MasterChef Vietnam — known locally as Vua Đầu Bếp (“King of Chefs”) — brought the global cooking competition format to Vietnamese television starting in 2013. Across its first three seasons, three home cooks rose to the top and claimed the coveted title. Here’s the complete breakdown of winners, runners-up, judges and prize money.
Quick Reference: MasterChef Vietnam Winners (Season 1–3)
| Season | Year | Winner | Hometown | Runner-up | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013 | Ngô Thanh Hòa | Bình Thuận | Phan Quốc Trí | 500 triệu đồng |
| 2 | 2014 | Hoàng Minh Nhật | Hà Nội | Lê Chi | 500 triệu đồng |
| 3 | 2015 | Nguyễn Thanh Cường | Hồ Chí Minh City | (Top finalists) | 500 triệu đồng |
Season 1 (2013): Ngô Thanh Hòa
MasterChef Vietnam’s debut season aired on VTV3 from 8 March 2013 to 19 July 2013, running for 20 episodes with a Top 17 lineup of contestants.
Ngô Thanh Hòa, a 40-year-old restaurant and bar manager from Bình Thuận, was crowned the very first MasterChef Vietnam champion on 19 July 2013. He defeated runner-up Phan Quốc Trí, a young student from Ho Chi Minh City, in the grand finale.
Judges: For the first four episodes, the panel consisted of Luke Nguyễn, Phan Tôn Tịnh Hải and Hoàng Khải. From episode 5 onward, Phạm Tuấn Hải joined the judging panel.
Season 2 (2014): Hoàng Minh Nhật
Season 2 crowned its champion on 25 October 2014. Hoàng Minh Nhật, a 23-year-old bank employee from Hà Nội, won the title after a fierce final round against runner-up Lê Chi, a jewelry store manager originally from Canada.
The decisive dessert round saw Minh Nhật serve a pear cooked in red wine, which ultimately secured his win over Lê Chi’s durian-mango crepe. Minh Nhật’s victory was widely covered by Vietnamese media, cementing his place as one of the show’s most memorable champions.
Season 3 (2015): Nguyễn Thanh Cường
Season 3 marked a big moment for the franchise — Christine Hà, the first blind winner of MasterChef USA (Season 3) and an Asian-American culinary icon, joined the judging panel after having appeared as a guest judge in the two previous seasons.
Nguyễn Thanh Cường, a 31-year-old businessman from Ho Chi Minh City, was crowned champion on 12 December 2015, winning an impressive 7 challenge rounds throughout the competition. His finale-winning dish was a memorable two-tier layered cake and rolled crepe with roasted pork, though he became best known for his banana cake, which sealed his victory in the final round.
MasterChef Vietnam Prize Money
Across the first three seasons, the winner’s prize has remained consistent:
- Cash prize: 500 triệu đồng (approximately $20,000–22,000 USD)
- Cookbook publishing deal
- Bonus package: The top three finalists each received an additional gift package worth 50 triệu đồng, including a full year’s use of household appliance products
MasterChef Vietnam Judges Across Seasons
- Season 1: Luke Nguyễn, Phan Tôn Tịnh Hải, Hoàng Khải (first 4 episodes), later joined by Phạm Tuấn Hải
- Season 2: Continuing panel from Season 1
- Season 3: Christine Hà joined as the third judge, bringing international MasterChef pedigree to the Vietnamese edition
What Came After Season 3?
The franchise continued to expand:
- Season 4 introduced Junior MasterChef Vietnam (2016), won by 13-year-old Đinh Thanh Hải from Ho Chi Minh City, who defeated runner-up Nguyễn Danh Đức Hải
- Season 5 was a celebrity edition, concluding on 7 January 2018 and won by Kiwi Ngô Mai Trang
FAQs
Who won the first season of MasterChef Vietnam? Ngô Thanh Hòa, a restaurant and bar manager from Bình Thuận, won Season 1 in 2013.
How much prize money do MasterChef Vietnam winners receive? Winners receive 500 triệu đồng (roughly $20,000 USD) along with a cookbook publishing deal.
Who judged MasterChef Vietnam Season 3? The panel included Christine Hà, the celebrated blind chef and MasterChef USA Season 3 winner, alongside the show’s regular Vietnamese judges.
Is there a Junior or Celebrity version of MasterChef Vietnam? Yes — Junior MasterChef Vietnam aired as Season 4 in 2016, and a celebrity edition aired as Season 5 in 2017–2018.