Elizabeth Ding and Tim Steele
3 days ago
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Saonoi It means “little girl” in Lao, which is also the name of the two entrepreneurs’ chili sauce business, chosen in honour of their mothers’ nicknames.
Co-founders Marie and Lisa Duangphoumi, sisters who helped run their family’s now-closed restaurant in Hood River while attending Portland State University, say Sao Noi’s products — chili oil, beef jerky, cookbooks — represent Lao culture and cuisine.
Marie took business classes and minored in business at PSU. “I pitched our chili oil to my former entrepreneurship professor and he believed in us and our product,” she told KOIN 6 News.
Their first product was their mother’s idea.
“My mom decided to make a chili oil to go with our pho, and it became a huge hit,” Lisa says. “One of our employees loved it so much that Marnie (Marnie is her mother’s name) said, ‘Why don’t you bottle it and sell it?’ And that’s how we got started.”
Family is at the heart of their company, and their late father continues to have an impact.
“My father was very creative with his cooking and was a source of inspiration for us. He passed away in 2013, so my mother and I ran the restaurant,” Lisa says. “My brother was very young at the time, so there was only so much he could do.”
She is often asked where she comes from, Next, I will explain where Laos is.
“I have to share our culture and our food with them,” Marie said. “We also have a cookbook with family recipes and a map of Laos, so it’s like sharing our story and our culture.”
Saonoi The products can be purchased locally at places like Market of Choice and Elephant’s Deli, and this summer the sisters will be attending the Fancy Food Show in New York City with people from Portland’s Food Innovation Center.
