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We’re excited to introduce you to the vendors who offer cuisines from around the world at Spice Bridge! Today we’d like for you to meet the owner of Theary Cambodian Foods.

Theary Ngeth launched Theary Cambodian Foods in October to provide comfort and connection for her fellow Cambodians, and to preserve and share her cultural food traditions.

When Theary was 5 years old, she and her family escaped the Khmer Rouge on foot, making a dangerous journey through the jungle from Cambodia to Thailand. They were among thousands of Cambodians who fled genocide, survived brutal conditions in refugee camps, and eventually resettled in the United States. These refugees endured many losses, including important parts of their culinary heritage.

“So many Cambodian recipes, traditionally passed down orally from parents to children, went to the grave during the Khmer Rouge,” Theary said. Her mother and other survivors kept many Cambodian cooking traditions alive, but Theary sees them fading as her parents’ generation passes away.

“We are losing our authentic flavors and our techniques, because elders hold the knowledge of how our dishes are made and how exactly they should taste. You can’t learn this from a book or from YouTube—it has to happen in person. It’s a process of tasting and adjusting. I’m grateful I experienced my mom’s food and learned so many cooking secrets from her,” she said.

Theary became passionate about cooking after her childhood friend recruited her to prepare meals for a group of Cambodian seniors in the Seattle area.

“The seniors say, ‘I’ve been looking for this flavor for a long time, and you’re the only person who has made this the way I remember it. This dish reminds me of 1971, before the Khmer Rouge.’ That keeps me motivated to keep this food tradition alive. These are the healthy foods of our ancestors,” Theary said. “Some of my people won’t or can’t go back to Cambodia. But they can have the food experience at my kiosk.”

Read our Q&A with Theary to learn about traditional Cambodian cuisine, how she learned to cook, and more.

Please tell us about Cambodian food.

Our food is special because these foods are passed down through generations. There hasn’t been a lot of modern medicine in the country, but we have these ancestral, ancient ways of eating for our health. For example, we use galangal and garlic to help lower blood pressure. And the way we balance our dishes—the combination of carbs, vegetables, and herbs—it’s good for digestion.

Our baseline of our food starts out from fresh nature. At the heart of it is a paste called kroeung made from fresh lemongrass, kaffir leaves, turmeric, garlic, and galangal. Many people who think of lemongrass think of it as a scent or a tea, but they don’t think about eating it in soups and other meals. I slice the grass stem thin and smash it to release the oils, make it into a paste, so you get a wonderful aroma. This is the traditional way—no blending, because we didn’t have blenders. When I heat up the oil and add kroeung, it creates a great aroma that fills up the room.

Cambodian food is all about caramelization, and each person adding the toppings they want to get the right balance of salty and sweet. Take fried rice for example. It’s steamed rice with the kroeung paste. Then you top it with caramelized garlic, sliced ginger, and sauce, and you get so many layers of interest. It’s so attractive to your eyes, and nose, and mouth.

How did you learn to cook?

My mom was a chef. I didn’t like cooking because growing up I wanted more of my mom’s time, and it was always taken away from me when she was cooking for everyone. Same with my dad—he was a Buddhist priest, so their professions took them away from me. I didn’t like how much time my mom spent cooking. When she cooked for the community center, for friends, I walked away. But I looked at what she had on the counter, and I noted all of it, took a photo in my mind of all the ingredients.

After my mom died, my childhood friend recruited me to cook for Khmer seniors to carry on the legacy my parents started in the late 80’s to mid 90’s. He wanted the Khmer seniors to have a place to go and socialize, and most important to enjoy the authentic Khmer foods that they loved when my parents were cooking for them. I still didn’t like cooking, but the seniors were saying that they liked my food, and it tasted like my mom’s, and reminded them of my mom, and they missed her. They said when they see me, it’s like seeing my mother, and it makes them happy. So I felt a commitment. And then I started to love cooking. What I love most about being a chef is being able to deliver happy moments and happy memories—being able to create that, so the rest of their day they feel happy and have memories of their family life.

Tell us about starting your business, Theary Cambodian Foods.

Cooking at the community center helped me practice cooking in a commercial atmosphere, cooking for big crowds. I learned how to move and make things fast and in an authentic way.

