Meet Jenny Pham | Woman in STEM & Food Blogger

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenny Pham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenny, what makes you happy? Why?
Food makes me happy! I love traveling and find that food is the easiest way to learn more about different cultures as well as people. Some of my best memories are around food–whether it was with friends, family or even strangers. Sharing a meal allows all kinds of people to come together which I really appreciate.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

Work wise: I’m proud to be part of a company that is working towards finding a cure towards Alzheimer’s! The development work that we do is challenging but very exciting!

Foodie wise: I’m proud that the foodie account I created got this far! Honestly, the account started off as a joke between my partner and I but we kept up with it and have met and built relationships with a number of great people within the foodie community!

Professionally: I have to thank multiple people for where I am today. A friend from college referred me to a job at a smaller biotech company where I was quickly converted to full time. I learned the fundamentals of the industry in a rigid work environment while under tight deadlines, but it was an opportunity for me to thrive under pressure. My work journey then led me to a larger company that’s striving to create their own product to cure Alzheimers and Dementia so I find the work incredibly rewarding.

The path wasn’t easy and it took a lot of hard work/long hours on my team to get our projects moving. I recall working 16+ hours daily for a month straight. We had demanding deadlines and a lot of work distributed across a small team of 3 individuals. I perserved, however, by keeping a positive attitude and taking each challenge one at a time. The results wouldn’t have been achieved if it weren’t for our team collectively working together.

Foodie: I had a roommate that was in the foodie community whom I had the chance to experience her lifestyle firsthand and found it really interesting. I’ve always been passionate about exploring new foods and decided to take a stab at having a food blog on Instagram! After a year of having the account, it had grown more than I ever imagined.

However, it wasn’t easy balancing my full time job (which is physically demanding), doing foodie related events, and maintaining a social life with family/friends. My partner, though, has been incredibly supportive with the account and helping me in any way he can. I now take a step back from the food account from time to time when I need to refresh or spend time with loved ones. I always find my way back though!

One major lesson I learned along the way (as cliche as it sounds) is that mistakes/failure lead to success. I find that, especially with research, failure is bound to happen and it becomes a learning opportunity. I believe it is necessary to experience failure in order to grow but the important thing is the lesson learned from it. There have been times when I would want to give up, whether it be the foodie account or in my projects. I’ve learned, however, that troubleshooting and pivoting as soon as something does not go as planned is important.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

SF has an excellent variety of different cuisines to try. With over 100 Michelin Guide restaurants, there are a lot to choose from! Some of our favorites would be AL’s Place, Mister Jiu’s, Mourad, Statebird Provisions, and The Progress. Outside of the Michelin Guide, some of our favorites are ILCHA or The Lucky Pig, Koi Palace, Tacorea, K-Elements BBQ and Serafina.

In terms of activities/places to visit, we would suggest renting bikes to ride along the Embarcadero across SF to the Golden Gate Bridge. One of the stops along the way would be the Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building. On the other side of SF are Land’s End and Ocean Beach which are scenic spots to visit! Golden Gate Park is also nearby–there you can stop by the Japanese Tea Garden or Conservatory of Flowers or even rent bikes to ride.  If you are interested in science, I would recommend the California Academy of Sciences or Exploratorium!

For drinks, there are a lot of boba options across the city! Some of our favorites are Urban Ritual, Tea Hut and Little Sweet. For alcoholic beverages, Pacific Cocktail Haven or Novella are some bars that offer unique cocktails with an Asian twist. If you are in the mood for tiki bars: Last Rites, the Alchemist, and Pagan Idol all have cool instagrammable drinks!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my family, my friends, and my partner. My family encourages me to keep an open mind on my perception of the world; to be respectful and thoughtful towards everyone and to embrace all people and cultures with curiosity and thoughtfulness. My friends remind me every day of who I am and how being the best version of myself simply means being myself. They’ve taught me to never conform to standards and to make everything fun. My partner pushes me every day to be better, to never be idle, and to hold myself to a high worth where I gain value from every day. Thank you to all these individuals for shaping me into who I am now and who I continue growing to be!

Website: www.hangryhenny.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hangryhenny_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-p-21571915a/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=M2J6okfECK_u3MK8Gs1plQ

Image Credits
Dominic Beecham