Wendy is the founder of 大棧 'Tai Zhan', a plant-based bakery based in Saratoga, CA. Born in San Diego and raised in Los Gatos, she is also a mother of 2, a daughter, and a partner.
It's the burden of every generation to both tell their own story and honor those who paved the way for them. To make things even simpler, change countries between generations. How can you be proud of your heritage while adding your own personal flavor to it? Every tradition has to start somewhere.
The name Tai Zhan comes from her grandparent's butcher shop that was standing for 50+ years on a corner street in Cheung Shan Wan, Hong Kong. It was a neighborhood shop built around community and provided quality, small batched, hand crafted food. Her intention of carrying on the name Tai Zhan for her bakery is to honor her grandparents and continue the spirit of Tai Zhan to share hand crafted pastries with family values.
Wendy's fascination with baking began during her visits to Chinese bakeries in both the United States and Hong Kong. Walking down the aisle and seeing all the cakes and breads inspired her to start baking at home for fun. At the time, she never thought she would be pursuing baking full-time.
After choosing to follow a plant-based diet, she soon discovered that she would no longer be able to enjoy the 菠蘿包 'bo lo bao' (pineapple bun) or 月餅 'jyut beng' (mooncake) that she grew up eating. Chinese cuisine, in general, is not especially friendly to a plant-based diet. Almost all pastries and desserts contain animal products, including the breads, which is famously enriched with milk.
After honing her craft at Manresa Bread and Della Fattoria, Wendy took some time off to start her family and began experimenting with creating plant-based versions of the well-loved treats from her childhood. It first started with more traditional things like 菠蘿包 'bo lo bao' (pineapple bun) and 蛋撻 'daan tat' (eggless tart), then expanded to original creations like the barbecue mushroom bao and black sesame kouign amann.
In 2018, the Paradise Fires devastated many families, including her partner's grandparents. Thinking of ways to raise funds to support the families who lost their homes, Wendy decided to put on a bake sale. With much support from the community, Tai Zhan officially began.
The name 大棧 'Tai Zhan' is not tied to the product or the location. It represents a love for food and family, a commitment to quality, and the courage to start something new. After Tai Zhan Bakery's beginnings at a bake sale and local farmers' markets, Wendy seized on an opportunity to open up a storefront in downtown Saratoga. The name, the food and the new space are both an homage to Wendy's roots and her entry on the family lineage temple.
Tai Zhan is a small family run operation. To maintain quality, Wendy continues to make the fillings and plant-based butter from scratch using organic ingredients whenever possible. She tirelessly hand laminates the croissants and eggless tarts and all the pastries are made in small batches. With every bake, she hopes to create more positive moments in the day and share the Tai Zhan spirit through her tasty treats.
We're delighted to be able to share Wendy's story with eager anticipation at hearing the chapters that she has yet to write. Visit her bakery next time you're in the Bay Area.
Instagram: @taizhan.bake
Website: www.taizhanbake.com
Bakery Location: 14572 Big Basin Way, Saratoga CA.
Website: www.taizhanbake.com
Bakery Location: 14572 Big Basin Way, Saratoga CA.
