How a Vietnamese Pitmaster is Bringing New Flavors to Texas Barbecue - Smoke Point

At Khói Barbecue, brothers Don and Theo Nguyen use the Vietnamese ingredients and cooking methods from their childhood to influence their Texas Barbecue pop-ups, creating dishes like brisket pho and smoked chicken rice & yuzukoshō.
Credits:
Producer: Connor Reid
Director: John Rains
Camera: John Rains, Mike Kozlenko
Editor: Connor Reid
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Development Producer: McGraw Wolfman
Coordinating Producer: Stefania Orrù
Audience Engagement: Daniel Geneen, Terri Ciccone
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[@jeff833]

This is the most unpretentious fusion I've ever seen. Props to them for incorporating their culture in to the indigenous flavors and styles of Texas. Lost of the fusion stuff is uninspired. this is real barbecue prepared in the most innovative way. And out of their home!!

[@tixchicken]

indigenous texans ??? American Indian?

[@albertchu9806]

@@tixchicken Also Mexican? Texas was basically stolen from Mexico lol. Appreciate the sentiment though, incorporating techniques from Texan barbecue into Vietnamese cooking sounds awesome

[@ChronomosXD]

@@tixchicken p koko

[@ChronomosXD]

@@tixchicken p koko

[@kaihamasaki9307]

@@tixchicken lmao typical uneducated thinking lol, I blame elementary, middle and high school for not teaching the truth

[@Eric-kh3xv]

"Once in a while you just gotta give your neighbor some brisket and some ribs" I wanna be their neighbor

[@Ritemon]

Yes, please let me be their neighbor! 😋

[@spacemanwithraygun3933]

One way to raise property values.

[@YTofficialAnonymous]

And a whole year of char smoke please

[@rg20322]

Count me in!

[@bicyclethief]

Don Nguyen is crazy articulate. he should have his own cooking show

[@shishkebab6473]

He's good but not that good. You probably just watch much politics

[@chunkystyle3311]

@@shishkebab6473 ......lol

[@doodahgurlie]

I thought he was very well-spoken myself. He totally should have his own show - especially as some of the food inventions like the bo la lot sausage is quite genius!

[@anthonydoan1991]

Yeah, I love how he explain the ingredient and why it was chosen. Like how the chicken was use for broth because it'll make the flavor lighter to contrast the strong flavor of the beef.

[@paulyp7854]

I would love to see him tour the good barbecue places of Texas

[@julianmackenzie6378]

This would have to be one of the best Eater videos. No pretentious host, just a guy talking about his food.

[@m.rizqihudaya8288]

Literally every smoke point video from Eater are like that lol

[@ChauNyan]

@@m.rizqihudaya8288 Pitmasters are probably the chillest people despite being near an open flame most of the time.

[@m.rizqihudaya8288]

@@ChauNyan ofc

[@jeffstars9720]

Never in my days did I think I'd meet someone doing what I love too. I'm a Hispanic Texan and my wife is Vietnamese. She introduced me to pho and ever since I've had her mom show me every recipe she has and traveled to Vietnam multiple times learning from the people there. My favorite thing is smoking up some brisket nice and slow and then adding it to my own Bún bò Huế (my most favorite soup). Smoked meat and pho are a match in heaven for me. I also love to mix Vietnamese and Mexican dishes my mother taught me, both cultures use such great herbs and spices it's like a match in heaven.

[@ohnonotjo]

Have you ever had some chorizo or lengue with fish sauce? I drooled a little typing that

[@drewksidetour]

Menudo reminds me of BBH

[@ThangVu-kw6zd]

Never thought I'd see bún bò Huế is mentioned along with TX BBQ. Warms my heart.

[@ProHomeCooks]

this was awesome, love what he had to say at the end. Food brings people together!

[@bomazero]

One of the G.O.A.T. YT chefs! Huge fan of yours Mike! And yes, this was a pretty awesome video. Loved learning about him and his background and process. 👍

[@22.NUU.DRU.22]

Must be the first to ever say that. Id bet on it...

