Christie Wang Introduces Asian Food and Culture to the Innovation Plaza

By April VeVea

This week, we are focusing on one of our incubator companies, Christie’s Asian Kitchen. Atwood Innovation Plaza’s incubator companies are aided from the ground up, with assistance in problem solving, market sizing, etc. as well as the potential to connect with investors for start-up capital. The program does require applications, and approval is based on a variety of factors, such as viability. As of right now, Atwood Innovation Plaza hosts 15 companies in the program.

Christie Wang delivered the box containing three types of baozi (also called bao buns) to me with one of the warmest smiles I’ve ever encountered before rushing off to get the next customer’s order ready. We had scheduled an interview together, but seeing how long Christie’s Asian Kitchen’s line was, I told her we would connect later on Facebook. I decided to eat my baozi while working. As I took a bit into the marshmallow-soft bun, my senses awakened for the first time that day. A rush of slavory, sweet, and a little spice enveloped my tastebuds. I found my true love: Christie’s baozi buns. Before I left, I bought 9 more to share with my family (the next day, I discovered we had one left).

Baozi in Utah? Saint George isn’t exactly known for being a Japanese foodie mecca, but Wang looks at Christie’s Asian Kitchen as a way to bridge the culture gap, saying, “[I decided to start] Christie’s Asian kitchen because [my husband and I] want to share our food and culture. We believe food connects people like nothing else.”

I asked Wang about her culinary background, to which she humbly replied, “I don’t have a professional culinary background. I started cooking when I was little. My parents worked really hard to provide for our family (my sister and I), and I would cook when they came home late. I learned to cook from my mom; however, she never specifically taught me how to cook. I was just around her when she cooked.”

Wang’s want to spread her culture also influences her business’ trajectory, saying, “We sell our food at the [St. George] Farmer’s Market every Saturday from 9 am - 12 pm and we serve at Innovation Plaza once a week for lunch, as well as catering. We are planning to host cooking classes in the near future too.

“I cannot imagine where Christie’s Asian Kitchen will be in five years. For most businesses, the next step would be opening up a restaurant. For us, we love what we are doing--direct-to-market, sharing food, culture, and experience, and making friends. Here is how I understand the restaurant business: most of the time, the food itself is the least considered. Instead, marketing, labor efficiency, and employees take center stage; but, we do think about a food truck or selling in a permanent indoor marketplace.”

Wang’s found her relationship with Atwood Innovation Plaza meaningful, because it “provides [Christie’s Asian Kitchen] a place to serve and let more people get to know us and our food. [Atwood Innovation Plaza] helped us send out emails to people whenever we are serving [food] there. This is a big step for us. The incubator kitchen is a good way for people to put their ideas into action. It’s a good place for pop-ups and start-ups.”

Christie’s Asian Kitchen comes to Atwood Innovation Plaza every Tuesday from 11-2. I highly recommend coming early, as eager customers tend to form a line before Wang begins to serve, and the line stays consistent throughout the day.