I knew I wanted to have my own food business, but I didn’t know how to do it. I didn’t have the direction or the resources. My friend Liyu [now the owner of WUHA Ethiopian-American Cuisine] was at my house eating my chili oil, and she loved it. She said it had to be in stores and restaurants. She also told me about FIN. I joined FIN and took business classes with Ventures.

Before Spice Bridge, it was just my home kitchen, a few friends in my living room. I couldn’t see where my food could go. Now I see how it can go to be shared around the world. I’m ready! I feel excited, happy, ready.

Maybe my mom is looking out for me—it’s like she said, “Let’s get you into cooking! And here’s your friend Liyu, and she’ll introduce you to FIN.”

My mom wanted to start a restaurant, but didn’t have the resources. Now I feel her dreams will be accomplished through me.

Visit Spice Bridge

Come by Spice Bridge to experience cuisine from Theary Cambodian Foods and other rotating vendors. We have takeout and outdoor dining available, and some vendors offer delivery options. See our full schedule.

Theary Cambodian Foods is open at Spice Bridge on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m

Contact Theary Cambodian Foods

• Website: theary-cambodian-foods.square.site
• Instagram: @ThearyCambodianFoods
• Facebook: @ThearyCambodianFoods
• Email: ThearyCambodianFoods@gmail.com
• Phone: (206) 201-9995

We’re excited to introduce you to the businesses that offer cuisines from around the world at Spice Bridge, our new food hall! Today we’d like for you to meet the owner of WUHA Ethiopian-American Cuisine.

Growing up in Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa, Liyu Yirdaw loved to spend time with her mom in the kitchen. 

“Everything she cooked has always had an exciting and wonderful taste to it,” Liyu said.

Inspired to study western cooking at culinary school, Liyu graduated at the top of her class. When she came to the United States 15 years ago, she was thrilled by the variety of different ethnic foods she found, and began experimenting with different flavor combinations.

“Food is an art for me, and I like to create mouthwatering bites by mixing flavors, spices, and herbs from different cultures, and also recreating dishes by adding or substituting ingredients,” Liyu said. 

Liyu launched WUHA in October to offer a unique blend of Ethiopian and American foods, served more quickly than a typical Ethiopian restaurant meal. 

We spoke with Liyu about her Spice Bridge menu, the meaning of “WUHA,” and her big plans for the business. Read our Q&A to learn more about this dynamic entrepreneur!

Please tell us about your business.

I offer customized food for people who have never eaten Ethiopian food before, people who like to experience new flavors, curious foodies, and for those who are used to eating American food and ready for a different take on it. We bring those two cultures together and let them inspire each other to complement one another. We also minimized some of the spiciness out of the Ethiopian food without sacrificing the taste of the food, sometimes just by simply cooking it longer. If people want to try Ethiopian food, but they aren’t ready for the full burst of flavors, then they can taste this. It’s not too spicy, but it’s spicy enough for it to be distinctively Ethiopian.

It’s also a fast experience. Most of the time when you go to an Ethiopian restaurant, there is a long waiting time, but we have quicker service. You can get in and get out quicker. Which makes it ideal for people who are short on time and want to grab and go. We also designed our menu items portion for 1-2 person servings which makes it convenient for solo dinners or for people who like to come in a group of two or more, as it allows everyone to have their own food, plate or to-go box, to eat out of. This also makes it safer and convenient for customers to stay in compliance with current COVID-19 guidelines. The portion size also makes it possible for people to eat and finish their food in one sitting instead of having leftovers, and carrying it around with their car smelling like food.

What makes your cuisine special?

What makes my cuisine special is that I cook it as if I would cook it for my family: with great care and love. If you like spicy food, but not too spicy, then you will get that taste in my cuisine. We serve both vegetarian and meat lovers, wheat and gluten-free injera, dessert with nuts, without nuts, and without butter, so everyone is welcome to come get the full taste without sacrificing the taste or flavors of the food. 

We always go for the healthier version of everything—heart-healthy food with less fat. I use healthy oils like olive, grapeseed oil, or coconut oil depending on the food. I’m also trying to help people add vegetables to their diet. And we won’t sell things with too much sugar. We’re not planning to serve sodas; we have bottled water, coconut water and carbonated mineral water focusing on hydration and digestion, because we want to introduce healthy options. 