[@kekoadavidson581]

Only reason one should Bbq.

[@happymcdoddle7679]

I bet he could handle a good sausage

[@Atistatic]

Except vegans. Vegans make us hate them when are about brings foods.

[@dwaynekoblitz6032]

This is my favorite Eater episode yet. I’d rather eat his food WAY first before anything else I’ve seen on this channel. Bun bo hue has always been my go to dish. I love it!!

[@anthonysavage7309]

You’re are a true Vietnamese if you love bun bo hue. Not a lot of people know about that compare to pho lol.

[@NamPhuongNguyen]

Kudos to Eater for writing authentic Vietnamese names with accent marks ⭐️

[@bloodgain]

Wow! You can tell he really understands the food he's making and why it works, and knows a lot about food and food history. You can also tell that he has a great passion for it.

[@suhwoop6489]

Don with the Rage Against the Machine tee and Theo with the Warren Lotas, that’s tuff

[@koolerkaida8002]

and the album cover has a vietnamese monk

[@Xfade81]

y?

[@gravenewworld6521]

Adil yeah man Thích Quang Duc

[@markchampion469]

Love everything Khói Barbecue is doing in Texas, they're taking different traditions and blending them together beautifully. Big cheers to them for pushing the expectations and yet still keeping it Texas.

[@trieuhuan106]

Phú Quốc pepper in Texas BBQ, This is weird in a very best way ever.

[@happymcdoddle7679]

Always good to have a good amount of sauce on the end of your meat

[@pineapplefresh4752]

He's got the black gloves too, so you know its delicious

[@heartbreakmanNo1]

Wait till he start using ST 25 rice, hot shitzle in town bois :y

[@lochoang3508]

Yah man, the weirdest but one of the best

[@jaskeda]

I wonder Texas has its own pepper.

[@ericwg73]

Don is friggin killin it. I love his positive energy and attitude. He’s created such an interesting fusion and did it so with mad respect for both sides. What’s probably most amazing is that he’s got a guy like me, who has never had any interest in Vietnamese cuisine, dying to try these amazing creations. Keep cooking (and smoking) Don!

[@deg3363]

Vietnamese Pitmaster, making Texas Vietnamese BBQ and wearing a Rage Against the Machine Tshirt🤣 Now THAT'S America👍🏾🇺🇸 Everybody please GO VOTE!

[@gokussjgssj4818]

Vote kanye west

[@daymittriesdaylight8073]

I know right where else in the world are you going to see that .

[@OGTrollTroll8]

Trump2020🇺🇸💪

[@35i_Hearse_Driver]

#TrumpAllTheWay

[@nguyenle7093]

Viet, Tex, Korean all mixed together. That's cultural appropriation and I'm highly triggered right now. Hiden 2020.

[@mrc3rtifi3d13]

It’s obvious this man takes pride in both his craft and heritage, I wish more ppl also did in this world but as humbly and respectfully as this young gentleman

[@erikribeiro5772]

Fantastic to see this out in the world. I have been to many Khói Barbecue pop-ups, and everything they cooked in this segment is as good or better than it looks. And it looks amazing. Personal favorites are the smoked cơm gà (chicken rice) and the bò lá lốt sausage. One of my favorite sausages in the state. But I'm a sucker for plain old bò lá lốt. A bowl of their brisket pho is awesome on a cold day, though we always seem to order it when it's 95 outside. Their dishes were already great when I first tried them, but over time, they have refined and improved the dishes. They are also awesome people. Congratulations, Don and Theo!

[@dandiesel9966]

Comparing the heat distribution of cooking your brisket to the bullets on the old school Mario games. Mah dude.

[@EframeGadsby]

What an honest, thoughtful and beautiful expression of cooking with smoke.

[@plattitude]

This guy’s voice is ASMRing me. Also he’s cute and his food looks amazing.

[@laneofmagic]

Yeah, he's got that sort of soothing voice. The kind you'd want to listen bedtime stories from before drifting off to sleep.

