Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Refugee chefs bring new flavors to Washington

A new food delivery service is aiming to bring Americans a taste of their country's immigrant and refugee communities. 
The company is called Foodhini – and it's now offering Syrian and Laotian cuisine in the US capital.  Andrea Arenas has this report.


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Eight months ago,  Noobstaa Philip Vang - the son of two Hmong refugees - opened Foodhini in Washington, a food delivery startup that he says is unlike any other.

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Noobstaa Philip Vang, Founder and CEO, Foodhini
"It really kind of circled back to my mom's story, coming here as a refugee. Not having opportunities for work, but already having a great skill which is cooking her native cultural foods."

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One of Foodhini's missions is to employ immigrants and refugees. At a time when the Trump administration has acted to limit the number of refugees allowed to enter the U.S. -- and is pushing further restrictions on immigrants, Vang sees the value in diversity.

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Noobstaa Philip Vang, Founder and CEO of Foodhini
"We really value and understand that what makes a meal really special is the person behind it. I think that some of the best meals I have ever had is when I go to my friend's house, or my grandma's house, or an auntie, and I know that they put their time and their energy into making that meal... for some reason it always just tastes better."

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Chef Majed, escaped war-torn Syria two years ago, and has been employed by Foodhini for the past eight months.
Although he is still learning English, he says he's been working hard over the past two years to find success in America.

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Chef Majed, Syrian Refugee
"My dream, open restaurant for me, make a menu special for Chef Majed."
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Every week Foodhini prepares about 150 three-course meals. Each one costs about 40 dollars.
But Foodhini does more than just provide a job for immigrants and refugees. It forges a relationship between the chefs and their customers. 
Included in every meal is a note explaining how best to enjoy the food.
Alix Haber, Business Strategist for Foodhini describes one note from Chef Majed.

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Alix Haber, Business Strategy, Foodhini 
"It talks about how he ended up becoming a chef //So like this customer ordered Fattoush - And he recommends that you eat the Fattoush with the pita chips that come along with it."

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Noobsta Vang hopes as he expands his business he will soon be able to add more world flavors to this local kitchen... and bring opportunity to more people like Chef Majed.
Andrea Arenas, Washington

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