Tiny Leaf by Victoria

1. How It Started

Tiny Leaf began in my kitchen, not as a grand plan, but out of necessity. After moving to Portugal, I struggled to make a living as a designer. So I started cooking plant-based Asian comfort food, packed into takeaway boxes and delivered to strangers who quickly became regulars. What began as survival slowly grew into something much bigger.

  • Assorted vegan sushi platter with maki rolls and nigiri served on a wooden tray.
  • Tiny Leaf founder smiling while holding a plate of vegan Asian dishes at an outdoor market stall.
  • Boxes of freshly made vegan gimbap arranged on a table for delivery in Portugal.
  • Preparing siu mai dumplings by hand at a Tiny Leaf vegan food stall during an outdoor market.
  • Tiny Leaf vegan Asian food stall decorated with red lanterns at an outdoor market in Portugal.

2. From Delivery to Community

Orders turned into conversations. Conversations turned into community. Tiny Leaf expanded from delivery to intimate dining experiences, local markets, workshops, and private chef events. Food became more than a meal, it became a way to gather, to remember, and to connect.

3. Why I Share Recipes

Not everyone could attend my events. So I began sharing recipes online – simpler, everyday versions of the dishes I cook in my business. The kind you can make on a weeknight. The kind that still carry comfort, even when life is busy.

4. My Design Background

Before Tiny Leaf, I studied fashion design then architecture, and later completed a Master’s degree in Sustainable Design. I may not work as a designer now, but design shapes everything I do – from how a dish is plated to how a space feels. Tiny Leaf is built on both flavour and form.

5. From City Life to Countryside

After years of busy city living, I chose a slower rhythm. I now live in the countryside in northern Portugal, where I’m building a Tiny Leaf studio and event space. One day, it will also become a guest space – a place to cook, gather, and reconnect with nature.

6. Today

Today, Tiny Leaf is a growing food business, a recipe blog, and a creative space in the making. It started in survival mode, but it continues by choice.

Thank you for being here.