Soul Food

By Ryan Young

“Do what you love and keep your family close.”

For Dee Nguyen, chef and owner of Break of Dawn in the Orange County, California suburb of Laguna Hills, this philosophy has been one of his guiding principles throughout a life full of unexpected twists and turns.

Nguyen, 33, first recognized his passion and skill for cooking while an undergraduate at UC Riverside, preparing meals for his housemates. Although he graduated with a biology degree, Nguyen pursued a culinary degree through the San Francisco-based California Culinary Academy. His career seemed destined for success, as he rapidly ascended to the Executive Sous Chef position at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, where he garnered much acclaim from the local culinary community; his dreams of running his own fine dining restaurant appeared in sight.

Then, tragic circumstances beset his son Berlin, forcing Dee to re-evaluate his priorities. Two years ago, at a major crossroad in his career, he chose to follow his heart and his true passion - his family. He left behind his lucrative and prestigious position to open a modest 50-seat breakfast and lunch restaurant, located only three miles from home, to have a more manageable schedule to better look after Berlin.

It was in 2001 when Nguyen’s wife and college sweetheart Linh was 18-weeks pregnant that the first medical complications arose. Berlin was discovered to have Eagle-Barrett syndrome, in which his urinary tract and abdominal muscles were malformed, causing severe damage to his internal organs. Doctors performed several operations during his first two years to try to treat his ailments.

But the most damaging incident was yet to come. In 2003, Berlin underwent a procedure to repair damage to his stomach. During the surgery, his breathing tube was mistakenly blocked by uncleared mucus, causing him to go without oxygen for more than ten minutes. He was in a coma for a month. Miraculously, he survived the episode, but the effects were devastating. Berlin suffered from infantile seizures for several months after the accident. Today, at six-years old, his motor skills more closely resemble that of a ten-month old infant. He can’t verbally communicate, but remarkably has a near-normal degree of mental awareness. However, his condition is seen as too delicate to operate on again.

Throughout the hardships, the Nguyen family has remained positive and hopeful, leaning on each other and their Catholic faith. Dee works at the restaurant five days a week, closing the restaurant at 2:30 pm to have sufficient time to spend with Berlin. Dee credits Linh, who works as a pharmacist and manages all of the administrative functions of Break of Dawn, as the backbone of the family. Other extended family members help out by watching Berlin, and by providing transportation to and from his physical therapy and school.

Overcoming adversity has always been part of the family’s character. Originally from Da Nang, Dee and his family attempted to escape from Vietnam ten times over the course of two years before finding success, which included imprisonment and a near-death encounter with a typhoon. Incidentally, Dee and Linh were on the same boat during the typhoon and during their ultimate escape. And later, when Dee and Linh became reacquainted in college through her brother (and his best friend), it was in his tragic death through lupus that the two grew to love and support one another, eventually marrying in 2000.

Despite the significant challenges of maintaining his own restaurant, Dee feels content with the path that he has chosen. He recognizes the difficulty in offering what he terms “creative comfort food” in an area where patrons are more comfortable with chain restaurants. Nevertheless, Break of Dawn has received numerous accolades from food critics and local bloggers alike, even though the restaurant is not fine dining as Nguyen once envisioned. Nguyen’s inventive takes on traditional breakfast dishes like crème brulee French toast, and Vietnamese-influenced lunch entrees such as barbeque pork and meatloaf with biscuits and gravy are generating a loyal following. But even when business is slow, he draws happiness from simply being in the kitchen and helping people enjoy food, what he deems as the “fundamental source of happiness.”

And every time he sees a little breakthrough in Berlin’s development, Dee is reminded of what truly matters. “He’s only six, but wherever he goes, he puts a smile on people’s faces,” he explains with pride. “In my heart, I know he’s going to be somebody important. Someone who makes a difference in society.” It is this hope that keeps the spirit of Break of Dawn alive, in spite of the obstacles. It is this love that is evident in every dish that he serves.

Ryan Young is a business development manager for a technology company and a freelance writer. He is based in Southern California.