Our Story

 

This is Thao & Nam, your hosts at Tóp Tép.

Tóp Tép means “munching loudly” in Vietnamese. Back when we were kids, our favorite activities were hanging out with friends after school and exploring street food and bustling alleyway eateries in Hanoi. We want to bring you the Vietnamese cuisine we experienced growing up.


The food we cook at Top Tep embraces classic Vietnamese dishes with modern twists. The menu will focus on fresh, flavorful and balanced food meant to be shared with friends and family. Started in San Francisco, now Los Angeles & New York City. We are proud to bring you our “home away from home”.

 
 


  • Co-Founder

    Born and bred in Hanoi, Thao immigrated to the US when she was 18. Hungry for the flavors of Hanoi, where she grew up, she started hosting dinners and gatherings as a way of cooking and sharing dishes from her hometown. In 2019, she and partner Nam Nguyen launched a quarterly pop-up dinner series called Tóp Tép—an homage to Vietnamese, and especially Hanoian, cuisine—which quickly found its home at Bar Hermanito. Thao has served as the Assistant General Manager at The Waterfront Venice, then at the newly opened Causita in Silver Lake, where she works alongside Chef Ricardo Zarate. Thao is now the General Manager at the Butcher’s Daughter Venice. She continues to pursue her passion of bringing people together—one dinner at a time—and sharing the familiar flavors of home with Los Angeles.

    IG: @thaopham26

 

Meet the Team

Two Hanoians who are passionate about bringing people together - one dinner at a time -

 


  • Co-Founder

    Born and raised in Hanoi and now based in New York City, Nam blends his professional background in life sciences strategy with a deep-rooted passion for food and storytelling. After six years in consulting, he now works in the pharmaceutical industry, helping companies bring new therapies to patients through thoughtful commercialization and launch strategy.

    Outside of work, Nam channels his creative energy into food, a passion that began in his mother’s kitchen, where she would leave handwritten recipes for him to prepare lunch or dinner before she returned from work. Today, he draws inspiration from those early memories to share Vietnamese flavors and stories with a broader audience through Tóp Tép.

    IG: @tasteofthebear
    Substack: @tasteofthebear