This sauce was born on Top Chef: All Stars Los Angeles Season 17 Episode 5.
We were challenged to create and bottle a signature condiment, with surprise help from a loved one. My mom showed up as my partner. We were very close to winning the challenge, and she definitely questioned what I was doing to this classic, beloved sauce. But once she tasted it, she was a believer.
This is not your everyday nước mắm.
Instead of using fresh ingredients, everything is roasted or fried. That simple shift transforms the flavor: deeper, toastier, more complex. Rice vinegar replaces lime juice for a softer acidity, and Louisiana cane syrup adds an earthy sweetness that makes the whole thing feel grounded and round.
It hits every note: spicy, sweet, salty, sour, and packed with umami.
I brushed it over slow cooked, broiled ribs during the challenge, and Tom Colicchio kept coming back for more. It is one of my proudest creations because it feels like me: Vietnamese roots, New Orleans soul.
Let’s make it.
Roasted Nước Mắm Sauce (aka Nini’s Secret Sauce)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place red pepper flakes into a bowl that is heat resistant.
- Heat oil in a pot and fry garlic. Strain the garlic oil onto the red pepper flake.
- In the same pot, add cane syrup, rice vinegar, fish sauce and brown sugar and bring to a boil.
- Add red pepper flakes and half of the oil into the pot and cook the glaze until it coats the back of a metal spoon.
- Add fried garlic and set aside. This will last a long time in the fridge!
- Clean the ribs of any silver skin and the membrane on the bone side of the ribs.
- Mix the salt, brown sugar and pepper together and rub all over the ribs.
- Wrap the ribs tightly with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours. Let it rest and cool. Better if done the day before.
- Unwrap from foil and glaze with the roasted nước mắm sauce. Place under the broiler just until caramelization occurs (about 3-5 minutes). Glaze one more time and broil.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, cilantro and lime juice. Don’t forget the lime juice!
- Season chicken wings with salt and pepper.
- Dust with cornstarch and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
- Fry in oil for about 10-12 minutes until it is a pale golden color.
- Toss in the secret sauce and garnish with sesame seeds, lime juice and cilantro.
- Roast vegetables with a little salt and olive oil. I like to roast most vegetables at 400°F.
- Once the vegetable is almost done cooking, glaze the vegetables and broil for a few minutes.
- Garnish with lime, sesame seeds and cilantro.
- Place cabbage, mango, mint, cilantro and red onion in a bowl together.
- Crush garlic and thai chili in mortar and pestle and combine the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce.
- Dress the slaw with the fish sauce dressing and season with salt if needed.