[@georgel.3357]

As a fellow Houstonian and BBQ lover, its great to see more local pit-masters get highlighted. Can't wait to try their 'Q!

[@yourdadsotherfamily3530]

Shout out to Houston Don Nguyen those dishes at the end looked amazing :3 especially that sausage plate with the brisket trimmings OOF’

[@doodahgurlie]

That sausage had me drooling and the genius of making sausage from a bo la lot dish...wow!

[@TheOriginalRick]

Good video. Our kids grew up in a dual cultural home, with a Southeast Asian mother and a fairly staunch Midwest father. Over the many decades we've learned to appreciate and honor the foods that formed each other's childhood, and to teach the kids (and now grandkids) how to love them also.

[@kathyerickson9402]

I would happily eat everything he prepared...and the fact that he did it in his front yard and kitchen is pretty amazing. I agree with his final thoughts on food bringing people together🙏 We need a nationwide potluck!

[@Gretaisworking]

I don't know if this makes any sense but this fusion just feels so... Genuine. Like it's not an attempt to be trendy, or the next new mad genius chef, it's just a reflection of their lives and the way they grew up and I really love that

[@utmichael2008]

It's been many years, but I had the pleasure of meeting Don through some mutual friends in Houston. He is the real deal and is genuinely as nice and laid-back as he seemed in the video.

[@boazd8622]

I love how he described the meat by using super mario, legend

[@DonNguyenKnives]

Aw hell yeah another Don Nguyen!

[@legoforever1000]

Now you must battle to see who is worthy of that name

[@adrianpaolosanchez9932]

Yea u have another one as a pro skateboarder

[@donnguyen2517]

I guess I'll join to 😆

[@jeffalbillar7625]

I've met a few Don Nguyen's. I live close to Little Saigon.

[@FaIlHiGH]

It was so nice to see him making bun bo hue. Whenever I hear about Vietnamese food, it’s always Pho or braised meat, but bun bo hue is literally the Vietnamese spicy ramen with so much bunch and umph, and it’s so good!

[@tynycz6808]

This is why I love America! We have this guy! Melting pot baby!!!

[@FR0ST2I4]

I like how calm they talk while cooking 🧑‍🍳 it’s relaxing watching them

[@ledelste]

This is killing me. If this food doesn’t somehow get in my mouth today I will die,

[@mcliam64]

This is fusion on a whole new level, wow. The Nguyen brothers are geniuses!

[@eerrrrrrfolks]

This is the greatest video I've ever seen in my life 🙌 ✅ VietTex BBQ ✅ Insightful knowledge ✅ RATM Tshirt

[@ceebs83]

Amazing... He's so chill for a chef!

[@makeleletoulalan5604]

Amazing, I'm from Da Nang as well. Very happy for their success in such a hard time.

[@HorribadHumor]

This is one of the best cooking KZbin episodes I've watched!

[@ToddAndelin]

These guys are on their own level of brilliance. Cant wait to try their food!

[@MyMumei]

Man! look at that generous cut of smoked meat in the pho. Wish I have these guys in my country

[@lunamitsuki]

I love how he respects his origin and create this awesome fusion Tex-Viet food. I am sure these dishes taste great base from how much passion they put into them.

[@realgoodmind]

That looks amazing. Nice work. Love seeing these cool twists.

[@baconfister]

My two favourite types of food: Vietnamese cuisine, and Texas-style barbecue; despite residing in the San Jose Bay Area in California (have been to Austin, TX four times and absolutely love the barbecue). Great video!

[@MThyne-oz2zu]

From many into one. What a wonderful country we're so privileged to live in.

[@nguyen925]

Awesome, I'm Vietnamese American who lives in Houston too! Keep up the great work!! Love that smoke ring on the brisket 🤤

[@ardtob]

I love everything about them!! They don't need to hide anything like others with their "secret" ingredients, because they are confident with their own speciality and uniqueness. No pretentiousness whatsoever.

