Competitions and Results

Competition has been one of our greatest teachers. It puts our craft under pressure and reveals very quickly where our standards really are. When the clock is running and every decision matters, preparation, discipline, and teamwork become everything.

Give me Five at the kitchen

We compete because we want to grow. Every event sharpens our technique, improves our execution, and pushes our flavors further. Some days we win. Some days we learn hard lessons. Both have made us better cooks.

This page is a record of the competitions we've entered, the milestones we're grateful for, and the events we're preparing for next.

Milestones We're Grateful For

Some competition moments have marked major turning points in our journey. Not simply because of the result, but because of what they demanded from us. These were the events where preparation met opportunity, where our teamwork held up under pressure, and where years of practice translated into results.

We're proud of these accomplishments, but we don't view them as finish lines. They're markers along a much longer journey and reminders to keep raising our standards.

Preparing plates

Competition History

Every competition has taught us something valuable. Some brought trophies, some brought perspective, and all of them helped us improve.

We keep a record of these events because growth doesn't happen in a single moment. It happens through repetition, experience, setbacks, adjustments, and showing up again with a willingness to learn.

Preston

Competition Record

At first, I didn’t see the point in putting so much effort into this food competition. I knew we weren’t going to win, so as a young, inexperienced high school kid, I didn’t see the reason to sacrifice so much sleep over perfecting the opening round dishes. Looking back, however, I realize that’s what set us apart from the rest. What we lacked in competition experience, we made up for in sheer determination and practice.

Later on, I became familiar with how our family dynamic was in the kitchen. I knew how my parents moved, their strengths, and their areas where they needed help. They knew how I worked, too. It’s awesome to say I competed with my family. I know not everyone can say that, and I feel incredibly blessed.

In 2025 and 2026, I was honored to win both the World Chef Champion and the World Food Champion titles for a second time, with my entire family cooking by my side. Sharing that accomplishment made it more meaningful than any title could ever be.

  1. World Chef Champion
    World Food Championships, Main Event
    Dallas, TX

    Competing against seasoned professional chefs, many of whom had been cooking longer than Preston had been alive, he earned the highest score not just in his category but across the entire first round of the competition. He won the World Chef Champion title at 18 years old and was named WFC Rookie of the Year. Peter and Emma served as his sous chefs.

    Golden Ticket Winner
    Last Chance Qualifiers
    Dallas, TX

    Preston entered the World Food Championships by winning a golden ticket at a last-chance qualifier event hosted by Dallas College, just one month into culinary school.

    2nd Place Rotisseurs
    Jeune Chefs Rotisseurs Competition
    Dallas, TX
    Finalist National BBQ
    National High School BBQ Competition
    Llano, TX
    4th Place Taste of Cowboys High School
    Dan Dipert Career Center
    Arlington, TX

  2. 1st Place Master Judges and Steak Finalist
    World Food Championships, Main Event
    Dallas, TX

    Preston enters the steak category and receives first place with the Master Judges.

    Preston Nguyen Day, October 25
    Tarrant County, TX

    Tarrant County Judge presents Preston with his own official day, Preston Nguyen Day.

    World Food Champion
    World Food Championships, Final Table
    Lake Murray, SC

    Preston outlasted nine other category champions in a three-round culinary gauntlet, earning the title of World Food Champion and a $100,000 prize. He became the youngest World Food Champion in the competition's history. His winning final-round menu included fried quail lollipops with hot honey glaze, Southern quail and dumplings, deviled quail eggs, and Carolina-themed sides.

    There was a huge wave of relief. The pressure of going up against the executive chefs, people who had been cooking longer than he had been alive, was pretty stressful. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and he seized it. All of the hours and days of practicing paid off. Winning the title with his mom and dad was an unforgettable experience, he said he wouldn't trade it for the world.

    When he returned home from South Carolina, he started receiving a flood of interview requests from news outlets and magazines. The realization of what he had done started to hit him.

  3. Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef
    Season 2, FOX
    London, England

    Preston appeared in 8 episodes of the show, which premiered after the Super Bowl as the most-watched cooking competition on American television that season. Ramsay selected Preston as his first draft pick and said on camera that he was not cooking at that level at Preston’s age. He called Preston one of the most talented young chefs in the country.

    3rd Place Chef Champion
    World Food Championships, Main Event
    Dallas, TX

    Preston presented his heritage through molecular gastronomy, earning him third place that year.

    Rising Star Finalist
    Texas Restaurant Association Rising Star
    Houston, TX

    Preston was nominated for the Rising Star award.

  4. Beat Bobby Flay, Food Network
    New York, NY

    Preston appeared on the long-running Food Network competition.

    World Chef Champion
    World Food Championships, Main Event
    Indianapolis, IN

    Preston won the World Chef category for the second time, becoming a two-time champion at 22 years old. His entire family, Peter, Emma, Julian, and Evalyn, competed alongside him as his team.

    Arlington 40 Under 40, Class of 2025
    Arlington, TX

    Preston was recognized as one of the top rising professionals and as a community leader shaping Arlington's future.

  5. Open Fire World Champion (Sous Chef)
    Memphis in May
    Memphis, TN

    Preston competed in the inaugural 24-hour open-fire cook at Memphis in May, producing a four-course menu and helping his mother and teammates capture first place against seasoned pitmasters and Michelin chefs from around the world.

    World Food Champion
    World Food Championships, Final Table
    Bentonville, AR

    Preston is the youngest and the first World Food Champion to win the Final Table twice, making history once more, and this time with his entire family cooking by his side.

