Phan Ton Tinh Hai

Master, culinary artisan Phan Ton Tinh Hai is one of the top 10 chefs in Vietnam, as well as a Culinary Artisan and a familiar judge on shows like MasterChef Vietnam, Top Chef, and Iron Chef Vietnam. She currently serves as the CEO of Viet Culinary Arts Joint Stock Company (VCA) and Principal of the Viet Culinary Arts School (formerly MINT Culinary School).

Born in Hue into a Royal family with a tradition of Hue Imperial cuisine, Tinh Hai was inspired early on by her mother – artisan Ton Nu Thi Ha – in culinary arts. With nearly 30 years dedicated to the profession, she earned a Master's degree in Culinary Arts and Nutrition in New York, becoming a pioneering expert in combining modern knowledge with the identity of traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Chef Tinh Hai not only creates and promotes the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine to international friends but also trains thousands of students both domestically and internationally. She is considered an icon of the modern Vietnamese chef – professional, dedicated, and always aiming to spread the cultural value of the national cuisine.