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At Saratoga bakery Tai Zhan, which opened in October, baking expertise, family tradition and innovative, scratch-made vegan delectables (some inspired by Hong Kong classics) come together to form a plant-based paradise for those seeking tasty treats that are also kind to the planet.
Tai Zhan’s co-founder Wendy Chan took time out from her busy life as a hands-on baker and business owner – and mom of two young children – for an email interview with The Six Fifty to share her bake shop’s story and offer a tip on trying out vegan recipes. This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
The Six Fifty: How has Tai Zhan evolved from a bake sale to now a shop of your own?
Wendy Chan: Tai Zhan started as a bake sale for my partner’s grandparents, who lost their home in the Paradise fires in 2018. We wanted to help them but had no funds to contribute so thought of holding a bake sale for them. At that time, Vegan Republic (now closed, but was a vegan grocery store in Berkeley) hosted many pop-up food creators, so we reached out and they kindly hosted us. The feedback was so positive we decided to continue baking since then. We have had two little ones in our family since we started doing pop-ups, so some years we have done it more often than others.
I was at a crossroads with my baking journey and was considering not continuing at the beginning of this year. My partner was driving home one day in March and saw that there was a for lease sign in the shop we are at now. The space felt so inviting and we decided to go for it. We signed the lease in May and officially opened in the beginning of October.
The Six Fifty: How do you decide what items to include on your menu?
Wendy Chan: We offer around 12+ items every week using organic flours, sugars, oils and milks. We have our staple items that always stay and rotate some of the others. We decide the menu on what’s in season and what simply sounds tasty to offer that week.
The SixFifty: What are some of your specialties?
Wendy Chan: Some of our regular items are pineapple bun, classic Hong Kong-style bun with a cookie topping, green onion bun, a savory bun with green onion toppings, kouign amann, croissant made with our housemade plant-based butter laminated with organic sugar, and focaccia pizza topped with organic pizza sauce, vegan cheese and plant-based pepperoni.
The Six Fifty: The name Tai Zhan comes from a shop your grandparents had for many years. Can you tell me a bit more about that?
Wendy Chan: The name Tai Zhan is from my grandparents’ butcher shop they had in Cheung Shan Wan, Hong Kong, for over 50 years. The direct translation of the name means big inn, inn being a place to stop and rest along the roadside. My grandparents were at the shop every day with the same butchers working there for the majority of the time they were operating. The shop was on a corner spot and had a strong sense of knowing their community and knowledge of the neighborhood. They provided quality, hand-crafted food with family values expressed through the way they carried themselves and worked, and that was my inspiration when I started my baking journey.
The Six Fifty: What got you interested in cooking and baking?
Wendy Chan: I have always loved visiting bakeries, especially Asian bakeries when I was younger. I felt such pure joy seeing all the cookies lined up alongside the huge variety of fluffy buns and cakes being offered. One of my favorite moments in Hong Kong to this day is smelling the fresh pineapple buns as you walk past the local cafes. My mom had also worked at a Chinese bakery in Saratoga and would always bring home tasty treats every week.
Both sides of my family have always been in food. My dad’s side had the butcher shop and my mom’s had a food factory that is still operating in Hong Kong today. At one point my grandparents even operated a bakery in Hong Kong. My interest in food has always been around since I was young, but I really started my journey in it after college. I was interested in working in the farm-to-table movement and had worked in different places around the Bay Area that was related to that. I then discovered I had a true enjoyment for baking and started to pursue my baking career.
The Six Fifty: I’d love to know more about your journey to veganism.
Wendy Chan: I had been vegetarian on and off throughout college and my friend and I decided to go vegan together for a year in 2011 for environmental reasons. After the year was up, we decided to continue and now we are both still vegan today with our little ones being plant-based as well.
The SixFifty: And vegan baking?
Wendy Chan: Vegan baking started just baking for fun for the holidays and special occasions. I started to take it more seriously in 2017 when I was pregnant with my first little one. Things seem to slow down a bit in those moments for me, so I had time to test and develop many recipes. In that time, I discovered my own baking style and figured out what worked and didn’t for me. There was lots of research and testing trials done throughout the years that continue to today.
When thinking about textures and taste, I usually think about the replacement of milk, butter and eggs and what plant-based ingredients would give the same results. The ingredients I would look for to give moisture and rise from a bread to a cake is greatly varying. So every recipe has to be looked at individually and tested multiple times to find what works and doesn’t. All our recipes continually go through a reconsideration on what improvements can be made.
The Six Fifty: What are some of the most important things you’ve learned?
Wendy Chan: Some of the most important things I have learned as a vegan baker is that it is definitely a journey. There are moments of flow and friction as in everything. I have learned to be so grateful to my family who supports us in this baking endeavor with much gratitude for their help and time they share with us. Without them, Tai Zhan would not be possible. Almost at the end of every bake, I have doubts and a list of improvements that could have been better. But I always just try to remind myself that I did the best I could do, and tomorrow is another day. Also to remember that in moments of doubt, not to take it too seriously at the same time. As much as I want to perfect upon everything we do, I try to remember we are simply making food to share and delight our palates.
The Six Fifty: What are your hopes and plans for Tai Zhan’s future?
Wendy Chan: My plan for Tai Zhan is to expand our hours and days. We hope to also expand our menu to include drink and sandwich offerings. I hope we can make it into a successful bakery that is around for many years. Tai Zhan is made up of my partner, Keith, and I. It takes us a week to prepare for one bake currently, with production starting on Tuesday. We make all our plant-based butters, fillings and doughs from scratch so it takes time. My partner and I hand-laminate all our croissant dough right now with a rolling pin. In our current environment, it seems more rare for food establishments to have the owners be the ones to make and sell their creations personally. We truly enjoy being able to make our treats and sell it ourselves. I feel like it makes us feel more connected with people who come by the bakery and with our creations.
The Six Fifty: What do you do when you aren’t working on Tai Zhan, and how do you manage to balance your busy life with the bakery?
Wendy Chan: When I am not working on Tai Zhan I am with my little ones. We have two boys that are 3 and 6 years old. Our time outside of the bakery goes to being with them. I am still figuring out how to find balance with the bakery. Every week we continually make adjustments to our schedules to work toward finding a better flow for our family.
The Six Fifty: Any tips for successful plant-based recipes?
Wendy Chan: There are many amazing plant-based recipes out there now! I would recommend starting with finding a strong base recipe, then tweaking it to your preference from there. When considering how to change it, think about what you are looking to change, for example: taste, texture or appearance, focus on one element at a time and take notes after every trial on what was successful and what wasn’t.
Tai Zhan, 14572 Big Basin Way, Saratoga. Currently open on Saturdays noon-4 p.m. Instagram: @taizan.bake.
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