PARENT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Patricia Tanumihardja
BY HEATHER M. ROSS
What was the inspiration for
your book?
couple of years because he has a job that
requires him to travel 25% of the time. We try
very hard to make sure we set aside time for
family. I make sure to go to my son’s games.

I take him to practices. One thing is for sure,
sometimes my husband can’t make it home for
dinner every night, but I make sure my son and
I have time at dinner. We make sure we have
time for family, even if it’s just playing a board
game for an hour or two. If there’s a time I have
back-to-back deadlines and I can’t spend [the]
time, I’ll make up for it. Family meals together
are definitely a must.

The main inspiration is actually my son.

He’s now 13, but he absolutely loves noodles.

Starting from a young age, we brought him to
his first ramen restaurant when he was 3 or 4,
and he just loves noodles. I was observing the
relationship between my son and my husband,
and what little boy doesn’t totally look up to
his dad, right? He wanted to do everything
his dad does.

I’m also a cookbook author. When I was
writing “Ramen for Everyone,” I was also
working on some ramen recipes for an
upcoming cookbook.

What do you hope your son
The ability to transfer my thoughts into
words. My brain is always filled with so many
ideas and thoughts, and I just love being able
to go through the creative process. I’ve done
a couple book events. I went to my son’s old
elementary school a couple weeks ago, and
there’s just so much joy in bringing books to
children. Being a person of color, being able
ood brings people together. This to see kids who look like me see themselves
is something
author Patricia reflected in books is totally amazing. The
Tanumihardja knows well. While her biggest joy is interacting with the kids who are
name is typically found on the covers of reading and enjoying my books.

cookbooks, she recently cooked up something
new — her first children’s book. “Ramen for What do you love most about
Everyone,” released earlier this year, is a being a parent?
story seven years in the making, inspired by There’s so much to love about being a parent.

Tanumihardja’s own family, including herself, As a parent, you want the best for your children
her husband, Omar, and her son, Isaac (13).

and you do everything you can for them. And
They live in West Springfield, Virginia, to see the result of all your sacrifices and
where she spends her time testing out recipes, hard work—when I see that my son has taken
baking for fun and doing craft projects.

what I taught him to heart and he does those
Tanumihardja, who was born in Jakarta things, it just makes me so happy to see that.

and grew up in Singapore, has long had an To see him growing up to be an accomplished,
affinity for weaving food and culture into kind, gentle soul is amazing. I see him being
compelling stories. But it wasn’t until her son so compassionate and kind to people and his
was born that she realized how much she loved friends, and it just warms my heart.

children’s stories.

In “Ramen for Everyone,” she celebrates How do you balance work and
the bond between father and child as young family life?
Hiro tries to make a bowl of ramen as delicious With great, great difficulty! It’s been really
as his dad’s.

tough for me and my husband in the last
F 26 Washington FAMILY JUNE 2023
learns from you?
So many things! That it’s not all about you. I
grew up in a family where you always thought
about other people before yourself, and it’s
not the easiest thing to do, but I realize that
you also have to put on your oxygen mask first
before you help others. [I hope he learns] to be
a kind and compassionate person. I hope that
he’s able to be empathetic and know how to
put himself in other people’s shoes. T
FAMILY FAVORITES
Meal: Ramen!
Dessert: Tres leches cake
Vacation spot: Hawaii; My sister
lives on Oahu
Local place: Marumen in Fairfax,
[Virginia] Family activity: We enjoy
going hiking.

Game: It’s a toss-up between “King
of Tokyo” and “Dragonwood.”
LOIS COHODAS PHOTO/CHANTAL NASTIS-CN PHOTOGRAPHY
What do you love most about
your job?