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Two Adelaide nurses are bringing a little more flavour to the northern suburbs, turning their seven-year workplace friendship into a brand new Asian fusion food venture.
Ashleigh and Trang, who have worked together at a cancer centre in Adelaide for seven years, are preparing to launch Soy Sisters, a food trailer built around their shared love of cooking and bringing people together over food.
The pair first discovered their common passion outside the hospital, when Ashleigh hosted a gathering at her home and cooked for their work friends.
“We kind of realised we both had such a love of food and cooking,” they said.
Working in cancer care can be emotionally demanding, and the pair wanted something outside of nursing that allowed them to switch off, have fun and explore another shared passion. What started as a running joke about opening a food truck soon turned into an exciting new venture, one they plan to pursue alongside their nursing careers.
“We’ve always just kind of talked about finding something that we both love, that we can still bring joy to people,” they said.
Their nursing backgrounds have also influenced how they approach the business, with a focus on creating a welcoming experience and making customers feel looked after.
There is also a story behind the name. Soy Sisters brings together the Asian flavours at the heart of their menu with a term that has long been part of their working lives.
“In nursing, we call each other sister, like, ‘Hey, sister, can you grab that for me?’” they explained.
With Soy Sisters, they are looking to expand their offering, catering to larger gatherings and eventually exploring festivals and other events.
Rather than sticking rigidly to traditional dishes, the pair want to experiment with familiar favourites and give them an Asian-inspired twist.
Their menu includes dishes designed to introduce customers to different flavours, with miso udon noodles and chicken laarb among their personal recommendations.
“As soon as they try it, they’re just like, ‘Oh, this is really good,’ and they keep coming back for more,” they said.
The response so far has been encouraging, with even a passing interaction with a local resident walking his dog giving them a glimpse of the appetite for something different in the neighbourhood.
“He was like, ‘We need food like that around here’,” they said.
Soy Sisters will make its official debut in Angle Vale on Sunday, December 6, giving locals their first opportunity to sample the menu.
Beyond the launch, Ashleigh and Trang hope to take their food trailer to festivals, private gatherings and community events, sharing their cooking with an even wider audience.
While both remain dedicated to their nursing careers, Soy Sisters gives the friends a chance to pursue another passion together, bringing the same care and connection they value in their working lives to a new experience centred around food.
Soy Sisters
When: Sunday 6th December, 12-4pm
Where: 80 Angle Vale Road, Angle Vale 5117
For more information, check out the Soy Sisters website or on Instagram, and on Facebook.
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