THUY PHAM KNOWS it better than most: life can change in the blink of an eye. First, it was the pandemic, bringing life to a grinding halt and forcing the former hairstylist, like so many others, into unemployment and a scramble for a new normal. But then, life changed again.
Having recently become vegan, Pham was determined to use her newfound free time to master vegan versions of the foods she ate growing up—namely thit heo quay, or crispy pork belly. She perfected her recipe, and at the suggestion of her daughter, the duo prepared the dish on Instagram Live where it took off like wildfire.
Almost immediately, Pham’s inbox was flooded with orders. So she seized the opportunity and launched Mama Đút—a fully vegan eatery in Portland, OR celebrating home-cooked flavors of Vietnam. It was such a local hit that soon enough, Netflix came knocking. And in 2022, Mama Đút became the first vegan business to be featured on Street Food: USA, where, once more, Pham captivated viewers, this time with her story of fleeing Vietnam as a baby, growing up as an immigrant in America, and feeding her community. Fast-forward a year later, and Thuy Pham—and the media blitz she sparked—have yet to slow down … until now.
Just two weeks before VegNews readers voted her Best
