By Lauren Mechling

The couple, who met and fell in love while working at The Aviary in Kinderhook, are now about to become first-time restaurant owners—together.

When the pair left The Aviary in 2024, they turned their talents to Haema, their traveling kitchen that specialized in Asian street food by way of the Hudson Valley. Haema is a homonym for the Icelandic term meaning “at home.” After more than a year with no fixed address and “a lot of schlepping,” as Wong put it, the traveling restaurant has found a home, in the former Bar Bene space on Hudson’s Warren Street. If everything goes according to plan, doors will open shortly after Memorial Day.

“This restaurant is the concept that has been in my mind for a while, and Sarah was the missing piece,” Wong said of her partner’s excellent skills as a general manager. “I admired how she held herself with the guests; it was the kind of hospitality and warmth I’d always envisioned.”

Fans of the traveling Haema stand will find the same bright, fresh flavors, now with more elevated options. Wong is particularly excited about putting a noodle section on the menu. “Hand-pulling noodles on the spot in the middle of a farmers market doesn’t really work—trust me,” she said.

What will make the noodles even more delicious, McLaughlin said, are the sauces made out of ingredients they’ll ferment in the basement larder.

“We’ve developed strong relationships with farmers and, as a small locally owned Hudson business, it’s important to be supportive of the local economy,” said Wong. “And if we can do that with local mushrooms and pork, why not?”

“And if we can put in a slushy machine while we’re at it,” added McLaughlin, “even better.”