FEBRUARY 2021 19AS CHILDREN, sisters Vanessa and Kim Pham would belt out
songs like “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in the back seat
of their car on family road trips, causing their parents to
eventually turn around and chide, “Don’t be so om sòm!”
(the Vietnamese phrase for rowdy or rambunctious). The
phrase quieted them back then but has since invigorated the
sisters to be “proud and loud” with their company, Omsom,
which makes bold, dynamically flavored starters—packets of
premixed sauces and spices that are designed to help cooks
easily make specific dishes from multiple Asian regions
at home.
The brand launched in May 2020 amidst the COVID-19
pandemic to fanfare from food writers, chefs, influencers,
and everyday cooks, Asian American and not.
“There are so many Asian Americans who grew up on
these flavors but don’t have the bandwidth to be making
them from scratch at home,” says Vanessa, who comes from
a management consulting background. “There’s a whole
world of people who love Asian cuisine that don’t knowwhere to start. We wanted to make some-
thing that allows them to unlock these
dishes but be flexible enough to suit their
dietary preferences and what they have in
their fridges.”
In early 2020, the Phams had amateur
home cooks across the country try the first
iteration of their starters to make sure the
recipes were clear, the flavors were fine-
tuned, and the product was easy to use.
Fifty percent of the testers were Asian
Americans who struggled with getting
actual measurements for their favorite
childhood recipes out of their parents,
while others loved eating Asian food but
struggled to access ingredients or were in-
timidated by the flavors and techniques.
“We watched many people cut pork belly
into the wrong size,” Vanessa recalls with
a laugh. “The objective was to take notes
quietly and not help, as to not affect their
experience. It helped us see how people
interpreted [the product],” she says. After-
ward, the sisters debriefed with their testers
and altered the packets’ instructions and
flavors based on their feedback.
The initial run of starters featured South-
east Asian dishes underrepresented in the mainstream. The
sisters worked with New York City–based chefs to develop
Omsom’s first three offerings: This first drop included Fili-
pino sisig with Nicole Ponseca of Jeepney, Thai larb with
Chat and Ohm Suansilphong of Fish Cheeks, and Vietnam-
ese lemongrass BBQ with Jimmy Ly of Madame Vo. They
sold out almost immediately and repeatedly.
Their second collection, which dropped in fall 2020, gave
Omsom’s base what they were asking for—East Asian food.
“A lot of folks are more familiar with East Asian cuisines,
and we wanted to continue working with kick-ass chefs,”
Vanessa explains. This drop of starters helped home cooks
make a Korean spicy bulgogi from Deuki Hong of Sunday
Bird in San Francisco, Japanese yuzu misoyaki with Maiko
Kyogoku of Bessou in NYC, and Chinese mala salad with
Amelie Kang of MáLà Project, also in NYC. Now, the sisters
are hinting at a spring 2021 release that they’re excited about.
No matter how far they expand the line, the Phams are
excited to spread their message of being proud and loud in
both food and life. “For Asian Americans in particular, food
is oftentimes a carrier of our identities, cultures, and lan-
guage,” Kim says. “Omsom was kind of born from us trying
to figure out how we can reclaim and celebrate Asian identi-
ties, communities, and cultures.” And, it turns out, that
can all be set into motion with one bite.Curious to try Omsom? Shop the East Asian and Southeast
Asian samplers at omsom.com.THE TASTEMAKERSSecret Sauce Omsom is fueling
weeknight dinners with vibrant
packets of flavor—and nostalgia.
By Alyse Whitney
S i s t e r s K i m
(at right) and
Vanessa Pham
designed Omsom
to look like giant
matchbooks.PHOTOGRAPHY (PORTRAIT): DEANIE CHEN ILLUSTRATION (OPPOSITE): RACHEL CARNEY