FilAm turns passion for pastries into thriving business in California | TFC News California, USA
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00:00.8
In the year of the pandemic, Filipino-American Criselle Gonzalez Nguyen began baking in her garage.
00:09.2
She quickly amassed a loyal following of friends and family who were captivated by the quality of her pastries and treats.
00:16.7
I found peace and joy in creating things with my hands, art, you know.
00:22.3
And so I made a cake for my neighbor.
00:23.9
And then with social media, it's an easy platform to showcase your past, showcase your talent.
00:32.4
And it came as a vital of a fact.
00:34.5
Wow, where did you get this cake?
00:36.2
I would have not tried the biomes just picking up.
00:39.9
Four years later, she transformed her passion into a thriving business
00:44.1
and is now the co-owner of a flower atelier in Kearney Mason near San Diego, California.
00:50.0
One of my associates, which is my deputy's part,
00:53.9
we ended up partnering up and trying to move out of the home kitchen.
01:00.6
And our goal was to showcase, you know, Filipino flavors.
01:05.8
And her side was to showcase her Japanese flavors.
01:09.9
Nguyen adds that her passion for culinary stems from the influence of her grandmother
01:14.8
who introduced her to pastries and flavors from Filipino grocery stores.
01:19.9
I stand strongly and I put my face in front of the camera.
01:23.9
This business to be a woman of color and to showcase I am the Filipina behind these recipes.
01:32.4
Unfortunately, there are some people who are traditional Filipinas
01:36.0
and they kind of question, is this really Malika?
01:40.0
My soul and passion is, it's what I remember as a kid.
01:45.2
For Nguyen, Filipino and Japanese fusion is always a winning combination that delivers perfection.
01:52.5
This kalamamacho.
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The drink, a blend of calamansi and matcha, is proof of diffusion.
01:59.2
We try to make common desserts that people know of but put the Filipino flavors in it.
02:06.3
So a lot of ibe, a lot of coconut, pandan.
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Nguyen is grateful for the support of the Asian American community to her business,
02:15.5
particularly from Filipinos.
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She says all these helped transformed her bakery into a beloved destination
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for cakes and special locations.
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The support from the Filipino people has just been so amazing.
02:29.3
Although the bakery is a dream, to see me further and push harder for another successful thing,
02:38.0
I would love to own a restaurant.
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From the calamansi bar to the calamansi cheesecake tart,
02:43.9
this Filipino-Japanese fusion of pastries is a delightful culinary experience.
02:50.0
Bev Lorente, EBS-CBN News.
02:53.2
San Diego, California.
