Eighty8 Brings Fusion Dining to Cary

Cary, NC – In America, and particularly the Triangle, many different cultures and cuisines are mixed together. And at Eighty8 Asian Bistro in Cary, they are hoping to use this mix of cultures and their restaurant experience to bring new dishes to customers.

Fusion Culture

Dai Nguyen is the owner and head chef at Eighty8 Asian Bistro, located on Darrington Drive, and decided on opening a restaurant in Cary after his own experiences in the region.

“I grew up in Durham and I had another restaurant location in Greenville,” Nguyen said. “Cary was always a central point between those two.”

After ending the Greenville restaurant, Nguyen said he wanted to concentrate in one area, which is how he came to Cary.

With the food at Eighty8, Nguyen said he is hoping to have it stand out thanks to its unique “fusion” recipe.

“American culture is a fusion. There’s not much that’s authentic because everything is mixed together here,” Nguyen said. “We want to try and reflect that in our food.”

Benefit of Experience

Nguyen has a long history when it comes to food.

“I’ve always enjoyed cooking,” he said. “I’ve worked in a lot of restaurants and I’ve worked for U.S. Foods so I’ve seen both sides of the business.”

And out of that long history and experience, Nguyen said he can use that to make a better dining experience for customers.

“I’ve always been in and out of restaurants so I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work,” he said.

At Eighty8, in addition to the food, there is also room for musicians and bands to come and perform for customers. And Nguyen  has already had success in the past, with Our State magazine naming his Greenville restaurant the best restaurant in Pitt County.

Eighty8 Asian Bistro is located on 1077 Darrington Dr. in Cary.


Story by Michael Papich. Photo by Lindsey Chester.