ABOUT YAOER’O
A table is more than a place to eat. It is a place to gather, create, and connect.
What Does YAOER’O Mean?
In the Sichuan dialect, “yao er” (幺儿) is a loving way of referring to the youngest child in the family.
The “o” carries a familiar, affectionate tone.
Like a mother calling from across the house:
“Yao er o…”
It is simple, familiar, and warm.
That is where the name YAOER’O comes from.
A name that carries a sense of home — and the natural closeness between people.
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Why YAOER’O
The idea behind YAOER’O began with something very simple.
We kept hearing the same question from people around us and in local conversations online:
“Where can we find really good Chinese food around here?
After hearing it enough times, we started thinking:
Honestly, we think our Chinese food is really good.
So why not share the food we know, love, and truly believe in with more people around their own tables?
That was the beginning of YAOER’O.
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Food Is Another Form of Creation
The founder of YAOER’O is an artist.
For an artist, creation does not only happen on a canvas or in a studio.
A meal can be a form of creation, too.
Ingredients become the materials. Seasoning becomes a language. Heat becomes part of the process. And the table is where the work ultimately comes to life.
Cooking is not simply about following a recipe.
It is about thinking about ingredients, flavor, proportion, texture, balance, and the feeling a meal should create.
That is why YAOER’O cares about the experience as a whole — not simply putting a dish on a plate.
A Taste of Sichuan
The story of YAOERO begins with Sichuan cuisine.
The founder is Chinese American, with family roots in Sichuan, China.
Sichuan is not only the home of the giant panda, but also one of China’s great culinary regions. Sichuan cuisine is one of China’s Eight Great Culinary Traditions, alongside Lu, Cantonese, Jiangsu, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan, and Anhui cuisines.
Many people think of Sichuan food simply as “spicy.”
But authentic Sichuan cuisine is about much more than heat.
Málà, freshness, fragrance, richness, and depth come together in a distinctive balance of flavor.
The numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns, the heat of chilies, the fragrance of aromatics, the depth of fermented seasonings such as doubanjiang and fermented black beans, together with carefully selected ingredients and cooking techniques, create the layered character of Sichuan cuisine.
From ingredients and seasonings to cooking methods and technique, the founder has developed a deep interest in and understanding of Sichuan cooking.
To make it possible to experience truly authentic, thoughtfully prepared Sichuan cuisine here in the United States is one of YAOER’O’s enduring goals and pursuits.
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Starting with Sichuan, Exploring Beyond
Sichuan cuisine is where YAOER’O begins, but it is not where we stop.
We enjoy exploring different cuisines, ingredients, and cultures, and we believe good cooking should not be confined to a single menu.
Over time, YAOER’O will continue to explore new flavors and traditions, bringing that spirit of creation to more tables.
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What We Hope to Create
We hope YAOER’O will become more than a private chef brand.
We want to create a way for people to come together.
A meal can bring people to the same table. Food can introduce us to something new. And one gathering can become the reason for another.
It might be dinner with family.
It might be an evening with friends.
Or it might be a table where people meet for the first time.
Good food. Good people. A reason to gather.
That is YAOER’O.