Today we’d like to introduce you to Chanda Mau.
Hi Chanda, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My family and I are from Cambodia, survivors of The Killing Fields and I grew up in a traditional Khmer household where Mom cooked 95% of the time. I cooked with her often.
I moved to Austin for university and 21 years ago, there’s weren’t many Asian restaurants. There were two things I could do, go home to Houston or start cooking without Mom. So, I started cooking.
In college, I had an annual Christmas party where friends came over and learned how to roll egg rolls because I wanted to teach them Cambodian culture and eat endless egg rolls.
1 1/2 years ago, FeedMeRightMau launched as my Cambodian cooking and food adventure page. Shortly after a baker friend reached out to ask if I would join Bakers Against Racism and I accepted as long as I could make egg rolls. I made 100 + dozen off egg rolls in a span of a week and raised the most amount in Austin.
That gave me an idea when there was a need with our community and to spread Cambodian culture through food because food is love. I made egg rolls to sell and had seven popups at Smokin Beauty BBQ in this last year, raising $20,000 for different organizations.
People often asked how to get my Cambodian cooking and I flirted with the idea of a full meal popup, had my first one last year. Last year, I was named the most anticipated popup of 2022 with Austin Eater Magazine. I have another one planned on February 19th. Tickets sold out the same day and I doubled seats.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The struggle was getting the word out about Cambodia and most people hadn’t heard of it.
I have a day job and need to manage my time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am most proud that people want to learn more about Cambodia through my cooking. It’s only beginning and I call it the Cambodian Revolution.
When Mom passed, it crossed my mind that a library went with her. I wanted to keep my family’s history Mom’s legacy alive and honor the survivors of The Killing Fields. It’s happening. It’s really happening!
My new current dream/goal is to be a host of a food show so I can continue to tell the world about Cambodian cuisine.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Shhhh, I hope to have popups in big cities.
Contact Info:
- Email: Chanda@feedmerightmau.com
- Website: FeedMeRightMau.com
- Instagram: Www.Instagram.com/FeedMeRightMau
Image Credits
Mackenzie Smith Sav
