Meet Avon Nguyen | Food & Lifestyle Influencer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Avon Nguyen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Avon, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor is just being genuine. A lot of people rely on my opinion to decide on how they’d want to spend their time and money so it’s imperative I’m genuine with my videos. I try to keep my page pretty positive but I couldn’t recommend something I didn’t believe in 100%.

When I first started making videos it was to highlight my favorite local spots that needed some help getting back on its feet after the pandemic. I really focused on Asian mom and pop shops as an Asian person myself but also due to the increase in Asian disparity during and after Covid-19. I grew up in a largely white neighborhood and went to a predominately white school so I had a lot of un-learning to do when it came to internal racism. It was difficult for me to bring Asian dishes to school in fear my white classmates would make fun of it or whatever so now as an adult I make it goal to eat and highlight as much Asian cuisine as possible not only for myself and for those who already enjoy Asian food but for those who might not be comfortable with it.

I think being able to watch someone eat and give their genuine reaction to something new makes it a lot less scary. I hope I can create an environment where viewers feel comfortable trusting my opinions and maybe take it upon themselves to try something new too!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
There’s a lot of food influencers in Dallas, and they’re all great! Dallas is a big city with lots of people and more importantly, lots of food so there’s room for all of us. Something I feel like sets me a part from the average influencer is that I never really intended to be one! My videos really just started out as a diary for myself and what I really enjoyed eating. I never really thought my opinion would mean so much to others!

So it really goes back to being genuine, I only post what I love and I think the honestly really resonates with people! My videos aren’t really advertisements for anything and I really hope when people watch my video they feel as if they’re just eating out with a friend.

The biggest challenge out of all of this for me was putting myself out there. What I’ve learned from this experience is that you can’t please anyone! And you shouldn’t try to. When you put yourself out there, opening yourself to the public opinion you can expect there to be someone who disagrees with you. Whether they don’t like the food you ate, the festival you showcased, or even the outfit you wore in the video! I had to learn through time to not let comments get the better of me and not to take it personally!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Dallas is such a big city so first things first, we’re gonna need a car! If they’re a fan of sports The Star is a must! It’s free to hang out and chill on the field but there’s also some great restaurants in the area, La Parisienne being one of my favorites. If we wanted to splurge we could head down to Arlington and do a VIP tour of AT&T Stadium aka home of the Dallas Cowboys!

Nature lover? Let’s take a hike in Arbor Hills, it’s in the suburbs but let’s be real, it’s fun, it’s huge, and there’s plenty of wildlife you can run into. This is also a great Pokémon Go spot? Or we can take a trip to the Arboretum! This lush garden is great in the spring with a huge display of tulips or if they’re here during fall or winter there’s great Halloween and Christmas decor.

Shopping? Let’s head to Legacy West for some high end shopping then go south to Bishop Ave to go vintage shopping!

In terms of food there’s so many places we could go. It’s all I ever think about! For a fancy night out I really love going to Steve Fields. You know it’s good when the owner, Steve, comes to ever table to check on you. While they pride themselves as a steakhouse it’s the lobster that really gets me. One of the freshest I’ve ever had! And there’s no skipping the caramel chocolate butter cream, I typically take an extra slice home. I love being able to have a fancy night out while still supporting locally, they even have live music! Another place I’m a big fan of is Seapot, this place not only serves AYCE hot pot, KBBQ, but also has a revolving conveyor belt that runs throughout the restaurant carrying toppings. Not only is it delicious but its a fun activity too!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My dad. The hardest working person I’ve ever met in my life. In Asian culture sometimes it’s a little hard to express love in words so my dad has always shown me he loves me through food. Growing up we always bonded through food, especially pastries. Growing up he’d work all day so we wouldn’t have much time together but on Sunday, his only day off, the whole family would go to this cheap Chinese buffet, I remember it being called Lucky Buffet or something generic like that. While we were there him and I would load up on food and my favorite part was always making him a “dessert plate” where I’d try my best to arrange it as if we were at a five star restaurant.

I think that’s where I really developed my love for food. It wasn’t just the food itself, but the relationship my dad and I built around it. He’s always been supportive throughout my entire life no matter what I wanted so when I told him I was pivoting from corporate culture to being a creative content creator he didn’t say much but went out and bought me a tripod so I could film on it. Having a strong support system is always important but I’m glad my dad and I can still bond through something we’ve had in common all my life.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avon.nguyen/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@AvonNguyen

Other: TikTok: @Avon.Nguyen

Image Credits
Teo Gelato in the main picture