Taste of Home

Taste of Home

The story of Kinfolk Bakery began in a culinary school in Hong Kong. That’s where Nancy Leung first learned to bake pastries and cakes over 30 years ago. She and her husband, Tom, have since immigrated to the United States with their daughter, Kitty Salyer.

Leung transitioned to cooking lunches and dinners when the couple opened Tai Wah Asian Cuisine in Hudson in 1992. Some of her customers asked for traditional Asian-style cakes they had overseas, so she started baking again. While working long hours at the restaurant, she taught her daughter how to bake the cakes.

“I remember going over to their house some late nights and mom teaching me,” Salyer says. 

The family relocated the restaurant to Streetsboro, and in 2018, Salyer opened Kinfolk Bakery, which sells pastries, cakes, coffee and tea, in the same building as Tai Wah. 

The bakery offers both European and Asian pastries. Find creative confections like Earl Grey, tiramisu, mango cream and green tea cakes. Especially popular items include birthday cakes, macarons, themed cookies, tarts and bao, which are buns traditionally served during brunch in Hong Kong. Salyer’s bao have a milk bread base and sweet or savory fillings and toppings such as roast pork or coconut. 

“I like to make bread a lot,” Salyer says. “It’s fun to me. You get to get out any pent-up emotions. … It’s very tactile.”

THREE TO BUY

The traditional Asian-style cakes generally use a lighter cake base, a less-sweet whipped cream frosting and fruits that aren’t as popular in the U.S. One example Salyer gives is the durian cake, which is made with vanilla chiffon and durian mousse that comes from durian fruit. The cake is a frequent choice for people who are accustomed to the Asian fruit that’s pungent yet creamy. 

“That’s something special or inspiring for me — to make something that Asian customers are familiar with and they enjoy,” she says.

These and other Asian-style cakes can’t be as easily found, especially in a smaller city like Streetsboro. 

“When we have Asian-style bakeries in a given area, it’s usually in a bigger metropolitan area,” Salyer says. “There’s nothing really available in more of a suburban or rural area, and I like to be able to provide that for people … because there are a lot of Asian people in these areas, too.”

Access to diverse food options also creates exposure for those who haven’t experienced them before. Salyer says they sometimes put out samples of bao at Tai Wah. People often discover they like it and order some from Kinfolk.

“I think that’s important, not just for the people from the home countries who crave stuff,” she says. “It’s important to introduce to American people or people who are not familiar with it. It’s really nice to expand the palate that way.”

Carryout and dine in available, 9160 state Route 14, Streetsboro, 440-305-6190, kinfolkbakeries.com