Kim Pham’s Top Kitchen Picks For "Proud, Loud Asian Home Cooking"

"Growing up in Boston, in a town that was 98 percent white, Vanessa and I never felt seen by products in the ‘ethnic’ aisle in mainstream grocery stores," says Kim Pham of Omsom, the Asian food brand she cofounded with her sister in May 2020. The sisters are both first-generation Vietnamese Americans and daughters of refugees. "How is this outdated view of America still perpetuated in supermarkets when a third of the U.S. is now comprised of immigrants and their children?" Pham asks. "That experience of being othered informed our mission of wanting to build a brand that proudly centers Asian Americans first."

Omsom makes sauce packets that contain all the aromatic spices and seasonings you need to cook a specific Asian dish at home, whether you’re new to Asian cooking or looking to whip up a quick meal. Simply rip, squeeze, and fire up a restaurant-quality dish in 20 minutes. (Protein, or vegetables, and rice or noodles are left to the chef’s discretion.) Omsom takes the guesswork out of Asian cooking, which can be intimidating if the right ingredients are inaccessible. "I have a Vietnamese pantry and I cook Asian food five days a week and even I have difficulty finding the right soy sauce," laments Pham. "Dark soy sauce is different from light soy sauce, which is different from Thai soy sauce or Filipino soy sauce," she continues of the nuances in Asian flavors and textures.

Not limited to just Vietnamese flavors, Omsom boasts the likes of Thai Larb and Filipino Sisig from the Southeast Asian region; tastes of East Asia include Japanese Yuzu Miso Glaze and Korean Spicy Bulgogi. Each packet has been thoughtfully developed in partnership with renowned Asian chefs and restaurateurs like Jimmy Ly of Madame Vo and Chaht and Ohm Suansilphong of Fish Cheeks in NYC. "We’re Vietnamese so we can’t tell people how to eat Korean, Chinese, or Filipino food—that’s not our place," says Pham. "So we needed to involve these chefs who are not only of these backgrounds but have spent their careers building restaurants and writing cookbooks honoring the cuisines and the communities from which their food is from."

Pham recalls how she and her sister showed up at these restaurants at the end of the night when the kitchens closed to grab a few minutes to pitch themselves. To their surprise, the response was overwhelming with big chefs willing to take a bet on Omsom "because we really showed a dedication to these communities in a way that probably another big food conglomerate wouldn’t," she says. "We put so much care and attention to sourcing and cultural integrity, and we also pay them a royalty fee because I firmly believe that rising tides raise all boats and if we’re gonna make money, they’re also gonna make money." The commitment is certainly paying off: As of last month, Omsom has launched nationwide into every single Whole Foods location.

For those who are new to Omsom or to Asian cooking in general, Pham recommends the Try ‘Em All Set, which is a discovery sampler that includes every varietal. (We also recommend cooking Omsom meals with her favorite kitchen tools below!) Those looking to dive deeper should check out Omsom’s Instagram Reels, which offer cooking tutorials straight from the pros: "We have tips around how to get really crunchy tofu, how to season sushi rice, how to cut sushi grade tuna," says Pham. To that end, Pham hopes that Omsom is just the first step in someone’s culinary journey. "I want folks to feel empowered to go to an Asian grocery store and grab gochujang or kimchi or fish sauce and experiment with these flavors in their own home." 

"Making my fave SPAM musubis just got so much easier with this press! These little seaweed-wrapped rice and SPAM cakes are the perfect daytime snack."

"If you’re not using a rice cooker, what are you waiting for?! These bad boys make it dead simple to make perfectly fluffy rice, every time—no more scraping burnt rice from your stovetop pot. Zojirushi makes the Cadillacs of rice cookers and is definitely worth the investment."

"I am ride-or-die for this little paddle, a bright and colorful addition to any kitchen that makes scooping rice a breeze!"

"Growing up, this was an extension of my mom’s hands—we didn’t use tongs, we used chopsticks! They are nimble enough to do everything—mix noodles, deep fry shrimp, and sauté veggies!"

"A versatile knife for every home cook. I love using mine to quickly break down and chop vegetables. The weight feels great in my hand and allows me to cut with confidence!"

"If you’ve been in any Korean household, you’ll know that scissors are often used to cut just as much as knives are. From slicing delicate scallions to snipping cuts of barbecued meat, we love a sharp pair of kitchen scissors!"

"I grew up eating in a Vietnamese home where every meal was family-style and I just ADORE these quirky serving utensils with so much personality!"

"It’s always handy to have a rolling bamboo mat nearby for sushi or kimbap night!"

"These pans are perfect for batch steaming dumplings, dim, sum, etc. You can even toss these into your Instant Pot and not have to worry about it!"

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