Dr. Neal F. Bermas
La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Bailliage, National du Vietnam, would like to introduce Dr. Neal F. Bermas, Founder & Chairperson of STREETS International, as Maître Restaurateur for our esteemed and admired organization.
Neal is a Manhattanite (New Yorker) who first came to Vietnam in 1998. Although he had previously travelled to Hong Kong, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, nothing in Asia or Southeast Asia had ever resonated with him the way that Vietnam would. On the urging of two German fashion-designer friends, who recommended that he experience this unique country, Neal packed up for a quick expedition to see what his friends were raving about.
Only one trip was needed, and thus began his bond with Vietnam. Dr. Bermas found himself on multiple subsequent trips, coming back regularly to enjoy the food, the markets, and the people.
To this day, if questioned about the key defining item about Vietnam that sticks out in his mind, Dr. Bermas raves about the markets. The poultry, meats and produce in Vietnam have an authenticity that has been lost in Western markets for decades.
After six years of travelling to Vietnam, Dr. Bermas thought it would be best to also find work in Vietnam. He has since worked on a myriad of projects of which Streets International is his crown achievement.
No stranger to the food and beverage industry as a proprietor of a group of boutique coffee cafes in New York City, a restaurant in Colorado as well as postings to the faculty of the Institute of Culinary Education, Culinary Institute of America and New York University, Dr. Bermas set out in 2007 to establish a non-profit hospitality enterprise in Vietnam that would do social good for Vietnam.
In 2009, Dr. Bermas, charmed with the beauty and tranquility of Hoi An in Central Vietnam, inaugurated Streets International, a charitable school that teaches disadvantaged youth the skills necessary to enter and succeed in the hospitality industry. Part of the Streets International operation was a café and a restaurant that provided clean and decent Vietnamese food to international tourists. Both were an absolute must-see when visiting Hoi An pre-pandemic but given the Wuhan Coronavirus situation, they have since had to scale back operations dramatically.
In the wake of the Global Pandemic. the school, which has over 300 alumni, has established both a $25,000 emergency fund for their graduates as well as a scholarship program for youths aspiring to enter the hospitality arts. With a 100% career placement upon graduation at international hotels and resorts, Streets International is making an impact on the lives of the people in Vietnam.
For this work, Dr. Bermas was awarded a membership to the Clinton Global Initiative in 2014. In 2015, and again in 2018, STREETS was recognized by Hyatt Hotels with a Global Community Grant Award. In 2017, Bermas received a Leadership Award from Consular Affairs of the US Department of State. In 2018, Bermas was honored to be selected a CNN Hero of the Year.
Dr. Bermas also currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Heller Graduate School at Brandeis University in Boston, Massachusetts.
We thank Dr. Bermas for his dedication to Vietnam and his participation in la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Bailliage National du Vietnam. He was inducted as Maître Restaurateur in August 2018 and continues to be an avid participant and advisor to our organization.
Vive la Chaîne!
