Tian Mayimin opens Little Sky Kitchen
The familiar face selling bread at the Menlo Park Farmers Market in 2018 added a brick and mortar store — Little Sky Bakery — on Santa Cruz Avenue in 2022. And now Tian Mayimin (pictured left) has quietly opened a cafe, Little Sky Kitchen, in the Menlo Center across from the bakery. Oh, and along the way, she’s managed to give birth to two children, now 5 and 2 1/2 years old!
“The space here was in turn key condition, which made it nice,” she says. “We’ve since added lanterns and dining tables outside.”
Her target customers are people who don’t have time to cook — and don’t or find it difficult to go out. The offerings are a blend of French, Italian, and Northwestern Asian food, all made in small batches from scratch.
Peer into one side of the display case, and you’ll find items suitable for brunch or lunch — and slices of her delicious cakes. The companion case has more dinner-like items including fried and roasted chicken with assorted vegetables.
“If there’s a concept, it’s like going to a friend’s house and having whatever they’re having to eat, except with more choices,” she says. “Not fancy food, just good home cooking.”
What’s been a highlight in the cafe’s first few weeks is not only seeing familiar faces from the market but meeting new people, like today when we visited.
“People in this community have eating needs, and it’s our goal to meet their needs!”
Little Sky Kitchen is currently open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Photos by Linda Hubbard (c) 2024
