Trần Trung Nghĩa, born in 1999 in Hội Phú Ward, Gia Lai province, once represented his province as a member of its traditional martial arts team.
After leaving competitive sport, he turned to cooking, a passion he discovered while helping his mother and grandmother prepare family meals. Today, he is head chef and co-founder of two local food ventures that aim to modernise and promote Central Highlands cuisine.
Nghĩa said the discipline and perseverance instilled through martial arts continue to shape his work in the kitchen. He described cooking as a creative space where he can connect people and share stories of his region, combining traditional flavours with contemporary presentation.
According to his mother, Trần Thị Hoàng Thắm, Nghĩa showed an early interest in family recipes and experimentation, with strong support from his family as he pursued a professional culinary career.
In 2018, Nghĩa began formal culinary training at the Á Âu Vocational Training Center in Da Nang. A year later, he entered the profession, developing skills in food preparation, presentation and kitchen management. He later gained experience as a chef at Mövenpick Resort Waverly Phu Quoc, now part of the Phu Quoc Special Zone in An Giang province.
In 2023, Nghĩa and business partner Nguyễn Hiếu, also from Hội Phú Ward, co-founded The Hing Pizza, located at 20 Tô Vĩnh Diện Street in Pleiku Ward, and The Hing Coffee at 47 Lương Định Của Street in Hội Phú Ward. Nghĩa oversees menu development and culinary innovation at The Hing Pizza, while Hiếu manages The Hing Coffee.
Hiếu said the partners aimed to create modern spaces infused with Central Highlands character, where each dish and drink reflects local culture. He described Nghĩa as disciplined and meticulous, with a strong focus on incorporating local ingredients to build a distinctive culinary identity.
Chef Nghĩa prioritises ingredients native to the region, including wild pepper, ant salt, coffee, forest herbs, and vegetables grown in red basalt soil. One of his signature dishes is chicken and “lá é” pizza, which combines Western pizza with Vietnamese basil and herb-marinated chicken inspired by the Central Highlands’ mountains and forests.
Nghĩa has gained recognition through several culinary competitions in Vietnam and abroad. In 2025, he won a gold medal at the Vietnam Talented Chef competition in Hanoi, a silver medal at the Master Chef of Foodex competition in Ho Chi Minh City, and a bronze medal at the Global Culinary Challenge in Malaysia. His competition dishes consistently fused Western formats with Central Highlands flavours, including chicken and “lá é” pizza, wild mushroom pizza and chicken rolls with “lá é.”
By adapting familiar Western dishes with local herbs, mushrooms and free-range chicken, Nghĩa said he hopes to make Central Highlands cuisine more accessible to international diners while preserving its unique identity.
Peter John, an American tourist visiting Gia Lai, said he learned about The Hing Pizza through the media and was drawn to try it in person. He described the chicken and “lá é” pizza as both distinctive and expressive of how Vietnamese chefs convey cultural stories through food.
Beyond his restaurant work, Nghĩa also took part in the record-setting “100 Species of Vietnamese Fish” programme in Ho Chi Minh City, preparing a mackerel roll with cassava and “lá é” sauce to highlight the intersection of regional Vietnamese cuisines.
Addressing young people in Gia Lai, Nghĩa said valuing local cultural heritage, continuous learning and innovation are essential. He believes family kitchens play a foundational role in nurturing passion and shaping a sustainable path in the culinary profession.
