Today we’d like to introduce you to Koi Mapolon
Koi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been in the U.S. since I was 25 but I’ve been cooking and baking for friends and family since I was about 16. I am a soldier, a business professional, a parent, a wife and homemaker, a Jiujiteira, and a baker/home cook. For a long time, I was hesitant to start a business because I felt I lacked knowledge and connections. I started doing a lot of research and launched Kintsugi Bites in late 2022. When it started, I was really nervous so I ended up not being very active and was only able to market to family and friends. It wasn’t until early this year that I made a bigger commitment to my business and started to really look more into how it can reach more people, anxieties aside. I did my first two pop-ups in June 2024 and was happily surprised by the turnout of both. I was able to put Kintsugi Bites out there with the support of family and friends and we’re only just getting started.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road. Cooking has been a passion of mine ever since I was a kid, but turning that passion into a business involves so much more than just making the food. The biggest struggle I had was getting the information I needed to start. I didn’t want to just jump into this without knowing anything and I was lucky enough to have made a connection with someone that helped me gain a lot of perspective. The other challenge that I faced had to do with figuring out how to expand my market to more than just family and friends. It took some time to find different markets close by me that I could apply to and then figure out the set up and how to package everything. There is also the challenge of balancing Kintsugi Bites with my other commitments, as well as other smaller challenges but we trudge on and move forward through all of it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Kintsugi Bites is my small cottage kitchen bakery where we make delicious treats with flavors that range from classic ones like Chocolate Chip to unique ones like our Ube Crunch. Our mission is to make others smile with the bites we provide and to introduce Filipino and other Asian cultures to those that may not be familiar to it. Alongside our nostalgia triggering classics, we put time and effort in exploring different flavors and combining them to create bites that are unique and delectable. Our cookies are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside which makes for the perfect bite.
Our best sellers so far have been our Ube Crunch and Choco Crinkles. Ube Crunch combines Filipino Ube with cashews and white chocolate for a dynamic flavor combo, and Choco Crinkles are a fudgy, brownie-like cookie coated with powdered sugar. Alongside these amazing flavors, we also have Strawberry Dream–with freeze-dried strawberries and white chocolate chips–that was created to pair with a Matcha Latte, and the OG Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Raisin–classic flavors that bring you back in time.
I am very proud of all of the flavors we have in our line-up. We are constantly in the test kitchen trying out new combinations and the moment when we decide to add something to the menu is so gratifying. We are not afraid of flavors that some might deem as “weird to be in a cookie” so finding what works is always a great time.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is looking at our pantry and wondering what would happen if I mixed together Milo and butter and put it in the oven toaster. It became the most delectable chewy on the inside but crisp on the outside cookie I’ve tasted and was my first successful food experiment. Another one was watching my god mother bake brownies with my sister and cousins and making a race out of which egg yolk would break last.
Pricing:
- Jumbo Cookies (all flavors) – $4
- Jumbo Cookie Bundle (3 for $10)
- Variety Pack (one of each flavor) – $16
- Cookies by the dozen (single flavor) – $20
- Mixed Bag of Cookies (3 flavors) – $22
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kintsugibites.square.site/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kintsugibites
