Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Romance leads to bakery

LA Fresh and Save Mini Market owners Jenny Ap and Panharith Lim. (LEILANI HATCH/Tribune)
10/11/2010
JUDITH LACY
Manawatu Standard (New Zealand)

Los Angeles meets Cambodia with a dash of Kiwi support in the lives of Palmerston North couple Jenny Ap and Panharith Lim.

From Phnom Penh, Cambodia, they opened LA Bakery and Coffee Lounge at Terrace End six years ago.

The LA is a combination of the first initial of their surnames, but Ms Ap does not mind if customers think it is a reference to the glamorous city.

Last month the couple took over Fruit and Veg World in Kelvin Grove, renaming it LA Fresh and Save Mini Market.


Ms Ap says there is a lot of industry in the Tremaine Ave area, but their Broadway Ave bakery was too far away for workers to pop down for a lunchtime pie.

So they took the opportunity to take over an established business and have expanded the wares of the fruit and vegetable shop to sell meat, a wider range of dairy products, and pies with fillings such as lambs fry, bacon and cheese, and creamy smoked fish and shrimp.

Mr Lim won a silver medal in both the 2005 and 2006 New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards.

He and Ms Ap have been in Palmerston North since 2002.

Ms Ap was sponsored by a sister.

Her parents knew Mr Lim's parents and were keen for them to meet, but before the match-making families could arrange contact the two met through the internet.

The couple now have a nine-week-old daughter, Olivia, and a two-year-old son, Louis.

Ms Ap says they cope with two businesses and a young family by focusing on what they are doing. They enjoy being busy.

When the pair settled in Palmerston North they had limited English, so they decided to work in a bakery.

They enjoyed the creativity of cooking – filling pies, decorating cakes and making bread rolls – and enjoyed working together.

Two years later they opened their own bakery and coffee lounge, spotting a gap in Terrace End for a sit-down eatery.

Ms Ap says part of the reason the couple have been so successful only eight years after arriving is the support of Kiwis.

They feel comfortable living here and have made a lot of friends. Terrace End customers have been travelling to Kelvin Grove to buy LA fruit and vegetables.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hanoi killed Moslems and took Champa.
Hanoi killed Khmers Krom and has controlled.
That is Viet’s nature as thieves and crocodiles.
That is Viet’s nature as thieves and crocodiles.
Down Vietnamese expansionism!
Vietnam will be wiped out by hurricane!
by Volcano!
by earthquake!
by tsunami!
and by….!
Vietnam will be wiped out from the map!
Vietnam will be wiped out from the map!
Vietnam will be wiped out from the map!
Vietnam will be wiped out from the map!
All Moslems wake up then be united to take CHAMPA back!
Vietnam will be wiped out from the map!
All Moslems wake up then be united to take CHAMPA back!
Vietnam will be wiped out from the map!!
All Moslems wake up then be united to take CHAMPA back!
Vietnam will be wiped out from the map!!
All Moslems wake up then be united to take CHAMPA back!
Vietnam will be wiped out by hurricane! by Volcano!
by earthquake! by tsunami waves ! and by….
LONG LIVE CHAMPA !
LONG LIVE KHMER EMPIRE !
LONG LIVE CHAMPA!
LONG LIVE KHMER EMPIRE!

Anonymous said...

United among all of Khmer is very important.

Knowing our enemy who really is also important.

Our enemy is Ho Chi Minh Indochina Federation.

We should help Hun Sen and CPP to be liberated from Vietnam. We must be united. We cannot fight among ourselves as Khmers and Khmers. This is the only one theory of winning against the enemies from west and east.

Do not stand on Republic and blame King. The vast majority of Khmers in Cambodia highly respect King. That is the fact. King Sihamoni has been highly respected by international leaders from around the world. That is the fact, too. King Sihamoni is far and far better than Thai king in every aspect. He is straight and firm.
No one around can manipulate him. This king is different from other king.

Sam Rainsy Party is too far to the right. This party should be moderated or more liberal. This is the way toward unity and winning for the KHMER EMPIRE.

No one is perfect. But must be one is a better leader? Who is a better?

Anonymous said...

yab nass some people, the story is talking bout bakery and commentary is about politic. lol. It's just amaze me how some can succeed in less than 5 years coming to another country, and some can't even succeed at all even they tried.