Renowned chef, author Xinh Dwelley dies at 72

Xinh Dwelley, a renowned chef who fused Vietnamese flavors with Pacific Northwest ingredients at her downtown Shelton restaurant, died on Friday. She was 72.

Born in 1951, Dwelley, a master oyster shucker who gave generously to the community, developed her culinary skills growing up in South Vietnam, where she learned to cook using food produced and harvested on her family's rice farm. She was hired to cook for officers in an American mess tent and soon was renowned for her fried chicken and hamburgers.

When she was 19, Dwelley married a U.S. soldier and moved to Olympia in 1970. She picked blueberries and mushrooms, dug clams and sold egg rolls at the farmers market. She started shucking oysters at a company that became Taylor Shellfish. The company recognized her cooking talents and employed her to cook for management and VIP guests.

In 1996, Taylor Shellfish opened Xinh's Clam & Oyster House in downtown Shelton. Dwelley cooked for, and befriended, such chefs as Julia Child, Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmerman.

Dwelley was also known for her devotion and generosity supporting community causes. She supported Mason General Foundation programs by hosting several "Cooking With Xinh" fundraisers. She donated her time and culinary skills for nonprofit groups at local events that included OysterFest and Allyn Days.

From 1989 to 1992, Dwelley won the West Coast Oyster Shucking Championship, improving her time each year. The Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce named her Citizen of the Year in 2016, and the Mason General Hospital Foundation gave her its Flame Award in 2019.

In bestowing that award on Dwelley, Mason General Hospital President Whitney Jones said, "It's not just what she's given to the foundation directly, but also how she has positively impacted the entire community. She is one of those people who has given so generously and so joyously to the Mason County community, and the foundation has cherished the relationship it has had with Xinh over the years. Our board is happy to recognize and honor her contributions."

Dwelley retired in 2016 and closed Xinh's Clam & Oyster House on West Railroad Avenue in downtown Shelton while she battled cancer. In December 2021, she released her second cooking book, "Xinh's Flavors With Friends." Her first was "Xinh's Pacific Coastal Flavors," published in 2019.