Crafterateur

Last weekend my crafty lady friends and I got together for a special Founders Brunch at Third Culture Bakery. We had been waiting weeks for this event, counting down the days.

Owners Sam and Wenter welcomed us into their retail space with the spirt of Third Culture – with kindness and with heart. Each course was planned carefully and thoughtfully, and each came with a story. They shared memories from their childhoods and from their life together.

The table was set up usually where their retail counter is positioned (they moved sales for the day outdoors). And, it was dressed in all pink.

On the menu:

Savory scones and bottomless lychee mimosas to start.

Then, a five course menu:

Rice porridge: a little sweet, a little savory, and super comforting. I could eat this for breakfast everyday.

Dumplings: To quote Wenter’s Mom “it’s not a dumpling unless the skin is handmade.” Truth! The skin was delicate, and there was so much more filling to skin ratio in these dumplings. It was topped with a savory sauce. My favorite part – them green onions!

Beef stew: Warm spices are what make this stew so special and reminiscent of home. The beef stew was served family style with steamed white rice topped with fried garlic. I could eat the rice and sauce all day.

By course two I was already getting full, but it was time for the dessert courses, so – shake a leg, people!

Mochi balls: We started with a warm dessert. Three small mochi balls plus two larger ones filled with black sesame seed paste. I’m a fan of sesame everything, and most recently black sesame desserts. To top it off, the mochi is served in a sweet warm ginger broth. It was almost like a tea, but without too much ginger bite. Fun fact: mochi balls are traditionally served at Taiwanese weddings to symbolize unity and sticking together (cause mochi is sticky, in case you’ve never had mochi – in which case, OMG, go find some mochi!).

Ice cream sandwich: Literally ice cream between two pieces of bread, the way Sam experienced it as a child. Homemade coffee ice cream and milk bread – buttery, sweet, a little crispy, and super smooth.

During dessert, Sam and Wenter had a thank you note writing activity for us. We each got to dedicate some time to someone else to remove ourselves from a generally egocentric day. They even offered to mail our notes for us.

This was an amazing opportunity to get to know the guys behind Third Culture and to spend time in their space. It was also amazing to gather my crafty friends together in a setting other than a craft show! (Our bags pictured above – I know some very stylish women. Also, some of these bags were handmade!)

Cheers to friends, old and new, and brunch!