Can you describe some dishes you offer at Spice Bridge?

We have beef and vegetarian injera rolls; injera is an Ethiopian flatbread, and I roll it with meat, vegetables, and sauces I make from scratch.

Our beef roast sandwich with an Ethiopian twist, served with oven roasted potatoes, is very popular.

We also have our already-famous dessert, WUHA’s baklava, made in house with an option of with nuts, without nuts, and with no butter for vegans.  

We’re also planning all-day breakfast days, with both American food like pancakes and Ethiopian food like ful—and we’ll present things in a way that you wouldn’t expect.

How did you choose your business name?

“Wuha” means “water” in Amharic, which is the national language of Ethiopia. Water is life. A person can live long without food, but cannot live without water more than a couple of days as more than 60 percent of the human body is water. Water is for everyone, and I want my food to be like that—I want for everyone to love and enjoy it. I want WUHA and its future products to go worldwide, and that’s how and why I named my business WUHA.

What challenges have you encountered trying to establish your business, and how have you overcome those challenges?

I’ve always wanted to have a food business, but I was afraid. When you have a food business, there is more to it than just cooking. There is accounting, managing your budget and people, menu making, logo and business card designing, licensing, state and city regulations and guidelines to follow and so much more to the business. Also, at the beginning, I started with a partner who couldn’t be in the business anymore for a variety of reasons. It was sad for me, and hard to lose my partner. And I went from sharing responsibilities to having to do everything as one owner. 

COVID has also been a big challenge. For one thing, the way we think about food businesses changed. Also, I am a nurse, and I had to adjust with that work.

My focus shifted, but I’m back on track now. Being with FIN, I am really hopeful and I believe I will get there with no problem because I’m working with a group of people who want me to succeed, and who are there for me. The FIN staff have helped me, keeping me on track and focused. When I have a question or something is hard, I have someone to ask, and someone who can share ideas and consult.

What is your dream for your business?

Opening at Spice Bridge is a first step for me, and I have big plans for WUHA. This is the beginning of it—my plan is to expand and franchise WUHA around the world. I also want to start packaging foods. I want people to find my food in every grocery store so they can heat it up and enjoy it anytime at home. I want it to be accessible. I also want to start our WUHA’s mixed spices line for people who want to try and cook my food at home. 

Is there anything else you want people to know?

The main ingredient in my food is love. I love my mom’s food, and I especially want to eat it after a long day. All I want to do is go home and eat my mom’s food, dine with my parents. I think a lot of people can relate to that, and I want people to get that warm feeling when they eat my food. When they come, I want them to not only get that good food, but to also to feel loved and taken care of and to feel the good energy that they could feed off of. I want my food and my service to make their day and give them the comfort they need—that’s very important to me. I’m coming from a really good place, and I want to deliver that feeling to people. I want them to have an unforgettable great experience.

Visit Spice Bridge

Come by Spice Bridge to experience food from WUHA and other rotating vendors. We have takeout and outdoor dining available, and we’re also working on delivery options—stay tuned!

WUHA is open at Spice Bridge on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Contact WUHA

• Website: wuhacuisine.square.site
• Email: wuha.ethiopian.cuisine@gmail.com
• Phone: (206) 474-0898
• Facebook: @WUHAcuisine
• Instagram: @WUHAcuisine

We’re excited to introduce you to the businesses that offer cuisines from around the world at Spice Bridge, our new food hall! Today we’d like for you to meet the owner of Jazze’s.

Since she was a young girl growing up in Afghanistan, Nasrin Noori loved being in the kitchen, where she would challenge herself to craft delicious meals from limited ingredients. Nasrin moved to the U.S. with her family at age 11, and by the time she was a teenager, relatives and friends knew how creative she was in the kitchen. They enlisted her help cooking for big events, and Nasrin was also responsible for preparing dinners for her family of 10. 

In her late teens, Nasrin became interested in nutrition, and started learning about the U.S. food system and the benefits of organic foods. She got certified as a health coach, and eventually opened Jazze’s to offer healthy Afghan fusion food prepared with organic, local ingredients. Her menu caters to a variety of dietary needs and preferences, and includes paleo, vegan, and gluten-free options.

