Chef Viet Nguyen’s Covid Pivot Turned Into an OC Breakfast Empire
Chef Viet Nguyen’s path to the kitchen started with spreadsheets, not spatulas. He studied IT and finance, and most of his work served restaurants from the outside. Wanting to understand the business from within, he enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu and spent years working alongside chefs.
In 2014, he opened Súp Noodle Bar in Orange County. The name plays on two meanings: “sup” as in what’s up, and “soup” in Vietnamese. That first concept launched what would become Kei Concepts, now operating 12 restaurants across Orange County. After Súp and Vox Kitchen, a Pan-Asian concept inspired by Chifa, the Peruvian-Chinese culinary movement, Nguyen wanted to offer fine casual dining to the community. He opened Gem Dining in Fountain Valley. Then Covid hit. He faced a choice: close and let 80 people lose their jobs, or pivot fast.
Nep Cafe was born out of desperation. The name means two things: routine and sticky rice. Nguyen set up short stools and low tables outside, an homage to Vietnamese street cafes. At a time when no one could travel to Vietnam, he brought Vietnam to Orange County.
“We felt like we brought a little bit of home to the community,” Nguyen says. “And then it caught on really, really big, you know, line out the door every day.”
The concept wasn’t designed to be a brand. It was a survival plan. But the community showed up. Lines formed daily. Drinking Vietnamese coffee and eating breakfast became a ritual for locals craving connection during lockdown.
Nep Cafe Fountain Valley has built its reputation on a menu that blends Vietnamese coffee tradition with inventive food pairings. The egg coffee layers Vietnamese milk coffee with egg foam, and the coconut ube coffee blends Vietnamese milk coffee with coconut cream and ube cream. On the food side, dishes like “The Dao” pair potato espuma with slow-poached egg, truffle oil and toast. The banh mi chao with filet mignon includes black peppercorn sauce, sunny eggs, pork roll, pate, and tomato on banh mi. The seafood ceviche combines scallops, shrimp, calamari, coconut, Thai chili and mango. The xoi chien comes with crispy sticky rice, fried egg, pate, pork roll, Chinese sausage, pork floss and peanuts.
To test whether Kei Concepts could thrive beyond Little Saigon, Nguyen opened Súp, Rol and Nep in Irvine. The support proved overwhelming. Nep Cafe became a James Beard Foundation Best Chef: California semifinalist in 2026. Nguyen admits he didn’t know much about the award or why Nep was selected over other Kei Concepts. But after learning what it means, the recognition feels well-earned.
Now comes the biggest move yet. Nep Cafe is expanding to Los Angeles in 2027, adding to a portfolio that already spans more than a dozen locations across Orange County and Los Angeles. What started as short stools on a sidewalk during a pandemic has grown into one of California’s most celebrated destinations for Vietnamese breakfast and coffee culture.
This article is brought to you by one of the many talented writers associated with Locale Magazine! We are a group of locals (whether born and raised or transplanted) who love this county we now call home!
