my story

It all starts with the word, noona. Noona means big sister in the Korean language. My first happiest memory was becoming a noona, and my second happiest memory was discovering ice cream. Hence, Noona’s Ice Cream: love of ice cream and love of family life.

For me, a good noona feeds you good food. But, what is good food? Good food is always wholesome and made with bright energy and unconditional love, so the result is life-giving food. It’s made from your hands and fresh quality ingredients that are synchronized with nature and the seasons so to not be heavy and stale. As your ice cream noona, I focus on feeding you life-giving ice cream and sweet treats. Through Noona’s, I’m here to be a guide in your journey of flavor.

So, how did it all start? Well in 2014, I found myself at a crossroads, trying to figure out my professional love (and well, life). I was working in operations for a small family-owned company, and it was during that time I found myself surrounded by entrepreneurial spirits. Exposing myself to new perspectives gave me this urge to move, create and share things, but I didn’t know what those things were yet. It was only when I started to spend time with myself on the weekends that things started to connect and a path was revealed. My last job was demanding with long hours, so instead of going out with friends I’d stay in to rest up on weekends. This meant doing whatever I wanted and doing all those things slowly and lovingly. And most of what I did was just cook, eat, dance and write. The weekends were my time to just let go of everything and just be and enjoy myself. So, I took my time, and it was in those slow movements of being that I found life, energy and love. That gave me the spark, the fire to leap and share and not think about falling or failing. It was also then I met the love of my life.

Why ice cream? Well, the practice of cooking and playing with my food came natural to me. I started baking at a young age out of my father’s love of American sweets. If there was a sale on Stella D’oro, Entenmann’s, Breyers - the list goes on - it was Christmas. But from everything, ice cream was extra special. It wasn’t an everyday treat because it was expensive, according to Daddy Bae. It was something to earn like a prize or enjoy during special occasions and most importantly, only if it was on sale. So ice cream will always be the most special treat to me, and to make homemade ice cream for someone - and on top of that, make a flavor that embodies your relationship with them - has to be the ultimate gift. So you can say that ice cream is my love language and perhaps why so many of you have chosen Noona’s as gifts for loved ones!

But, I didn’t think to make a business out of ice cream until I began to make and share my own flavors, especially my Toasted Rice Ice Cream. That flavor just hit different. Family and friends kept saying they’ve never tasted anything like it and that they could FEEL the flavor. My Toasted Rice Ice Cream was SOUL FOOD. They could feel the comfort, love and life in it. And it was with in that shared discovery that the vision of Noona’s Ice Cream was shown to me.

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 worth pursuing. I debuted with only 2 flavors: my Toasted Rice and Black Sesame. Sure enough, I won best flavor for my Toasted Rice ice cream and that win gave Noona’s a loyal following from the start. Fast forward to today, and the recognition of being one of the best ice cream brands around and the go-to for Asian-inspired ice cream flavors is just a reflection of the love and care that is put into Noona’s.

A decade of Noona’s?! What’s next? Loved every minute of growing Noona’s as a CPG and foodservice business, but through this decade of experience, I realized I am first and foremost a home cook, because I always choose a home cooked meal made by a loved one over the best restaurant in the world. And it’s true, I will always choose homemade ice cream over the best ice cream shop or brand in the frozen grocery aisle. That’s how I started Noona’s - as a passionate and dedicated home cook. When I look back at my favorite moments of being the noona of Noona’s Ice Cream, it’s the in-person and virtual guided tastings I gave to individuals, couples and groups of 50+; it’s the ice cream sandwich assembling and cake decorating classes I hosted for date nights, educational programs and kids’ parties; it’s the connections and friendships that formed through a shared appreciation of good food. So after a decade of Noona’s and at the dawn of turning 40, Noona’s is here to be a space where kids, adults and families can learn the gift of ice cream and sweetness, whether it’s learning the sweet science of ice cream making and baking, or playing with your food and getting your creative juices flowing through fun food making activities like cake decorating and mochi mooncake ice cream assembling. A few times a year, I’ll be producing ice cream novelties in limited qty (2027 schedule will be announced), but pumping out ice cream 24/7 is no longer my main focus. I want to see more of y’all making homemade ice cream all kinds of delicious ways and be a guide along the way.

Because there’s nothing more perfect than sitting with loved ones while enjoying a sweet treat whipped up by a loved one. And if it’s just you, there is great beauty in the despair of baking your own birthday cake or making a tub of ice cream for your own consumption on a rainy day. Is there anyone that disagrees when I say: Food making is making love and making sweets is a special kind of lovin’…

On a side note: If you’re new to Noona’s or curious about the different stages of Noona’s over the past decade, continue your read in this blog post. And if you’re on social, stay connected via my IG and Noona’s IG.

With love,

Noona

(Hannah)

“food making is making love…

but making sweets is a special kind of lovin’…”