OUR STORY
FOUNDER & CHEF — KRISTY CHEN
Kristy is a concept and apparel designer, with a curiosity for all things food. She is traditionally trained in Chinese cuisine by her grandmother since the age of four. After moving to the states in the 90’s her palate was opened to a new world of flavors. Her desire to seek and reimagine new flavor profiles comes from wanting to capture memorable bites experienced through her dining experiences across the globe, but staying grounded in the homestyle feel of her grandmother’s kitchen. She has curated meals for the likes of family, friends, and now you.
Thank You For Coming is an open concept supper club, focused on immersive dinner experiences created through food, music, and culture. We invite you to experience our culinary events curated by chef and founder Kristy Chen. Each popup event will host a different tasting menu at a different location.
From Kristy’s words:
My earliest childhood memories consist of being surrounded by my large family and an abundance food. Sunday dinners became the focal point of bringing our busy lives together. After moving from China to Northeast Ohio, then to New York City to pursue my creative dreams, I found myself hosting my own Sunday dinners to bring my expanding NYC family together.
The past few years has put many things to a temporary halt. Though we have been consciously distant with good reason, one thing we can always come together for is a great meal. More than ever I wanted to bring forth the energy of these dinners to a bigger stage - a curated dining experience, and a place for true engagement over a great meal.
— Kristy
THE CREW ↆ
SOUS CHEF — SAORI ENO
Saori Eno is a chef and sake sommelier who’s 30 year culinary experience range from Matsuri at the Mairtime hotel, Gohan-ya, and most currently Ni Japanese Deli. She specializes in clean, gluten free cuisine with a focus on local and seasonal ingredients.
GUEST BARTENDER — ARIANNA SHALJIAN
Arianna Shaljian is an artist and bartender working out of Brooklyn and the lower east side. She works fearlessly and intuitively with both colors in her work, and flavors in her drinks. Arianna has found it extremely satisfying to experiment beyond the realm of physical and visual art, and branch into the subtleties of flavor combinations in drink making.
GUEST PATISSIERE — MARISA RIPO
Marisa Ripo is a concept designer, colorist + food enthusiast from Brooklyn, NY. Her love of all things food originated at her families’ Italian deli in Park Slope. There, Sunday’s meant carrying bread deliveries larger than your body in the morning + sitting around a dinner table with family all evening. Her gluten intolerance prompted her to adapt all of her Nana’s traditional recipes into GF versions. Marisa + Kristy bonded over collaborating on runway designs + quickly moved that into the kitchen where they continue to expand each other’s knowledge of opposing cultural cuisines.
VIDEO VISUALS — MONICA HOM
Monica, an SF native, moved to NYC in the midst of the pandemic after spending a few years in Paris. She currently works in the arts and has always had the motivation to put on memorable events.
FLORIST — JXCAM
Jose Camacho grew up in the Philippines and has always been surrounded by the beauty of wildlife and nature. This year especially, his curiosity towards experimenting with preserving flowers has continued to blossom while gaining more interest towards growing his plant collection. Often, he would observe the sense of time passing by when seeing new leaves unfold. Through this, he hopes to inspire others to reconnect back with the delicate world around us.
VENUE ↆ
Our current venue is located in Brooklyn, NYC. Exact address will be disclosed after booking.