Serving Oriental Food since 1985

  厨 房   SAIGON KITCHEN   厨 房

Saigon Kitchen’s Story

Nam Tao—Chef/Owner

 As one of the most highly regarded chefs in downtown Hartford to cook delicious oriental food at record high speeds, Nam Tao is most well-known for his famous signature dishes, the “Hot & Spicy Chicken” and “Sesame Chicken.” 

Beginning with the opening of Saigon Kitchen in August 1985, Nam has utilized his creative spirit to establish and grow an impressive restaurant. 

Born and raised in the capitol city of Saigon, Vietnam, and self-taught as a chef, Nam has been in kitchens since the age of nine.  Nam’s inborn talent stems from his experience as a fourth generational chef in his family to work in the food industry.  Growing up as a child in a traditional Chinese household and living in Vietnam, helped expose Nam to an assortment of authentic pan-Asian flavors and fresh  ingredients from both Chinese and Vietnamese cultures.  In the late 1970s, when Nam left his native country in attempt to escape communism, he arrived in the U.S. and began living in Connecticut.  During this time of adaptation to a new country and culture, Nam began his culinary experience in the U.S. by working in multiple Chinese restaurants as an apprentice and then quickly moving up to sous and executive Chef positions.  Being in the company of, and working along side top-notch Chinese chefs and restaurateurs was the only schooling for this self-taught chef. 

Thereby, utilizing his gift to cook irresistibly great tasting food, Nam decided early on that he had to open his own oriental restaurant specializing in Chinese cuisine.  With the help of his business savvy wife named Minh, he had the confidence to build a restaurant that would serve fast, hot and fresh oriental food that would keep customers coming back for more. In August 1985, Saigon Kitchen was born and today it is a family owned and operated restaurant that continues to thrive because of Nam’s vision and passion, along with his wife Minh’s inspired leadership to maintain a restaurant set on serving excellent oriental food at an affordable price.