Ever since he was little, Hen Nguyen has had a passion for cooking.
With degrees in advanced culinary arts, pastry and baking arts, and restaurant management, he has turned that passion into his life’s work.
He started his career as an intern at Providence, a seafood restaurant in West Hollywood with two Michelin stars. Now, Hen Nguyen brings his expertise to Long Beach as the co-owner and head chef of Lazy Dough, a new brunch spot that soft-opened on May 9, taking over the building that was formerly Seabirds Kitchen.
“I created this place as, like a playground, not just for me, but also for everybody else, for whoever has a strong passion with food, [and is] creative,” Hen Nguyen said.
Lazy Dough offers coffee, matcha lattes, fresh-baked pastries, a selection of breakfast and lunch items like breakfast burritos, sandwiches, pizzas, and salads.
Hen Nguyen’s favorite things to make are the croissants.
“I make it every day. I just love the smell of butter, the smell of the yeast. I’m just in love with it,” he said.
He’s turned the pastry into a canvas for dishes like his eggs Benedict croissant and croissant French toast.
He particularly enjoys making the Dubai croissant that’s filled with pistachio paste in the center, topped with chocolate and shredded phyllo dough.
The best part of being the head chef, Hen Nguyen said, is being able to express his creativity in new dishes.
“The fun part is creating something, and [bringing] joy to the customer,” he said.
While Hen Nguyen is focused on the food, his older sister Lin Nguyen handles the management side of things.
Lin Nguyen helped encourage her brother to start the restaurant after seeing how excited people were about his food. She used to bring dishes he’d cooked to her work at a pharmacy. Her coworkers loved them.
“It totally changed everybody’s day. Everybody got so excited about the food, and it made me happy,” Lin Nguyen said. She wanted to share that feeling with the community. “I want to make people feel like they’re welcome, they’re important. I’m here to make their day happy, and that will make me happy.”
While they’re still learning the restaurant business, Lin Nguyen said they’re focused on creating a positive experience for customers.
“Our goal here is to create a very relaxing environment where people come in and feel welcome, enjoy good food and don’t have to break the bank,” she said.
The average price for a dish at Lazy Dough is $14.50, with the most expensive menu item being the steak and eggs skillet, which costs $22. The average price for a drink is $5.
Lazy Dough will have its grand opening on June 20 and will be open five days a week. Until then, the Nguyens are using this time to learn everything they can to perfect their craft.
Lazy Dough, 975 E Fourth Street, is currently open Friday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a new grand opening date.