04 May 2026
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The first MICHELIN-Starred Vietnamese restaurant in the U.S., Camille is a “pure expression of identity” for Chef Tung Phan. He blends Vietnamese flavors, French technique and personal memories into a cuisine that has captivated our MICHELIN Guide Inspectors.
“Our goal is to translate my experiences as a Vietnamese American who has trained in classical cooking,” Phan explains. “I take the opportunity to really understand the food my parents grew up with, preserving those flavors and ingredients, but showcasing them in a very untraditional perspective.”
Chef Tung uses dairy, sauces and techniques from French cooking alongside principles of Southern Vietnamese cuisine, which focuses on balance and freshness. “There’s a lot of freshness, herbaceous notes and fish sauce,” he explains. “It’s a balance of sweet, salty and spicy. We love texture. Vietnamese food is very multidimensional.” Ingredients like navel oranges come from nearby farms and are paired with select imports, including premium Japanese tuna and rau răm (Vietnamese coriander), an herb prized for its bright, peppery aroma.
Reimagining Vietnamese Classics Through Memory and Modern Technique
The result? Familiar Vietnamese staples appear on the menu in unexpected forms. One standout for guests is the espuma of pho, an aerated foam that includes the spices and aromatics of Southern-style pho. “It preserves the essence of pho, but in a format that was acceptable in both realms, French and Vietnamese,” says Phan.
Dishes bring Phan back to childhood, including memories of walking along the beach of Nha Trang, Vietnam. He says, “There was an old lady walking around with a basket selling dau hu (silken tofu with ginger syrup) as a dessert.” For a moment, guests can taste how much he enjoyed that experience. “They’re simple memories,” he says, “but they’re powerful.”
Tung Phan’s Journey From Breakdancer to Chef
Phan’s path to becoming a chef was unexpected. Born in Vietnam, he moved to Iowa at the age of two before eventually settling in Florida. His earliest culinary job came at 14, washing dishes at a Korean fried chicken restaurant. “I just wanted money to buy some Nike SBs,” he laughs. Later, he worked in pizza and sushi kitchens, but his true passion was breaking. “I was a b-boy,” he says. “I did breakdancing into my late twenties and even performed in Europe and Asia.”
Travel exposed him to new cuisines and cultures. One day, a television commercial for culinary school caught his attention, eventually leading him to enroll at Le Cordon Bleu. After training at MICHELIN-Starred Victoria & Albert’s, he opened Camille in Orlando, his hometown where the “local Vietnamese grocery stores knew him by face and name.”
When he started building the restaurant, Phan wanted the dining room to be designed to feel just as welcoming as Orlando. “We wanted bright elegance,” Chef Tung says. “Like you’re in someone’s home with friends.” The soundtrack reflects his evolving identity too, with hip-hop beats alongside Vietnamese pop. “We’re jamming,” he says. “We’re dancing with service.”
In the early days, if a guest left unhappy, he couldn't sleep. It consumed him. He's made peace with the truth that not everyone will love what he makes, but he still aims for it each night. “If they leave happy, that’s everything,” he says. “If they left feeling great, that's all I can ask for."
Mentorship, Innovation, and Family: How Tung Phan Is Elevating Vietnamese Cuisine
He now mentors a new generation of chefs cooking Vietnamese cuisine. “They should have confidence and pride,” he says. “It can be just as elevated and refined as Korean and Japanese cuisine.” In his kitchen, Chef Tung emphasizes fundamentals: patience, hard work and taste. "If a dish looks beautiful but it doesn't taste good, you're destroying it. First, it has to taste good."
Just like how he approaches dancing, Phan is a freestyle artist in the kitchen by nature, guided by palate and improvisation. “I’ve yet to repeat a dish,” he says. “I always want to keep moving forward.” A plate might appear on the menu when Phan feels it is only “about 80 percent” complete. “By the time it reaches perfection, we start thinking about taking it off the menu,” he says.
Phan’s greatest inspiration is his family. “My family is the sole purpose of my drive. It helps me make the right decisions,” he says. His wife’s belief in him helped push him to pursue the restaurant in the first place. “She believed in me more than I believed in myself.”
Despite the demands of running a MICHELIN-Starred restaurant and raising four children with his wife, he still makes time to cook at home. “I don’t care how tired I am,” he says. “I need to cook for my family. Cooking for the people you love, that’s the most fulfilling thing.” Camille is named after his daughter, after all. He explains, “In French, it means perfect and pure, and those two words resonate with my approach to the cuisine here.”
Looking ahead, Phan hopes to collaborate with more Vietnamese chefs across the United States and Vietnam. “Vietnamese food is going to be more respected over time,” he says. At Camille, he’s helping lead that transformation.
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Hero image: Chef Tung's take on gỏi cuốn (Vietnamese spring rolls). © Christoper Abeleda/Camille
