On July 25, Chef Quang Tran stepped off the competition floor at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center as the 2026 King of American Seafood, defeating chefs from across the country at the 22nd Annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off. His winning creation — “Duo of New England Lobster” — will be served exactly as it was presented to judges during three prix fixe dinners at venues operated by Happy You’re Here Hospitality Group (HYHH) in Somerville, Boston and Nantucket.
Three Dates, Three Venues, One Championship Dish
The limited dinner series runs on Wednesday evenings through early September, each priced at $75 per person for a three-course menu. Seating is capped, and reservations are strongly recommended through each venue’s booking platform.
Wednesday, August 19: Cocolee — 661 Assembly Row, Somerville, MA
Wednesday, August 26: The Shawmut Inn — 477 Shawmut Avenue, Boston, MA
Wednesday, September 2: Nantucket Tap Room — 29 Broad Street, Nantucket, MA
A Dish Built Around Massachusetts Identity
Tran developed the “Duo of New England Lobster” with Assistant Chef Crystal Hovland, who also works at the Nantucket Tap Room. The dish presents two preparations: a Tempura Lobster Lollipop with lime granita and citrus aioli, and a Lobster Ceviche featuring roasted corn, yuzu, pink peppercorn, crispy sweet potato and green crab nage.
The inclusion of invasive European green crab in the nage was a deliberate sustainability statement. The species threatens coastal lobster habitats and competes with native shellfish — but it has long been used in cooking by Vietnamese communities in Massachusetts. Mary Parks, Founder and Director of GreenCrab.org, noted that Tran’s dish “unites these two species while paying homage to the Massachusetts Vietnamese communities who’ve used green crabs in cuisine for decades.”
A Chef Shaped by Two Culinary Worlds
Tran immigrated from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to Minnesota at age 11. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he built his career in kitchens including The Atlantic Room at Kiawah Island, Liquid Art House and Nantucket Prime. He now leads culinary operations across all five of HYHH’s Massachusetts venues.
“Winning this title was an extraordinary honour, but the dish was always about Massachusetts,” Tran said. “Bringing it home and serving it to the people we represented feels like the perfect way to celebrate.”