    Live Fire Beef Champion ( Sous Chef)
    NBBQA National Live Fire Championship
    Nashville, TN

    Preston enters the live-fire scene on his mother’s team to cook Michelin-worthy dishes, and helps her capture first place in the beef category.
    Preston receiving the price

Emma

Competition Record

  1. World Chef Champion (Sous Chef)
    World Food Championships, Main Event
    Dallas, TX

    Emma enters a food competition for the first time and helps her son win the title of World Chef Champion.

  2. World Food Champion (Sous Chef)
    World Food Championship, Final Table
    Lake Murray, SC

    Emma helps her son earn the title of World Food Champion, making him the youngest in WFC history to win at the Final Table.

  3. Fire Woman Champion
    Fire Woman Challenge
    Dallas, TX

    Emma competed for the first time in a 90-minute live-fire competition without electricity. She earned first place with her menu honoring her parents and her Mexican roots.

  4. Fire Woman Champion
    Fire Woman Challenge
    Indianapolis, IN

    Emma defends her title as two-time Fire Woman Champion, dedicating her menu to her husband and their love story.

    First Place in People’s Choice
    South Eastern BBQ Showdown
    Columbia, SC

    Emma cooks at her first BBQ competition, securing first place in the People’s Choice with smoked brisket.

  5. Fire Woman Runner-up
    Fire Woman Challenge
    Indianapolis, IN

    Emma misses her threepeat by 0.10 of a point, cooking a tribute menu to London, where she first fell in love with live-fire cooking.

    World Chef Champion (Sous Chef)
    World Food Championships, Main Event
    Indianapolis, IN

    Emma helps defend her son’s title as Chef Champion as his sous chef once more.

  6. Open Fire World Champion
    Memphis in May
    Memphis, TN

    Emma leads her team, securing the title of Grand Champion at the inaugural Open Fire Championship at Memphis in May with her 4-course Mexican heritage menu cooked over live fire within 24 hours.

    World Food Champion (Sous Chef)
    World Food Championships, Final Table
    Bentonville, AR

    Emma helps defend her son’s title as World Food Champion as his sous chef, setting another record in WFC history.

    Live Fire Beef Champion
    NBBQA National Live Fire Championship
    Nashville, TN

    Emma leads her team, securing first place against seasoned pitmasters from across the country in the beef category. This was Emma’s first time leading a team in a live fire cooking competition.

Peter

Competition Record

  1. World Chef Champion (Sous Chef)
    World Food Championships, Main Event
    Dallas, TX

    Peter enters the World Food Championships for the first time, along with his son and wife, to help capture the title of World Chef Champion.

  2. World Food Champion (Sous Chef)
    World Food Championships, Final Table
    Lake Murray, SC

    Peter helps his son capture the title of World Food Champion.

  3. Biscuit Champion
    Biscuits and Jampionship
    Dallas, TX

    Peter enters the Biscuits and Jampionship at the World Food Championships for the first time alongside his son, Julian, as his sous chef, and wins first place with the title of Biscuit King.

  4. People’s Choice
    South Eastern BBQ Showdown
    Columbia, SC

    Peter joins his law partner and his wife in their first BBQ competition, winning People’s Choice with their smoked brisket.

  5. World Chef Champion (Sous Chef)
    World Food Championships, Main Event
    Indianapolis, IN

    Peter helps defend his son’s title as World Chef Champion once more.

  6. World Food Champion (Sous Chef)
    World Food Championships, Final Table
    Bentonville, AR

    Peter helps defend his son’s title as World Food Champion once more at the Final Table alongside his other children and wife.

    Live Fire Beef Champion (Sous Chef)
    NBBQA National Live Fire Championship
    Nashville, TN

    Peter joins his wife’s team and grills the dessert alongside his daughter, helping them win first place in the beef category.

Julian

Competition Record

  1. Biscuit Champion (Sous Chef)
    Biscuits and Jampionship
    Dallas, TX

    Julian enters his first baking competition, the Biscuits and Jampionship, with his dad, and wins.

  2. World Chef Champion (Sous Chef)
    World Food Championships, Main Event
    Indianapolis, IN

    Julian joins his brother cooking for the first time at the World Food Championships and helps capture the win.

  3. World Food Champion (Sous Chef)
    World Food Championships, Final Table
    Bentonville, AR

    Julian joins his brother and cooks to help capture the win at the Final Table.

Evalyn

Competition Record

  1. World Chef Champion (Sous Chef)
    World Food Championships, Main Event
    Indianapolis, IN

    Evalyn joins her brother for the first time at the World Food Championships to cook on his team. She helps capture the win.

  2. Live Fire Beef Champion (Sous Chef)
    NBBQA National Live Fire Beef
    Nashville, TN

    Evalyn joins her mother’s team and grills the desserts for her, capturing the win at the live fire competition.

    World Food Champion (Sous Chef)
    World Food Championships, Final Table
    Bentonville, AR

    Evalyn returns as her brother’s cook and helps him win the Final Table.

What We're Preparing For Now

We're always preparing for what's next. Upcoming competitions influence what we're practicing, testing, refining, and discussing around our table right now.

Flames during cooking

Preparation starts long before event day. It happens through repetition, tasting, adjustment, teamwork, and honest feedback. When a competition is approaching, our focus sharpens, our standards rise, and every detail matters a little more.

We'll continue sharing upcoming events here so you can follow along with what we're building toward.

Beyond the Stage

What we learn in competition doesn't stay there. It comes home with us and influences how we cook for our family, our friends, and our guests.

The discipline, focus, timing, and attention to detail developed through competition show up in every meal we prepare. Over time, those habits become part of who we are.

Competition is one chapter of our story.
The pursuit of craft is the constant.