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Plating up opportunities

26 May 2024
Four people standing in a restaurant
L-R: Hoa Thanh Ngo, Mahdi Shariatian (Deputy Director - International Recruitment, Marketing and Acquisition), Shehan Thampapillai (Director - International), and Phuong Hoang (International Student Recruitment Manager - Vietnam)

By Isis Symes

He’s a chef with two international degrees.

CQUniversity Bachelor of Business (Marketing) and Master of Information Systems alumus Ngo Thanh Hoà might be plating up dishes in his popular East by Ngo Thanh Hoa restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, but the talented chef credits much of his cooking success to his higher education training.

“I always want to do my own business,” Thanh Hoà explained.

“A restaurant with 20-30 seats was my original ideal but I didn’t know when and how,” he said.

And so began his journey to Australia to complete his degrees while in Sydney.

“I realised that marketing is useful for any fields, and I believed that if I have a qualification somewhere outside of Vietnam then I can have a better chance to get a good job when I return to Vietnam.”

Thanh Hoà completed his CQUniversity degrees in 2000 and 2003 respectively and remained in Australia until 2012, before returning to his home country.

“I decided to leave Sydney in 2012,” he said.

“I had seen that Vietnam was a growing country and would need many people with skill, knowledge and experiences outside of Vietnam - and I was one of them.


Four people smiling at the camera outside East by Ngo Thahn Hoa restaurant
L-R: Shehan Thampapillai (Director - International), Phuong Hoang (International Student Recruitment Manager - Vietnam), Hoa Thanh Ngo and Mahdi Shariatian (Deputy Director - International Recruitment, Marketing and Acquisition)

With newfound skills and confidence, Thanh Hoà jumped at the next opportunity that presented him.

“When I were still in Sydney all my friends suggested that I should join the Masterchef Australia but I did not have enough confidence to apply for the show,” he explained. 

Instead, he entered MasterChef Vietnam in 2013 and subsequently won.

“I wanted to see how I can handle all pressures and how far that I can go in the reality show. I thought that I was ready to take the challenge. 

“It was a great experience and I realised that I handled all pressure well and I did with a passion.”

Nine years after winning the reality tv show, Thanh Hoà opened his restaurant where he is also the Head Chef.

“My opportunity came after I participated in Masterchef. I believed that it was a time for me to change my career to work in the commercial kitchen as a chef,” he said. 

“Winning Masterchef Vietnam 2013 was just a beginning of my professional chef journey.”