[@squeegied3rdeye713]

I grew up in Houston I gotta have my BBQ, tacos and Pho with egg rolls. This is right up my alley I def gotta hit up this dude

[@AHG1347]

At the time of me watching this video while eating my batch of homemade Hainanese Chicken Rice...impeccable timing KZbin algorithm. That smoked version looks insanely good. I love how you're taking a classic iconic street food dish and making it your own.

[@SilatShooter]

Love this channel and watching new pit masters bring their point of view to food we know and enjoy.

[@goblingimp195]

So chill and simply presented, great vid

[@squaresphere]

Really impressed with the menu items they're showcasing here. Lot of diverse ingredients and techniques!

[@MrSkynex721]

Being from Texas, we don't take BBQ lightly. And this fusion is AWESOME!!

[@whiteafricannun3377]

Nah its post oak, salt, pepper end of story.

[@ganbayargansukh5341]

That looks amazing! Smoked brisket goes well with some Asian type of soups and entrees. You guys are bringing this combination to the next level!

[@fuzzybuttish]

I love his texan accent! When he said, we are vietnamese texans, while he was doing these lovely dishes which showed deep respect for both cultures, i thought, that is what immigration and integration should be about. A society can´t have too many people like him coming in or just being there. It is not required to assimilate entirely and to forget where you or your ancestors came from to integrate properly, right the opposite is the case. Bring with you what´s good about it, add it to what you find in the new place and create a prosper situation for everyone that way.

[@Akhrockaushid]

He has the most calming voice. Great video!

[@Rukai]

Loves the concept, and the name as well. Khói is an amazing name for the restaurant, I'd love to try it sometimes, when we can travel again

[@JustusKlartext]

I realy enjoy this Video. This guy has a great kind to present what he do

[@ChuchiTieu]

this is so calming

[@johnpauloilano3011]

this fusion is one of the best it just bring everyone together

[@marcleconte]

this guy is so well spoken. food looks awesome, beautiful people - made my day.

[@hydang8002]

Omg, I am so hungry right now. I love Texas!!!!

[@neptunechariots2299]

Wow. Glad the algorithm popped this into my feed. Video was edited well and the pit bosses narrated to kindly and warm. I’d love to eat some Viet-Tex

[@jisharagesh9546]

Can hear him talk for hours n makes me smile everytime he smiles 😃 ☺ Great cooking too 😋

[@ibnbrahim2518]

You guys are out of control♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@Ludawig]

Really love the philosophy behind their food, and on top of that, it looks absolutely DELICIOUS

[@muzzaball]

That was really great to see the mix between Viet and Texan food and cultures. I esp liked seeing the brisket on top of the rice like Japanese Nigiri - that would be a tasty treat for sure. Cheers.

[@KCMasterpiece]

Great video. Thanks for highlighting their awesome food and story.

[@NghiaTran-ib1cn]

Looks amazing. Awesome merging of Vietnamese cuisine with Texas BBQ.

[@Ritemon]

I would be a regular at your pop-ups! I so love how our differences are often mitigated by our likenesses. Some of the best Vietnamese food I've ever had came from a tiny place in Memphis. Texas barbecue meets the flavors and cuisine of Vietnam, what's not to like?! Great job!👍

[@djpepperoni40]

His voice is so...perfect, like soothing I want him to read to me

[@brandonleyde9297]

Everything in this video looked amazing. Keep up the great work and enjoy your creativity.

[@ABWSKITCHEN]

Thank you for sharing your experience and ideas, definitely we always get inspired.

[@ryantarrant4686]

i cannot overstate how hungry this made me

[@maggie-hb8tt]

Brilliant!!! I'm Texan. Can't wait to try this!

[@jaredtaylor588]

Awesome video!!!..good for you man!...the food looks absolutely amazing...I would love to try it!

[@steph4559]

As a houstonian, I’m very upset I’ve never heard of this restaurant until now

[@mallorygHTX]

They just do pop ups at breweries and other places. Their food is delicious! Follow them on IG to find out where they pop up 👍

[@Teampegleg]

It isn't like you are lacking for good Vietnamese places.

[@jeffalbillar7625]

@@Teampegleg is there a large Vietnamese population in Houston?

