Roll & Bowl was founded in year 2018; with the encouragement and support of my family members. I am passionate about cooking because it’s such a joy, and it gives me great satisfaction seeing people who enjoy my cooking.
Many of my customers are wondering about the name “Roll & Bowl”. “Roll” denotes our specialty of freshly made ice cream rolls; while “bowl” denotes the traditional cuisine. The “Roll & Bowl” is related to an experience from my childhood; that I would like to share with you.
I am the first generation of immigrants. I was at school age when my parents and my three sisters migrated to the US from Canton many years ago. I was attending the school while I was working at the same time. My first job was working in a restaurant, and I continue to work in various restaurants until now when I am running on my own.
We lived in a small village in the suburbs area. My parents went to work, and I stayed home to babysit and take care of my three younger sisters. At that time, there was not much to eat except the vegetables that we grew in the backyard. My mom didn’t teach me how to cook, occasionally, she showed me a little of this and that, but I learned how to cook by myself by helping my mom and observing how she cooked. And maybe because of that, I developed my interest and passion in cooking.
On the occasions of holidays, my mom prepared many dishes for my family to enjoy, the smell of her food was so good that it filled every corner of the house. Until now, my mom’s dishes like Braised duck; stewed lotus roots; stir-fried Beef with ginger and onion; and Wonton soup… are still my favorites…
Mom once said: “Since you enjoy eating good food, why don’t you learn to cook?” That inspired me to cook and sparked my passion for sharing my cooking for people to enjoy.
Back then when I was just a kid, ice cream and cake were very expensive and luxurious. I was craving when I saw my classmates having ice cream and cake; while I didn’t have any pocket money to buy. But I figured out how to earn money to buy ice cream and cakes. I picked the vegetables from the backyard and sold them, finally, I earned enough money to buy ice cream and cakes to share with my sisters. I discovered how great the ice cream was for the first time in my life that I tried the ice cream. My youngest sister even wanted to lick the ice cream that melted and dripped onto the ground. I was thinking that I wouldn’t have to each any regular meals if I could eat ice cream every day.
When I was a kid, happiness was as simple as just eating the ice cream. Now that I am a grown-up, life is more complex, but sometimes, just a cup of ice cream, recalling childhood memories, to me, that’s happiness.
Now, I am pouring my passion into making the ice cream for you, I hope while enjoying the ice cream, it can reduce the bitterness of your life, and spice up your life with a little bit of sweetness…