CENTRAL: A talk with the author of The Memory of Taste, Chef Tu David Phu

Closing out our Summer Adventure season, the Santa Clara City Library is proud to host celebrated chef, author, and entrepreneur Chef Tu David Phu to our community!

Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. and the talk will start promptly at 11 a.m. A meet & greet and book signing will follow the talk. Please be advised that seating will be limited, and will be first-come, first-served.

About The Memory of Taste:

A playful collection of over 85 Vietnamese and Viet American dishes and immersive travel photography from Top Chef alum Tu David Phu that blends the Oakland native’s modern culinary style with the food wisdom from his refugee family.

Tu David Phu trained in the nation’s top restaurants only to realize the culinary lessons that truly impacted him were those passed on by his parents, refugees from Phú Quôc. In his hometown of Oakland, California, his parents taught him hard-won lessons in frugality, food-covery cooking, and practical gill-to-fin eating.Centered around Tu’s childhood memories in the diverse Bay Area and family stories of life on Phú Quốc island, The Memory of Taste explores the Phu family’s ability to thrive and adapt from one coastal community to another. With tried-and-true tips like how to butcher a fish, tastebud-tingling flavor combinations, and stunning photographs, Tu guides both novice and experienced chefs alike in his take on Viet cooking.

This Eventbrite RSVP serves only as a calendar reminder. This RSVP will not be used for your attendance nor does it reserve seating for this event.

This program has been generously supported by the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends. For more information on how you can support the Library, please visit lovethelibrary.org.

Chef Tu David Phu's bio:

Chef Tu David Phu, a San Francisco Chronicle Rising Star Chef and chef-partner at GiGi's, a Vietnamese-influenced wine bar in San Francisco, draws on his Oakland upbringing and the resilience of his refugee parents. His roots trace back to Phu Quoc, Vietnam, where his family has crafted artisanal fish sauce since 1895.

Chef Phu's culinary expertise is a testament to his diverse experiences. He honed his skills in the hallowed kitchens of renowned establishments, ranging from New York's internationally acclaimed Daniel to San Francisco's prestigious 2-star Michelin restaurant, Acquerello. Throughout his career, he absorbed the essence of various culinary traditions, from American culinary excellence to classical European techniques. Yet, a profound connection to what he calls "the memory of taste" led him back to his Vietnamese roots.

Embarking on a culinary exploration of his mother's treasured recipes, Chef Tu revisited cherished childhood dishes and embarked on pilgrimages to Vietnam for inspiration. His innovative Vietnamese-California cuisine began to garner recognition in 2016 with his weekly pop-up dining experience, "Ăn." In 2017, the San Francisco Chronicle crowned him as a Rising Star Chef, marking the beginning of a series of accolades.

Chef Tu's culinary journey expanded its horizons when he joined Bravo's Top Chef Season 15 in 2019 and hosted ABC's Taste Buds: Chefsgiving, a program that received a James Beard Award nomination. His first cookbook, titled "THE MEMORY OF TASTE," he co-authored alongside James Beard Journalism Award winner Soleil Ho, a prominent figure in the culinary world.