Our Story

" I quit my job and started this service, the healthy and gentle service I wanted most during the toughest postpartum period. "

by co-founder, Marika Sorimachi

“Why did you start Happy Tummy? ” Our customers often ask us this question. It all started when I was going through a difficult time. During my pregnancy, my body could only accept Japanese food. Ah, my body is made of Japanese food. I realized that. I want to eat healthy Japanese food for both my unborn baby and myself as a pregnant woman, but I can't seem to find it.  Restaurant food is delicious, but sometimes you end up ordering the same thing all the time, the flavors are strong and you get tired of them quickly, and you're worried about salt and preservatives. I wish my mom would come to New York. Deciding on a menu, making a list of ingredients, and shopping can be difficult. I wish there was a place that delivered Japanese side dishes to my home. I wonder how people who became mothers in New York did it. .I returned to work three months after giving birth and was busy and tired, struggling to survive every day. Even though it is an important period of postpartum recovery, you are not getting enough nutrition. Wouldn't it be great if I could make it my job to deliver the healthy Japanese food to people who feel the same way as me? ! Happy Tummy now continues to deliver meals to families, busy people with work, the elderly, and others in the New York area.

 

 

"Homemade meals made by moms with their children's health in mind"

by co-founder, Yuri Hatta

When I was creating the menu, the theme I focused on was "healthy, delicious meals that I can eat every day." Delicious food often times does not have a good nutritional balance, especially for new mothers who do not want to lose their nutritional balance during difficult times such as pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and raising children. I tried to recreate the nostalgic flavors that we all loved when we were kids, and the flavors that are especially hard to find in New York. I started thinking about recipes that were health-oriented and wouldn't get boring, and I kept improving them, and before I knew it, I had created over 100 recipes.  It would be even better if I could have an experience where I can serve a variety of dishes and create a variety of memories at the same time. . . When my grandmother made nikuja ( Traditional beef potato dish) , she would cook extra onion-filled soup stock, and the next day she would add konnyaku and simmer it to make a new dish for her konnyaku-loving grandchildren. The thought of being able to eat that makes me look forward to the next day. Nikujyaga is a dish full of memories with my beloved grannie. In Happy Tummy's dish, I want to be able to bring out not just the flavors, but also the life wisdom, and kindness that my grandmother taught me. When we cook Nikujyaga, we stuff them with plenty of broth. What New York lacks may not be the nostalgic taste, but that sense of community. I think it would be great if we could create a service that allows people to feel the warmth of family even when they are far from their hometown.

 

 

How [MY] journey began

 

Marika and Yuri met back in grad school at Pratt institute in New York City.  Their destined love at first sight was in an elevator, going up the same floor, walking to the same aisle, dove flying over… joking aside, they lived in the same dorm and quickly became close friends.  They often had late night talks and shared their goals, dreams, love stories and worked hard just like every other student.  Years went by, they are still best friends living in the same city, busy handling their lives, but one day, Marika popped the question. “Will you be my chef?” and presented her ideas, visions and plans just like she used to, and of course, Yuri immediately loved the idea and was inspired. “Yes I do”. It didn’t take long for them to create [MY] Happy Tummy Club. Two ordinary hard working creative Moms have decided to be extraordinary together.