Nau mai, welcome!
Kia ora and kumusta!
We’re Rangihoro and Ashley, the co-founders of Kai(n). Our story began in 2013 in Kirikiriroa, Aotearoa (New Zealand), where on our very first date, Rangihoro made me my first-ever bowl of fresh pasta—and I was instantly hooked.
Rangihoro, our pasta maker and chef, was born and raised in Aotearoa, New Zealand, with ancestral ties to Ngā Puhi of the Bay of Islands and Te Arawa of Rotorua. As for me, I’m Ashley—a second-generation Filipina American—born and raised in the Bay Area of Northern California.
After moving to Hilo, Hawaiʻi in 2018 and then weathering the impact of COVID in 2020, Kai(n) became a way for us to keep our hands busy and support our growing family. In many ways, it felt like a natural path—food had always been at the heart of our upbringings, offering comfort and connection no matter where it came from or how it was made.
Pasta may be a simple dish, but for us, it’s a way to celebrate our cultures through food. It lets us honor where we come from while doing something we love. More than that, it gives us a chance to share our traditions and connect with the people around us. These days, Kai(n) is all about feeding and nourishing our community—bringing friends together at the table and breaking down cultural barriers, one pasta shape at a time.
