The story here begins with Chef Natascha Hess's time as an exchange student in Beijing, where her host family taught her the fundamentals of Chinese home cooking, lessons that sparked a full-bore culinary passion. After several trips back to China, her travels broadened to include Shanghai, Singapore, Bangkok and more—a catalogue of flavors that she then translated into a hugely popular food truck, eventually becoming this lively, rustic brick-and-mortar location (though the truck can still be seen parked in front). It's clear that Chef Hess’s time abroad was well-spent: from hearty boiled pork and cabbage dumplings dressed with chili oil to stir-fried cabbage with Thai chili jam, the cooking bursts with flavor, including a healthy dose of heat.