LONG ISLAND CITY — Maggie Yeoh is introducing a taste of her culture to New York City.
The 31-year-old started her own food service company earlier this year called Tasty Theater and has been serving up her specialty — a gelatin-like dessert called gelée — for the last few months at the LIC Flea & Food
The dessert, which comes served as cool, colorful cubes, is based on "agar-agar," a traditional treat in her native Malaysia.
"When we grew up [there], this was our main dessert," she said, saying the dish was commonly served at parties and weddings. "It's very light, not too sweet."
Her gelée is made with agar, a gelling agent made from seaweed that she says is high in fiber, which she combines with gelatin for a texture that's jiggly but firmer than other gelatin desserts like Jell-O.
It comes in six flavors, including the popular mango mojito — a non-alcoholic combination of real mango and a hint of mint — and osmanthus flower tea, which comes with goji berries.
Other flavors include pina colada, Irish cream coffee and lychee, plus the vegetarian honey green tea, which is made without the gelatin.
She started serving the treats for $2 each at the LIC Flea & Food at the end of July, where she said many who were unfamiliar with the dessert tried it for the first time and became repeat customers.
"I like New York City because everybody is so adventurous when it comes to new food," she said.
Yeoh, who lives in Brooklyn, moved to the city six years ago and worked previously in operations management, but said she was always passionate about cooking and food.
"I cannot live without dessert," she said, adding that she learned to cook from watching her mother in the kitchen. She decided to launch her own food company at the urging of her friends, who gave her gelée rave reviews at a party.
"They were saying 'Oh, it's so beautiful, you should start your own business,'" she recalled. So she did, taking a break from her job in April to set up Tasty Theater.
The gelée, which she makes at a commercial kitchen in Brooklyn, is also available for custom and catering orders — customers can request platters of 40 or more pieces — and delivery is also available.
Yeoh plans to introduce more desserts under Tasty Theater in the future, which she said is named because she wants people who enjoy her dishes to tell an "edible story."
"Each of the desserts that we're going to come out [with] have a different story," she said.
Tasty Theater will be at the LIC Flea & Food in Long Island City this Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook for future locations and other updates.
