dan Nguyen are prepared fresh in small batches in local kitchens across the country.
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Let us know what you love to eat, then choose your meal plan –– from 4 to 16 meals per week.
Choose your meals
Our chefs are in constant creation mode. Every weekly menu boasts new craveable meals for you to order.
Heat and plate
Every meal comes with Chef heating instructions. Set the table, plate your meal, and savor the experience.
Repeat
Choose something new every week or stick with your staples. We'll be in the kitchen cooking up your next mouth-watering meal.
Dan Nguyen’s meal reviews
Indulge in the thoughts and stories surrounding meals by Dan Nguyen
4.4
Based on 36 reviews
Vietnamese Stir-Fried Rotini with Beef
Perfectly seasoned.
Steven Mervis · 02/14/26
Baked Five-Spice Tilapia
Would have preferred more shiitakes and less shredded carrots. Perhaps more oriental veggies. Good spice and flavor.
James Rush · 02/14/26
Char Siu BBQ Pork
Meat was really chewy, wouldn’t order again unless I want to eat it cold.
Taylore Badanguio · 02/13/26
Vietnamese Stir-Fried Rotini with Beef
Beef tender and with good flavor. Good pasta. The only bummer was how much time it took to pick out all the onions & vegetable elements I didn’t care for. :) But I liked the dish concept overall.
Em Rankin · 02/13/26
Char Siu BBQ Pork
King of dishes. It sits on a throne. So good!
Yohan Park · 02/13/26
Char Siu BBQ Pork
Really good. First rate meal.
NR Eadens · 02/12/26
Vietnamese Fried Chicken Tenders
I highly recommend cooking this in the Air fryer. I cooked chicken strips 3 minutes before adding fries for another 3 minutes. Sauce is delicious! I would order often, if not for the high calories.
Karen Oliver · 02/12/26
Char Siu BBQ Pork
Great portion size and tasty, but some pieces of pork were dry though
Lauren Guity · 02/12/26