Mill Valley residents have long become fans of the Local Kitchens model – the category-defining restaurant brand known for its elevated menu of multi-cuisine offerings developed in collaboration with celebrity chefs and beloved restaurants—has teamed up with social media sensation and recent Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree Tue Nguyen (aka TwayDaBae) to collaborate on the creation of a new menu launching February 6. This partnership is Local Kitchens’ first Vietnamese-inspired menu, further enriching the restaurant’s array of globally inspired cuisines from award-winning chefs. 

The new “Tấm Tấm Rice” menu features Tue’s take on “broken rice plates” (or “cơm tấm”), a beloved street food staple, deeply rooted in Southern Vietnamese culture and made using a byproduct of the rice milling process. Originally an affordable, yet often overlooked ingredient, this “broken rice” or “tấm” was used mainly by farmers and rural families. 

“Today, ‘broken rice plates’ are incredibly popular and a symbol of resilience and innovation,” said Chef Tue. “For this reason, they hold signicant meaning for me—and inspired my own take on the dish with Local Kitchens.” 

Dishes are designed to offer a culinary journey rooted in Vietnamese heritage, while complemented by Chef Tue’s signature penchant for punched up, hyper bold avor proles. Guests will nd standout favorites like:

• The Broke Chick Tấm – inspired by the traditional, street food-style broken rice plate, made with charbroiled chicken, fragrant broken rice, Vietnamese pork & egg quiche, pickled mustard greens, pickled daikon & carrots, persian cucumbers, tomato salad, sweet sh sauce, scallion oil, crispy onions, and cilantro.
• The Rich Pork Belly Tấm – another spin on a traditional broken rice plate, this version is topped with slices of rich, tender braised pork belly. 
• Spicy Pork Belly Fried Rice – inspired by Tue’s rst viral video, this dish features a blend of spicy fried broken rice and chunks of braised pork belly, served with a fried egg and green onions. 
• Tamarind Jackfruit Salad (vegetarian) – made with sweet jackfruit, Persian cucumbers, mint, basil, cilantro, a crunchy carrot & cabbage salad blend, and crispy onions; served with a vietnamese egg roll and tamarind vinaigrette. 

Chef Tue’s culinary vision embraces the authentic, diverse avors of Vietnam—sweet, salty, savory, spicy, and sour—while reecting her unique perspective as an immigrant to the United States. 

“I see myself as an educator and storyteller,” said Chef Tue. “While dishes like phở and bánh mì are well known in the States, broken rice plates are a core staple in my culture and deserve more of the spotlight. Through social media and food, I can share my heritage, whether it’s teaching a new recipe on TikTok or inviting people to discover elevated twists on broken rice plates at Local Kitchens.” 

“Discovery and innovation are at the heart of Local Kitchens,” said Head of Culinary, Ashley Torrijos. “We invite our guests to explore global cuisines and avors, while celebrating the unique culinary journeys and heritage of our chef partners. When fans asked for more Southeast Asian dishes, we knew Chef Tue’s creativity, talent, and devoted fanbase made her the perfect partner.” 

To celebrate the occasion, Local Kitchens will host an exclusive meet-and-greet event with Chef Tue at their San Bruno location on Saturday, February 15 from 12-2 p.m. Fans will get the opportunity to sample dishes from the new menu and enjoy a special afternoon with the star chef. Follow Local Kitchens on Instagram for the latest on the event, chef partner news, limited-time offers, and upcoming collaborations. Other recent partner additions include the award-winning chef and media personality Alvin Cailan (Eggslut, Amboy, and First We Feast’s “The Burger Show”) and legendary Bay Area institution Koi Palace. 

About Chef Tue Nguyen aka Twaydabae 

Chef Tue Nguyen is one of the fastest-rising stars in the digital food space. Born in Vietnam, she moved to Southern California at age 8 where she became enamored with Anthony Bourdain’s culinary travels on television and the abundance of online cooking videos on YouTube. The two fascinations coalesced when after graduating culinary school and staging at Wolfgang Puck’s internationally renowned Spago, the pandemic hit. Nguyen soon discovered that the growing social media sensation TikTok served as the perfect outlet for sharing the cultural and culinary story of Vietnam (a desire inspired by Bourdain’s trips to her birth country) and her instructive how-to videos. Her posts quickly went viral, racking up millions of views and gaining followers across platforms. A series of sold-out pop-ups with The h.wood Group, Family Style Festival, ComplexCon, Madame Vo in New York, and chef Roy Choi in Los Angeles followed. In 2023, Nguyen opened her rst restaurant, DiDi, described as “a love letter to Vietnam.” Her debut cookbook, Di An, released in 2024, was named one of the year’s best by The New York Times, Esquire, and others. Follow Nguyen, aka Twaydabae on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. 

Local Kitchens opened its wallet in a big way in 2024 year with upgraded and new locations across Northern California, according to the North Bay Business Journal. Those upgrades are part of a broader $40 million investment that Local Kitchens recently secured to fuel its expansion plans, in both Northern and Southern California, TechCrunch reported June 25. Leading the series B funding round was General Catalyst, plus other existing investors Human Capital, Pear VC and DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang. On top of the $28 million series A round that included NBA star Steph Curry and his food entrepreneur wife, Ayesha, Local Kitchens has raised $75 million so far.

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