noona’s story
Blazin’ a trail of sweetness on this journey of flavor ~
It all starts with the word, noona. Noona means big sister in the Korean language. My first happiest memory was becoming a big sister, and my second happiest memory was discovering ice cream. Hence, Noona’s Ice Cream. <3
For me, a good noona feeds you good food. And at Noona’s, we’re here to be a guide along your journey of flavor.
As a pastry chef and creative fascinated with flavor, texture and the nature of an ingredient, I like to have a strong deep relationship with food.
Noona’s actually came into existence without a name in 2014. I found myself at a crossroads, trying to figure out my professional love and career path. I was working in operations for a small family-owned company and found myself immersed among entrepreneurial spirits. On my spare time, I’d make ice cream and share it with neighbors and friends. The small gesture of sharing ice cream created significant ripples in time, sparking joy and indelible connections that continue to ground me with love.
In the Summer of 2016, I officially launched Noona’s into the world on the same day as NYC’s annual ice cream contest held by Hester St Fair on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I figured if I won best flavor, I was onto something special. I debuted with only 2 flavors: my Toasted Rice ice cream (my own flavor creation) and a classic Black Sesame ice cream. Sure enough, I won best flavor for my Toasted Rice ice cream and it’s the flavor that gave Noona’s a name and our loyal following. Fast forward to today, and I’m proud to have Noona’s be recognized as making some of the best ice cream around and the go-to for Asian-inspired ice cream flavors.
To read more on what Noona’s is all about and how Noona’s was built over the years and what we are doing now, read my update on our main page or in this blog post.
xx,
Hannah Bae
aka noona