What is Viet-Cajun crawfish?
Viet-Cajun crawfish is a style of boiled crawfish that combines Louisiana Cajun seasoning with Vietnamese flavors. Cooks boil the crawfish with Cajun spices, then toss them in a butter sauce with garlic and other aromatics such as lemongrass, ginger, onions, peppers and orange. Food writers trace the style to the Houston area, where it took shape in the early to mid-2000s.
How is Viet-Cajun crawfish different from a Cajun boil?
A traditional Cajun boil seasons the water with spices such as paprika and cayenne. The crawfish are served as they come out of the pot. The Viet-Cajun method adds a second step. After boiling, the crawfish are tossed in a sauce based on butter, with more garlic than a Cajun boil uses and with Southeast Asian herbs.
Why did Viet-Cajun crawfish start in Houston?
After the fall of Saigon in 1975, many Vietnamese refugees came to the United States. Many settled along the Gulf of Mexico in Southeast Texas and Louisiana, where they found work in fishing and the seafood industry. Some families first ate crawfish in Louisiana. Houston’s closeness to Louisiana and its crawfish farms helped bring the dish west. Houston has the second-largest Vietnamese population in the country, after Los Angeles.
When did Viet-Cajun restaurants appear?
- 2002: Vietnamese Martyrs Church in southeast Houston held its first crawfish festival, a fundraiser for its school.
- Early 2000s: Cajun Corner and Crawfish & Beignets, both in the Bellaire Boulevard Chinatown area, were among the first restaurants to serve the style.
- 2005: After Hurricane Katrina, Vietnamese residents moved from Louisiana to Houston, and demand for the dish grew.
- 2007: The Boiling Crab opened in Houston. Its use of garlic and butter pushed the style further.
- 2010: After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, more Vietnamese families relocated from Louisiana to Houston.
- 2011: LA Crawfish, a Houston chain, was founded.
From Houston, the style spread to other cities, including Los Angeles.
Who are some known Houston operators?
LA Crawfish has 25 locations in Houston and franchises elsewhere in Texas and in California. Crawfish & Noodles, founded by Trong Nguyen, is another Houston restaurant associated with the style. Its founder was a 2020 James Beard Awards finalist for Texas chefs.