Xiao Ye Is Coming to Hollywood

Loopnet, I hope you got those characters right. Photo credit: Loopnet

Good news for Hollywood: a new restaurant named Xiao Ye is moving into a space on the corner of Sandy Blvd and NE 38th Place. This location used to be home to Beauty for the Beast pet groomer, across from the Northeast Community Center.

The people behind Xiao Ye are Louis Lin and Jolyn Chen, both of Taiwanese descent. Lin has cooked at a bunch of places over the years, including Osteria Mozza in LA and Rose’s Luxury in DC. Chen is a freelance interior designer and writes a Substack that, in part, chronicles the birth of the idea of the restaurant and its progress, including food, hospitality, and design aspects. Lin and Chen decided while on a trip to Oaxaca, halfway through the pandemic, that they were going to open a restaurant.

A Big Decision

It seemed like an emotional experience, settling on this. Lin recounts it here:

“I do remember breaking down in tears because, for the first time, we were truly at odds. Jolyn wanted a house, a project of her own. And selfishly, I wanted my own project; I wanted my restaurant. Part of me couldn’t handle the thought of my dreams coming before hers.

“But she let me be selfish, she told me to go for it, and she consoled me in my shame. I think we both knew that the restaurant should come first. She also pointed out that a business could make us money, while a home would make us house-poor (I think in an effort to make me feel better, but I agreed). It felt like we finally had direction: from that moment on, when anyone asked what I did, I responded, I’m opening a restaurant.“

Origins of the Name

The phrase “xiao ye” means “midnight snack” in Taiwanese. Chen describes the process of coming to a name in this article. The name was going to be very important to them, but they also recognized that it was going to mean more to them than for anyone else.

They did word dumps, journaled on it, and then came to this pivotal question: “What’s the most transcendent dining experience you’ve ever had?” His was at Arnold’s Country Kitchen in Nashville; “It sounds crazy, but it never felt like a restaurant; everyone there was family, and Arnold’s was their home. Everyone knew how sacred that was, and for one afternoon, I was in on the secret.”

Hers was this: “It’s not the most transcendent dining experience, but it’s the most meaningful one for me: it’s the late night meals I used to have with my dad before he passed. … It felt very much like two kids, with our guards down, secretly eating cheesecake together, late at night, when we’re not supposed to. Sometimes my mom would wake up and groggily ask, what are you two doing? and my dad would look up with a cheeky smile and say, eating xiao ye, you want some?“

Concepts and Plans: Food, Design, Space

They describe Xiao Ye on their Instagram as “First Generation American Food—A cozy neighborhood restaurant.” A little more on how they think about the food they are going to offer: “We believe in championing the food of our childhood memories as well as the recipes we’ve picked up along the way.” Chen mentioned that when they first considered offering Taiwanese food, Lin “was quick to say no.” But they did some more thinking and it sounds like there is a little bit of nostalgia for the familiar foods they ate in their youth. Perhaps we will see some Taiwanese dishes (or some influenced by the flavors and techniques in Taiwanese cooking) on the menu (comfort food is a Taiwainese beef roll/Jiang Rou Da Bing). Not to mention any food influenced by Osteria Mozza will no doubt have my number.

They are are also big on the idea of “the magic of the midnight meal,” which makes sense in relation to the name of the restaurant and Chen’s memories with her dad. So, will their menu offer flavors from from the East (“childhood memories”) and the West (“recipes we’ve picked up along the way”)? Personally, I could really go for that.

They also like the descriptors “cozy, unfussy and fun” to apply to the food, service, and space. You can read about Chen’s design concept here, which includes a mix of old and new, mismatched pieces, and traditional yet fun.

Along with the food, they will have a bar, and Chen talks about their bar program like this: “We are opting to create a super focused beverage menu, highlighting wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages, created with our food in mind. We want to create a program that encourages people to order off our highly curated drink menu, the purpose being to avoid decision paralysis for guests and to make the most of our storage and bar capacity.”

Looking at the design plans, it appears there will be a main dining room (54 seats) and a private dining room (12 seats); a chef’s counter (8 seats); and the aformentioned bar (4 seats with 2 ADA compliant). Outdoor space is unknown—maybe in the back? Sandy is pretty gnarly loud. Their hours should be 5pm to 10pm Monday through Saturday (closed on Sunday).

It is clear that Lin and Chen have done a lot of creative, deep thinking when it comes to putting together this restaurant. I’m very curious to learn more about the menu specifics and to see more of the design. That location would be blessed to have such a thoughtful newcomer—I’m excited for you, Hollywood!

Their hope is to open this summer. As the kids say, “same!” Best of luck to Louis Lin and Jolyn Chen as they create this restaurant and share it with Portland.

Xiao Ye [projected opening summer 2023]
3832 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
Instagram