Tai developed an appreciation for traditional Filipino food from her mamay – mamay means ‘mother’ in tagalog – but found a love for cooking from her ama – ama means ‘father’ in tagalog – who is an amazing chef! 

Tai’s interest in Korean food comes from her daughter’s halmeoni – halmeoni means ‘grandmother’ in Korean. She made traditional Korean foods from scratch, and Tai would often watch her so she could learn to prepare them in her own home in order to carry on the culture.