Ava Pendleton launched Austin Kuih Co. in 2021, with the belief that Austinites deserve to know and love kuih. She is passionate about alternative flours, regional cooking, and building community through food. She attributes her kuih literacy to those who came before her, often incorporating agak-agak versions of family recipes learned from her mom, her Nenek's time working in a kopitiam, and childhood summers spent with her Acik Ina making kuih to jual roadside in their small kampung.

She finds it especially rewarding when she can feed someone an on-point version of a food they are desperately missing, but also loves to experiment with how ingredients local to Texas can complement kuih.

Photos by Sanetra Longno.