"At Xiao Ye in Portland’s Hollywood District, Louis Lin and Jolyn Chen will serve what they describe as first-generation American food. The restaurant, whose name means “midnight snack” in Mandarin, brings together influences from the Taiwanese foods of Lin and Chen’s youth, the restaurants they’ve worked at throughout their careers, and food they’ve eaten on their travels. The menu from Lin and Chen, both of Taiwanese descent, includes chicken piccata, steak lettuce wraps served ssam-style (with their take on condiments meant to replicate the flavors of Korean barbecue), and Lin’s take on fuqi feipan, a traditional Sichuan dish of offal made here with beef tongue and salsa macha. The pair met working in restaurants like Rose’s Luxury in Washington, DC, where Lin was in the kitchen and Chen worked the dining room. Chen has since pivoted to interior design, evident in the restaurant’s fun, unfussy design which includes mismatched vintage chairs in bold colors, patterned textiles, and checkered tile floors." - ByKate Kassin