Mar 8 is International Women’s Day. In honor of all the Queens who are crushing it and living their best lives, Jingkids will be profiling some of Beijing’s fiercest female entrepreneurs. Like Queen Beyonce says, “Who runs the world? Girls!”
If you know a Girl Boss you think we should profile, don’t hesitate to shoot us a message at editor@beijing-kids.com.
Jen Lin-Liu is practically synonymous with the name Black Sesame Kitchen (BSK) – known for its cooking classes, Wine n’ Dine dinners, and kids’ holiday camps – here in Beijing, and that’s because she was its founder back in 2008. But Lin-Liu will tell you that the creation of this expat-friendly culinary and cultural hotspot was a beautiful coincidence, the kind that the universe conspires to happen by magically letting everything come together.
“I was working on a culinary memoir and telling my foreign friends about all the crazy experiences I had in a local cooking school and professional kitchens around China,” explains Lin-Liu “These friends wanted to learn how to cook, so I started teaching cooking classes around town in various homes and then I found a space in the hutongs right around the corner from where I lived. I added the idea of the Wine n’ Dine because I wanted to include people like my husband who love Chinese food and wine but don’t necessarily enjoy cooking.
“In the days when we had lots of foreigners visiting China, BSK hosted all kinds of jet setters from around the world. Some of my favorite past guests include the author Michael Pollan and the celebrity chef Martin Yan. We have also hosted almost every American ambassador since John Huntsman, along with ambassadors from around the world.
“I think one of the reasons that BSK was successful was that our staff treat everyone, regardless of who they are, like a VIP. We welcome everyone and anyone and want to be an open-minded place where we exchange ideas, learn about different cultures, and of course, enjoy delicious Chinese food and wine.”
Most of us can attest to the warm service that we get when we set foot in BSK. I know my family certainly can. As Lin-Liu credits, this is due to BSK’s hardworking staff, including Chef Zhang, Chef Xie, Chef Wang, and Coco who have worked there for many years. “While the concept was mine – cooking classes and Wine n’ Dine dinners to help introduce the outside world to Chinese cuisine and culture – the staff have run and managed it over the 13 years that it has existed,” says Lin-Liu. “Now BSK is owned and managed by The Courtyard Institute under the leadership of my good friends Matthew Hu and Richard Ding, who are doing great work in cultural preservation and education. Culinary arts is just one facet of what they do.”
But BSK might not even exist had Lin-Liu not persevered when she first started culinary school in China and faced discrimination. “I attended a local cooking school for professionals when I was first beginning my cooking adventures, and I was the only female student. My first instructor was definitely disparaging, though I’m not sure if it was because I was a woman or Chinese-American, or just didn’t fit the mold of the other students. You have to use whatever you have and turn it into an advantage – I was able to befriend a woman named Chairman Wang who worked at the school and she and I became good friends and she taught me most of what I know about Chinese cooking – and life too. She’s one of the main characters in my first book, Serve the People.”
That’s right! Lin-Liu’s first book, as in she’s already written and published two as of now! Again, this was no easy feat. “I was extremely lucky to have written and published two culinary/travel memoirs before having children, and I have ambitions to keep writing and publishing. It is never easy – I have had many setbacks, including whole books being rejected by publishing house after publishing house. But when I get discouraged, I think about something that the author Ian McEwan told me when he visited BSK – ‘Keep on turning up.’ Get a good desk. Sometimes pen and paper work better than a laptop. Shut off your wifi and focus. If you have an aspiration to write (or do anything challenging, for that matter), and you are certain you have talent and true passion for it, keep on working at it and keep on dreaming.”
In honor of International Women’s Day today (Mar 8), Lin-Liu is kindly giving away two signed copies of her second memoir, On the Noodle Road! To win a copy, simply share your favorite noodle meal here in the capital city, or your own tasty noodle recipe, in the comments below! We’ll pick the winner by the end of the week and send you your limited edition signed copy of Lin Liu’s culinary adventure across continents!
KEEP READING: Alessia Chizzoniti: A Lesson in Balance
Images: Courtesy of Jen Lin-Liu
