Max's

Mindy Fong, the chocolatier behind Jade Chocolates, creates a sophisticated and luxurious tasting experience for a higher quality of life by blending teas and spices from Asia and the Pacific Islands into her line of chocolates.  ”My cultural background is mixed.  Not just because my father’s family is from China, and my mother is from the Phlippines, but because the culture in which I grew up in is non-homogeneous.   I am a native San Franciscan, still living here and probably always will.  I live in the center of a melting pot of different cultures and have been exposed to different foods and people, just by simply stepping outside my front door.    The culinary delights of the city have made me appreciate the world, its people and their food.

I was originally destined to work in the architectural field. I graduated from UCDavis with a degree in Environmental Design.  Prior to creating Jade Chocolates, I was an architectural designer.  I’ve worked in both the public and private sectors, working on tiny 300 square foot studios apartments to multi-million dollar single-family homes. They were great jobs with great pay (well at least the one government job I had), but I didn’t feel passionate enough about my work.  I felt I could do so much more.  When I decided to raise a family, I knew that that was the beginning of my new life.  I’d start a business, just like my grandfather, and be the best at what I create. From my daughter, I acquired my passion for artisan dark chocolate, and from my grandfather I inherited his drive and motivation.

The leap from architectural designer to chocolatier isn’t that big.  In fact, there are many similarities. Both are art forms.  It all depends on how you translate yourself and how well your art is accepted by others. One aspect of arhitecture is that the designer should create habitable spaces that flow well. The transition between a living room, the adjacent kitchen and dining room has a great impact for it’s users.   A great flow between spaces means that you have a well thought out floor plan.  And a great recipe for chocolate means that there is an ease of flow between flavors.”