Bennett Lai's First Time in America
I was born in Hong Kong and came over to the US around 2008-2009 to attend boarding school. Once I arrived, I immediately got a yearning for a taste of my home cuisine. Little did I know that "Americanized" Chinese food existed, that a fictitious man called "General Tso" dominated Chinese restaurants, and that the quest for authentic Hong Kong food would end up being a multi-year saga.
University of Michigan (I)
As my high school graduation approached, I chose the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, known for its food scene, and cultural diversity.
While the overall Asian food scene here is drastically better than my high school's, it was mostly Taiwanese and Northern Chinese cuisine - not quite the Hong Kong food I ate growing up. Asia is vast and different regional cuisines have different distinctions. Similar to how a Texan Roadhouse BBQ is significantly different compared to New York-style steakhouse, so too are there clear distinctions between the Hong Kong cuisine of my childhood and the Taiwanese and Northern Chinese cuisine of my new city.
Bennett Lai's Hong Kong Food At Home
As my frustration built up, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I tried methods from "recreating" Hong Kong-style rice bowls using microwaves in dining halls, to experimenting with stove-top cooking and ovens in faculty micro-kitchens. I had to wait until I gained access to a proper kitchen outside of the dormitories to finally make my own Hong Kong food consistently.
In addition to making Fried Rice, Dumplings, Spring rolls, and other "meal" dishes, I enjoyed making and eating "Cha Chaan Teng 茶餐廳" style snacks. Cha Chaan Tengs, translated as "Tea restaurants" is a very pivotal part of Hong Kong culture. I would say the closest equivalent in the US would be a casual diner focused on common folks' food, but they have their differences.
Cha Chaan Tengs pride themselves on the eclectic and affordability of their menu items and are commonly frequented throughout the day but particularly during the morning and afternoon tea break times, a custom Hong Kong adopted from the British. These Cha Chaan Teng, in addition to Hong Kong-style bakeries, were the bliss of my childhood, so I labored hard towards recreating some of the staples I enjoyed such as the cocktail buns, the pineapple buns, and of course the egg tarts.
Bennett Lai's First Career Moves
As I eventually graduated from U of M, my career path would take me towards "normal" routes. Especially since I was an immigrant on an F1 student visa, I couldn't pick just "any" job that I fancied. I needed to find a job at a global company, a reputable one, one that could sponsor my H1-B work visa. With those restrictions on me, I decided to do an internship at Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), one of the Big 4 accounting firms back in Hong Kong. After a valuable internship, I figured out that core accounting wasn't for me, but took the skills I learned there and transitioned to doing financial software consulting for big corporations (now with PwC US).
Bennett Lai's French Adventures
While I was working with PwC on my student visa,waiting for a CHANCE to get my H-1B in the annual lottery, my student visa eventually expired - and I was faced with deportation from the US.
I talked to many colleagues and friends, before ultimately coming across an opportunity to remain with PwC as I kept trying for the annual H-1B lottery. The catch? I would have to relocate to Paris.
My boss reassured me that all the French can speak fluent English, so, without ever studying a single word of French, I packed up all my belongings, downloaded the Duolingo app, and flew over to Paris. What my boss conveniently omitted was that just because the French CAN speak English didn't mean they WOULD. Mais c’est la vie!
Yet the struggles I faced with cultural and language barriers with the Parisians was made all worthwhile when I discovered the treasures known as boulangeries (French bakeries) and pâtisseries (French pastry shops). Every morning without fail, I would go through the ritual of exchanging broken French, a few coins, and a brief miming performance for delicious freshly baked Croque madames and pain au chocolats. There was something magical about the experiences I had there that always brightened my day.
Eventually, I got my H1B work visa. I first returned to PwC's Chicago office, before ultimately joining a bay area tech company that was willing to start the process to sponsor me for my Green Card (US Permanent Residency). Fortunately, I eventually did receive my green card and my freedom from deportation in August 2021.
Bennett Lai's Return to (Corporate) America
Although I was grateful for them helping me get my green card, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was grinding hours to please executives and shareholders, rather than actually making a positive impact on my customers' lives. My work in big tech always felt a bit bureaucratic, despite the company's focus on prioritizing user experience. I had no intention to climb the corporate ladder, and these doubts continue to simmer in my mind. As inflation rose throughout 2022 and quite a few of my friends hopped companies or resigned, I started to question if my job was really giving me the satisfaction and fulfillment I needed to be happy.
It took me until Oct of 2022 to finally realize I'm free from my former legal shackles as an immigrant… and take a risk towards doing something new, starting a company. Instead of applying to yet another big corporation like my friends, I wanted to work for something that made a positive difference to my community and myself, ideally while still paying the bills.
Marupo's Egg Tarts
I reflected on all the struggles I had throughout my life. I looked for the moments I had that lifted me up when I was down. I searched for the thing that gave me the strength and motivation to push through the toughest days. After contemplating for several weeks, I realized what it was - food.
Whether it was the Cha Chaan Tengs back in Hong Kong, the home-cooked meals I made when I was a student, or the sandwiches and pastries I ate in Paris, it was always the food, and the experiences associated with eating food, that brought joy to me and those around me. So I decided to have my company focus on exactly that - good experiences and memories through food.
But "food" is extremely vague. In fact, the food industry in the US is massive; from chain restaurants to groceries to food trucks... how exactly can I differentiate myself? To really give to the community what only I, only Bennett can bring. I thought about it more... and after much deliberation I came up with the concept of "sharing my culture(s) through food".
My life story which brought me across the globe is a rather flavorful and inspirational one. Through my life's experience on 3 different continents, I'm hoping that I can bring the different cuisines as well as practices and values to my community members in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti... starting with my childhood snack - the egg tart :)
