Signature Story - Hass Kitchen

This writing piece is a signature story I created for a local Gainesville brunch place, Hass Kitchen. The story is all about the idea behind the name "Hass Kitchen".

Note: This was a mock signature story and was created as a conceptual exercise. The restaurant did not participate in or verify the information presented.

Ripe Hass avocados nestled in a simple bowl against a neutral background, ready for a delicious meal.

From tree to plate: why Hass?

“Avocados were my favorite food growing up,” the owner of Hass Kitchen Val Punnada Limphoka said. “But why Hass avocados? What is so special about them?” I asked, “they’re simply the best,” she said. 

Owner Val Punnada Limphoka grew up in California, where Hass avocados grow in abundance. Growing up, she had a Hass avocado tree in her backyard and would always pick off and eat fresh Hass avocados with her family. She says that eating those fresh avocados were some of her favorite childhood memories. 

Both of her parents loved cooking, and given their abundance of avocados, they always utilized them in their cooking. She loved seeing the versatility of the Hass avocado and how it could be used in so many ways. Some of her favorite ways she saw the Hass avocado being used included put in green curry, made into fries and assembled into sandwiches.

To her, avocado is more than just a food, it’s a feeling. She says that avocados remind her of her childhood, and that she wants everyone who comes to Hass to be able to resonate with the same foods, feelings and experiences she grew up with.

 When it came to creating a menu, she wanted to make sure that avocado was the center of the menu and decided that she’d combine avocado with her asian background to create a conducive menu. The different dishes consist of Japanese omelettes, thai bangbang chicken, but also a variety of avocado toasts and avocado fries. She wanted the menu to have options for everyone and be inclusive, so there are a variety of dairy and gluten free options on top of sweet and savory options for a brunch place. 

The versatility of avocados is seen on the menu, as there are many typically sweet dishes that have avocado in it in unexpected ways. For example, there is Hass french toast on the menu and there is avocado cream cheese in it that is a nice added touch of avocado. 

That Hass avocado tree in her backyard wasn’t just a source of food, it was a source of memories and creativity that her family could play around with. 

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