[@Teampegleg]

@@jeffalbillar7625 Oh yes. There is an entire street a couple of miles long where you see alternating Republic of Vietnam and US flags as you drive down. Most of the signs are either in Vietnamese or have both it and English. It is my understanding that Houston is where a good portion of the Vietnamese Refugees were settled after Jerry Brown (the same Jerry Brown that was recently Governor of CA until 2019) refused them coming to California. Google "Little Saigon, Houston" for the location.

[@jeffalbillar7625]

@@Teampegleg that's cool, because I'm from Orange County,Ca. And we have a very, very large Vietnamese population. The last name Nguyen is the most common in orange county. We also have a little Saigon. It covers parts of Garden Grove and Westminster. Idk about nowadays, but Orange County used to have the largest population of Vietnamese outside of Vietnam.

[@SantaCruzSoulSurfer]

As someone who has spent a great deal of time in both TX and Vietnam, I’m in love with this guys cooking, next level deliciousness! 😍😛

[@chocola4llusion]

Nice to know someone who is so dedicated to his heritages and combining them! I wish I’d be able to try their food. The La Lot sausage is genius! Hope there is someone like home in Germany to fusion these cuisines.

[@wolfingitdown2047]

Vietnamese Influenced Texas Barbecue with Japanese Condiments??? *Oh hell yeah*

[@joevergnetti767]

Cam on! This looks delish. My wife is Viet in CO! We’re going to try this ASAP! Thanks for sharing!

[@DyaTrill]

I love this idea and approve of this message. Barely learned about pho like 3 years ago. Brilliant

[@twodeepupyours508]

He's combining all my favorite foods yum

[@alexandermarken7639]

I'm drooling. The food is perfect in concept and style. I have eaten Vietnamese here in Brisbane Australia and it's exactly as he described it. I love Vietnamese seafood even though i'm unable to take all the heat. I would love eating the food they make.

[@frankclark7039]

👏🏼 way to be different and innovative. Looks fantastic!

[@kcarter0265]

An amazing fusion combo! I will definitely be giving this a try in my own home soon!

[@HaiNguyen-hn5jm]

Khói in Vietnamese means Smoke. So it definitely fits with the theme of the Smoked Beef and Chicken. And Don is right, I've been in Houston during my abroad and I admit that Vietnamese and Texan food combine so well

[@BeefcakeButch]

And he’s wearing a rage against the machine shirt!! This guy is the man

[@mirokenle1074]

Great video and how symbolic of new school/next generation when he references Nintendo and Super Mario when talking BBQ!

[@j.stresstl182]

Shout out to those brothers for stepping into the bbq world. I look up to you guys. Respect

[@dougmeyer1823]

Way to go guys. This is truly fantastic

[@cathyle-roux9648]

Love this, how you put Vietnamese cuisine and bbq together...so unique!Also I was born in Phu Quoc 😊

[@LifeInVietnam2013]

God, amazing food. Living in Vietnam for over 7 years, but never had a chance to try such a fusion of western and eastern cousins. My high respect to Mr. Nguyen!

[@adampacetti5497]

awesome! I have been using yuzu kosho dressing for a couple months (new to me) and its cool to see it used this way

[@twodeepupyours508]

Love this series

[@legitpham]

Man, you can tell they went to school with the vocabulary, yet they love cooking more and apply's it to their cooking. That's amazing bro's. Keep it up!!

[@criiisjay]

Give this man his own show. One of my fave vids ever on Eater

[@whuang03]

The way he explains things is very nice.

[@hothamonggirl]

This type of food deserves to be at the Master level. You are the future of food.

[@RaNDoM_MAI]

Very happy to see your video and dying to try that hybrid BBQ and Viet food. Def a must try next visit to texas

[@richieewinns]

So cool to see one of your former collegemates and buds get featured on here! Rock on fellas!

[@ChiminNotJimin]

Sending hugs from Vietnam-Saigon

[@banghuynhcong2504]

Proud 2be Vietnamm👍👍