Asia's Tamales Mom//Episode #9

Send us Fan MailA craving can change a life. Maribel Colmenares left a rising corporate path, crossed the world for love, and found herself in Singapore missing the foods that feel like home: tamales, pozole, moles, the masa-first dishes that rarely make global menus. What started as a kitchen project with her visiting mom became a WhatsApp group, then a web shop, then pop-ups that quietly proved a case. The insight was simple but powerful: if locals could learn the feel of masa through familiar fillings, they’d be ready to meet tamales as Mexicans know them.We walk through the real work behind that leap - navigating allergies in a seafood city, learning petrochemical sales on the fly, and later, confronting grief when her mother passed and her father fell ill. Corporate timelines couldn’t bend, so she made a choice: quit, be with family, and finally test the tamales concept at scale. A bar offered lunch hours, demand spiked, and a larger kitchen came through a restaurateur who believed in the product. The brand found its heartbeat in a name: Mami’s Tamales, honoring the woman who built her palate and her grit.From there, the vision widened without losing its core. She balanced authenticity with accessibility, standardized handmade food by weight, and trained staff to educate guests without preaching. Purpose became the engine when passion ran low. And the dining room transformed into a hub: Lunch and Learn for founders, Spanish o’clock for language lovers, trivia and singles nights for anyone tired of swipes and ready for eye contact. The goal now is regional - Bangkok, Shanghai, Seoul - built on a simple standard: we’re only as good as our last service.If stories of reinvention, cultural translation, and purpose-led hospitality light you up, press play, subscribe, and leave a review with your own grief-to-gold moment. And if you’ve tried tamales before, tell us your favorite filling—we’re listening.Check out Maribel's restaurant and her social platforms:Instagram: @mamistamalesFacebook: @Mami's Tamales Singapore On LinkedIn Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show