Read our Q&A with Nasrin to learn about her seasonal menu, how she balances raising four children with starting a new business, and her dreams for Jazze’s.

How did you choose “Jazze’s” for your business name?

Picking the name for my business was probably the easiest part of becoming an entrepreneur. My children are my number one inspiration for most things that I do. I’m a blessed mother to four incredible little people. My oldest son’s initials are J.A., my second son’s is Z., my daughter’s is also Z., and my youngest son’s is E. All their initials combined creates Jazze’s.

Can you describe your cultural heritage and how it influences Jazze’s cuisine? What elements of Afghan cuisine are incorporated into your menu?

I would say that my cultural heritage is Muslim-Afghan-American. The biggest part of my Afghan roots is the food. Afghan food has been a central part of my upbringing regardless of where we’ve lived—the food was a consistent part of my life. We moved to the States before my 12th birthday. I’ve lived more than half my life in the States, but my connection to Afghan food is very much a big part of my life still.  

When I look at my children, their only connection to their Afghan side is the food and hospitality of Afghan culture. Food is a way that my children are learning about my upbringing and my childhood, and they compare it to that of their father, who’s African-American. The kitchen is a big part of our family’s connection; both my husband and I are somewhat foodies, and we are very much health-conscious individuals. We care about what we put in our body and what we bring in our home to feed our family, and this same care goes into what we offer at Jazze’s. 

A lot of different elements of Afghan cuisine are incorporated at Jazze’s, but one of the most important elements for me is offering a seasonal menu. This is how Afghans traditionally prepared meals and dishes—based on what was available during that season. For the past 20 years, I’ve been learning about health and nutrition and how it impacts your mental and physical wellbeing, and as a certified health coach I understand the importance of eating clean, fresh, and seasonal.

Please describe a couple of the dishes you offer at Spice Bridge.

Kabili Pilau is probably one of the best known Afghan dishes. Some may even say it’s the national dish of Afghanistan. It’s long grain rice served with lamb or chicken and topped with carrots, raisins, and cardamom spice. I jazz this dish up a bit by adding almonds, pistachios, cranberries, and fresh orange zest. It’s been a favorite in my home for many years, especially in the fall months with all the beautiful fall colors topped on the lamb and rice. It’s been a tradition at our Thanksgiving dinner. 

Burani Kadu is squash with yogurt. This is a very much a seasonal dish, as are most Afghan dishes. This dish can be made with any variety of squash. The squash is cooked in a delicious onion, garlic, and tomato sauce and topped with a garlic yogurt sauce, garnished with mint. Burani can be served with warm bread or rice. 

What challenges have you encountered trying to establish your business? How have you overcome those challenges?

I would say enough time, enough finances, not having any prior knowledge of running a business and an up-to-date knowledge of technology are a few of the challenges. I’m not sure if I have overcome any of them completely—it’s work in progress and a lot of trial and error. I think that in today’s society, time is a constant balancing act, especially when you are a parent. For the rest of the challenges I’m incredibly blessed to have FIN on my side. The amazing individuals at FIN, who all go above and beyond their job titles and wear multiple hats to help me achieve my goals, and dreams of being a successful entrepreneur.

What is your dream for your business? 

I have a lot of big dreams for Jazze’s. I am very hopeful despite the pandemic; I am hoping that things will go back to normal. I want Jazze’s to be a place where people can come and feel at home and experience the Afghan hospitality and enjoy clean nutritious meals with their families and feel confident about what they’re eating. I’m envisioning Jazze’s having a formal dining area upstairs, and the downstairs is more of a laidback cafe with local artists performing, poetry slam nights, speakers on various topics—so not only are you filling your bellies with awesome food, but you’re fulfilling your soul with knowledge and inspiration.

Visit Spice Bridge

Come by Spice Bridge to order food from Jazze’s and other rotating vendors. We have takeout and outdoor dining available, and we’re also working on delivery options—stay tuned!

Jazze’s is open at Spice Bridge on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Contact Jazze’s

• Email: jazzesfusion@gmail.com
• Phone: (206) 407-4767