The Origin
Before there was a supper club, there was a kitchen. Before there was a menu, there was a mother who fed everyone who walked through her door — whether there was enough or not.
This August, nêm nếm is going back to where it began.
The Origin is an evening dedicated to the people, places, and traditions that shaped nêm nếm. A return to where it all began, and an invitation to gather around the table with us.
Every story has an origin.
TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT!
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August 29th, 2026.
Somewhere in Durham, North Carolina. Location will be emailed to attendees the week of the dinner.
A Collaboration with Three Crabs Fish Sauce by Viet Huong
When I started building The Origin, figuring out what this dinner was going to be and what it would stand for, I knew I wanted to reach out to Three Crabs because they were an early presence in my introduction to cooking.
They were the only ones that felt true to what nêm nếm is. The only one that belonged in the story I was trying to tell.
What followed was a newfound appreciation for the ingredient I grew up with; a dream collaboration with a brand I use everyday; and a reimagined homage to the meals it was cooked with––alongside the stories of those who believed in it.