CHARLIE HUYNH

Savors Victory in Gay Awards Named Best Gay Chef at Puerto Vallarta Gays Awards

BY JERRY JONES

CHEF CHARLIE HUYNH, OWNER OF LET’S PHO IN PUERTO VALLARTA, WAS HONORED AS BEST GAY CHEF AT THE SECOND ANNUAL PUERTO VALLARTA GAYS: BEST OF AWARDS ON FEBRUARY 27, 2025. THE EVENT, HELD AT INDUSTRY, RECOGNIZED NOTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS WITHIN THE LOCAL LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND HAD MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE ATTEND.

CHEF CHARLIE HUYNH, OWNER OF LET’S PHO IN PUERTO VALLARTA, WAS HONORED AS BEST GAY CHEF AT THE SECOND ANNUAL PUERTO VALLARTA GAYS: BEST OF AWARDS ON FEBRUARY 27, 2025. THE EVENT, HELD AT INDUSTRY, RECOGNIZED NOTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS WITHIN THE LOCAL LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND HAD MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE ATTEND.

In addition to Best Gay Chef, his restaurant was a finalist for Best Gay Owned Restaurant. And in the recent We Are Puerto Vallarta Awards, he was named Favorite Chef.

Huynh, originally from Saigon, Vietnam, relocated to the United States at age 13. He developed a passion for cooking early on, leading him to establish multiple restaurants in Houston, Texas. In October 2022, he expanded his culinary ventures to Puerto Vallarta with the opening of Let’s Pho. At the young age of 37 he has had a career as a model, been a philanthropist for the LGBT+ community and successfully opened five restaurants.

Building on the success of his Puerto Vallarta location, Huynh expanded Let’s Pho to Guadalajara in the summer of 2024. The Guadalajara restaurant, located at Morelos 1854 in the Ladrón de Guevara neighborhood, has been well-received for its authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

“As a college dropout, I had to create my own opportunity. I had to do something with my life. So when the opportunity of owning my own restaurant presented itself, I took it,¨ Huynh said.

He is a self-taught chef and Huynh says he has a natural ability to see opportunities and take action, which is what brought him and his new restaurant, Let’s Pho, to Puerto Vallarta. He started his career as a waiter, learned how to cook at the early age of 13, and knew then that he had a passion for cooking.

“I have been coming to Puerto

Vallarta for more than 10 years,” Huynh explained. “But when the pandemic hit, I suddenly had more free time on my hands and Puerto Vallarta was open for visitors. I visited often then and fell in love with the Zona Romantica area, the people and the community. Everyone here is so helpful and welcoming. It’s amazing.”

Huynh’s recognition underscores his commitment to both the culinary arts and the LGBTQ+ community in Puerto Vallarta. He emphasized, “Cuisine is not just the food we serve, it’s also culture, and part of my identity. It’s part of who I am that I have the privilege of introducing to this charming city.”