Today we’d like to introduce you to New Angkana Taylor.
Hi New Angkana, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi my name is New Angkana Taylor.
I was born and raised in Northern Thailand. Ever since I was young, I’ve always been passionate about cooking. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my family, learning recipes, helping prepare meals, and enjoying the experience of cooking together. Those moments inspired my love for food and taught me how cooking can bring people together. Over the years, my passion has continued to grow, and I enjoy creating dishes that make others happy. Cooking is more than just a skill for me. it’s something I truly love and take pride in every day. After graduating with a degree in Hotel and Tourism Management, I decided to join a culinary internship program in Nashville, Tennessee in 2010. This experience helped me grow both personally and professionally while strengthening my passion for hospitality and cooking. In 2015, I moved to Austin, Texas, where I have continued working in the hospitality industry ever since. Through the year.I’ve gained valuable experience, strengthened my culinary and customer service skills, and continued doing what I truly enjoy for creating great experiences for others.
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?
I started Hhomdee Thai Desserts from my home kitchen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The journey has not been easy from the beginning. At that time, everything was stressful with strict mandates in place, and it was a very difficult period for everyone.
In the beginning, I was worried about how to reach customers and promote my homemade Thai dessert business because many people were hesitant to leave their homes or have face-to-face interactions. To adapt to the situation, I turned to social media to connect with customers and began offering delivery service directly to their front doors.
Managing both cooking and delivery schedules on my own was extremely challenging, especially since I was handling every part of the business by myself. At first, I did not have many customers, but gradually the business began to grow through word-of-mouth recommendations, support from local chefs, and exposure from social media influencers. Their encouragement and support played a huge role in helping Hhomdee grow into what it is today.
As you know, we’re big fans of Hhomdee Thai desserts . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My business is called Hhomdee, which means “good scent” or “smells so good” in Thai.
I started Hhomdee because I missed authentic Thai desserts, and they were very difficult to find in Austin. During the pandemic, I began researching and testing recipes from home to recreate the traditional flavors I grew up with. It took several months of experimenting to perfect the recipes and achieve the taste and quality I wanted.
At Hhomdee, we specialize in traditional Thai desserts and Asian-style chiffon cupcakes. In the beginning, I focused only on Thai desserts, but over time I gradually introduced Asian-inspired baked goods to give customers more variety and unique options.
After six years in business, I now offer around 12-15 varieties of Thai desserts and 6–8 flavors of chiffon cupcakes.
Hhomdee is best known for its Thai desserts, especially these customer favorites:
Thai Dessert Sampler Box: an assortment of traditional Thai desserts that allows customers to try a variety of Thai treats in one box.
Kanom Chan Baitoey : a steamed pandan layered cake with a soft and chewy texture.
Pandan Chiffon Cake with Pandan Custard: my signature chiffon cupcake and one of our most popular items.
Currently, Hhomdee operates by pre-order only. I offer monthly pre-orders for small dessert boxes and also create custom orders for both small and large events, including weddings, birthdays, and corporate events.
In addition, I occasionally participate in special pop-up markets two to three times each year to connect with the local community and introduce more people to Thai desserts.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happiest is creating and sharing my desserts with customers, friends, and family. I love sharing my passion and Thai culture through food.
Every time I receive positive feedback from customers, it brings me so much joy and encourages me to continue making and serving delicious desserts. Knowing that people enjoy my desserts and appreciate the care and tradition behind them makes all of my hard work worthwhile.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hhomdee.atx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18pYd82mcs/
