Born and raised in a conservative Burmese home, where cooking was seen as a woman's sole duty, I fought against oppressive social norms for years. Over time, cooking became my choice and living connection to my family’s heritage and stories. In 2015, I started this food blog and Instagram account, Burmalicious, to honor my late grandmother and preserve her recipes and memories. Through Burmalicious, I demystified and promoted our cuisine, which led to me becoming the first Burmese contestant on MasterChef, finishing as a runner-up. Since then, I’ve transformed Burmalicious into a pop-up concept, hosting monthly dinners and events at farmers markets and festivals. In January 2025, I was named a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Emerging Chef.

In recent years, amid my country’s political unrest, I saw my family, friends and people suffer, displaced and silenced. Now cooking has become a bridge, uniting us and transcending pain to tell the world who we are. With each dish I make, I hope to bring forward the underrepresented recipes, stories and voices of my homeland.

As I strive to put Burmese food on the map, I try to incorporate the values and traditions I grew up with into the very DNA of our business. Back home in Burma, I grew up with easy access to fresh, locally sourced ingredients, often from my grandmother’s garden or open-air fresh markets. This was our way of life. In Houston, my home away from home, I connected with a Burmese refugee farmer of Greenife Forever Microfarm through Plant it Forward, a local farm co-op with the mission to empower refugees to develop sustainable farming businesses. Now, I source fresh, locally grown produce, including vegetables like roselle and acacia —ingredients that hold a deep cultural significance. It’s my way of honoring my heritage while supporting sustainable, local farming and sharing a familiar taste of home with my guests.

Coming from a country with 135 ethnic minorities, diversity and inclusivity have always been integral to my identity. As a chef and mentor, I actively contribute to cultural and culinary programs at Asia Society TX and I also participate regularly at the Have a Nice Day Market. Both organizations spotlight the causes that are important to the AAPI community and celebrate the rich cultural tapestry we bring to the city.

The support, kindness and love I have received in the F&B community for the past 3 years always inspire me to give back, especially to women in the field who are now facing increased challenges in TX. I now volunteer with I'll Have What She’s Having, a non-profit that advocates for affordable healthcare and reproductive rights of F&B workers.

 As a Burmese chef, my journey to share the flavors of my homeland goes beyond the kitchen —it’s a mission born from compassion and resilience. I strongly believe in the power of food to create change, to raise awareness, and to make the world a place where every voice is heard and every struggle acknowledged. That’s the heart of Burmese food—and the heart of my mission.