Tina Saycosie Carries on Mother's Values and Traditions at Pasong's Cafe
For many, a love of food is learned, but for Chef Tina Saycosie, 42, it was in her blood. After all, not only is her mother a retired chef, but she comes from a food-minded family.
"My grandfather was a colonel and my grandmother was a doctor in Savannakhet," Saycosie said. "When my mother was young, they had five cooks: Chinamen, a cook from Vietnam, from Malaysia, a cook from Thailand — because my grandmother and my grandfather loved food.
Food brings people together. They were very adamant in keeping people together."
This food-centric mindset would follow the family in 1979, after an escape to the U.S. from war-torn Laos, and manifest itself physically in 1986 with the opening of Pasong's Chinese Express restaurant. Fast forward through 30 years, two moves and a rebranding to Pasong's Café, and you'll find the restaurant is still going strong. According to Saycosie, its mix of more than just Laotian cuisine is because of her mother, who was the driving forces behind the restaurant's success.
"It's a fusion of a lot of different flavors from southeast Asia – such a vast area of similar, but different foods. It's a lot of different techniques, and the ingredients we use to bring life to the dishes that come from all areas," Saycosie said. "She's famous for her spring rolls because that's what took care of us after our father passed away. Those are very similar to the Filipino lumpias, so this is just a little bit of everything in our food."
After her mother's retirement in 2010, Saycosie and her sister, Nonnie, were forced to take the reins and begin cooking their mother's lauded food. The food was something Saycosie had been exposed to all her life, but this time it was different. Although she had always been an active part of the restaurant, Saycosie had largely aided with kitchen prep and cleanup; she had never been solely responsible for the entrées she made before.
"And even though when [mom] and I were partners, she still did a lot of the cooking and I was front of the house. When our schedule started to change, I had to get back in the kitchen more and learn mom's food more," Saycosie said. "Everything that I witnessed and learned at a young age, that I didn't think I had learned, suddenly it just came to the surface. It just kind of took over. I found a real fondness in doing so. I really enjoyed it. I take a lot of pleasure in making something that brings someone else happiness."
And that shows. In its Yelp ratings, 83 percent of users give the restaurant four stars or higher – not to mention the 97 percent of people who rate the restaurant as high on Facebook.
Saycosie's philosophy of happiness enters every facet of her life as well — as a part of the LGBTQ community, she said that it took some time for her realize she was gay, but her self-discovery was an important part of achieving peace within herself.
"I met a girl when I was 19 and she liked me and it just went from there. I had my first kiss with a girl. That formed into a relationship. We lived together for a while. My mother, I think it was easier for her to accept her as my friend and roommate, more so than my girlfriend. But then, I never really came out to her either," Saycosie said. "My little sister, Nonnie, took me aside. We went to go have our usual blueberry pie and coffee and talk time and she asked me if she was my girlfriend out of the blue. I came out to my sister and she was my first. And Nonnie was very, very accepting and it was wonderful."
Now, although you won't find Saycosie listed as the leader of any local LGBTQ groups, she is responsible for activism on a personal, one-on-one basis.
"Unfortunately, being part of the family business, it takes a lot of my waking hours. I was never able to dedicate any actual time to being a key member in any group, but I would always share my time whenever I could. I'm just a freelancer advocate, if you will," she said with a laugh. "I try not to be angry, that doesn't really change anybody's mind — I learned that one at a young age. Instead, you just try to remind them to find peace. This sounds so cliché, but being in a family business in a small town, too, you have to be careful of the words you choose. I didn't want to hurt my mother's business."
Thankfully, Saycosie said she found tremendous support in the Saginaw community. She said she's glad to be a visible member of the LGBTQ community locally, and part of other programs like the Downtown Saginaw Harvest Table. The DSHT showcases the work of local farmers and chefs in hopes of making the Downtown Saginaw Farmer's Market a year-round tradition.
"It's been really remarkable and it's been an awesome thing to see grow over the course of two years. The support that comes in. All these little great treasures, these Saginaw natives," she said. "I'm trying to keep up."
Visit Pasong's Cafe online for more information about how to feed your mind, body and soul. Located at 114 Michigan Ave. in Saginaw, Pasong's Cafe is open Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 5-8 p.m.; Saturday 5-8 p.m.; Closed on Sunday and Monday for rest and recharge.
