I grew up in Singapore, where we are obsessed with good food and amazing flavors. The tiny island is a melting pot of Asian cultures, full of outdoor markets and street food vendors in small stalls offering the signature dishes they have perfected over decades. I saw how tradition was preserved and community was forged on a daily basis, amidst the clatter of pots and chatter of diners.
As a child, I spent hours at the bustling hawker center near our home, captivated by the busy cooks creating a wide array of delicious aromas and flavors that originated across Asia. It was an exuberant fusion of cultures I could see, smell, taste, hear and touch. Even then, I understood this diverse Asian hub of energy and excitement was unique and special—and I learned that food was a universal way to connect cultures.
Young and fearless, I left Singapore for a business consulting job in London and eventually made the leap to San Francisco’s Bay Area, where I followed my passion and began fencing competitively. As an athlete looking for ways to gain an advantage, I found when I fueled my body with clean, whole foods, I performed—and felt—my best. I began to study holistic nutrition and food as medicine, eventually becoming a Certified Nutrition Consultant.
Nostalgic for Singapore and living in Oakland, CA, where I had access to a wide variety of fresh, local produce, I crafted clean versions of the recipes for the favorite dishes of my youth. I wanted to share authentic Asian street food options that didn’t include MSG, artificial ingredients, preservatives or tons of sodium. In 2014, Whole Foods Market in San Francisco began offering Nona Lim soups. Fast-paced, healthy lifestyles thrived on nourishing, quick prep snacks and meals made with the highest quality vegetables, herbs, whole spices, fresh noodles and sustainably raised proteins, and our brand quickly grew. Today, Nona Lim products are found in retail grocery stores and online sales platforms across the U.S.
Nona Lim small-batch fresh noodles, broths, soups, stir-fry kits, instant noodle bowls and entrees are still infused with those early Singapore childhood flavors and memories from the hawker center, my way of recognizing the blend of cultures that continue to come together through food. We celebrate difference and diversity, blending tradition with convenience to create delicious comfort food that is simply prepared and, most importantly, ready to be sipped or slurped together.
Enjoy!
Nona's Story
I grew up in Singapore, where we are obsessed with good food and amazing flavors. The tiny island is a melting pot of Asian cultures, full of outdoor markets and street food vendors in small stalls offering the signature dishes they have perfected over decades. I saw how tradition was preserved and community was forged on a daily basis, amidst the clatter of pots and chatter of diners.
As a child, I spent hours at the bustling hawker center near our home, captivated by the busy cooks creating a wide array of delicious aromas and flavors that originated across Asia. It was an exuberant fusion of cultures I could see, smell, taste, hear and touch. Even then, I understood this diverse Asian hub of energy and excitement was unique and special—and I learned that food was a universal way to connect cultures.
Young and fearless, I left Singapore for a business consulting job in London and eventually made the leap to San Francisco’s Bay Area, where I followed my passion and began fencing competitively. As an athlete looking for ways to gain an advantage, I found when I fueled my body with clean, whole foods, I performed—and felt—my best. I began to study holistic nutrition and food as medicine, eventually becoming a Certified Nutrition Consultant.
Nostalgic for Singapore and living in Oakland, CA, where I had access to a wide variety of fresh, local produce, I crafted clean versions of the recipes for the favorite dishes of my youth. I wanted to share authentic Asian street food options that didn’t include MSG, artificial ingredients, preservatives or tons of sodium. In 2014, Whole Foods Market in San Francisco began offering Nona Lim soups. Fast-paced, healthy lifestyles thrived on nourishing, quick prep snacks and meals made with the highest quality vegetables, herbs, whole spices, fresh noodles and sustainably raised proteins, and our brand quickly grew. Today, Nona Lim products are found in retail grocery stores and online sales platforms across the U.S.
Nona Lim small-batch fresh noodles, broths, soups, stir-fry kits, instant noodle bowls and entrees are still infused with those early Singapore childhood flavors and memories from the hawker center, my way of recognizing the blend of cultures that continue to come together through food. We celebrate difference and diversity, blending tradition with convenience to create delicious comfort food that is simply prepared and, most importantly, ready to be sipped or slurped together.
Enjoy!