Younger siblings often find themselves trying to escape the shadows cast upon them by their older counterparts, but not this time. This time, the little brother steals the spotlight. Richard Yu-Tang Lee’s family calls him “Dede,” which means “little brother” in Mandarin Chinese. His nickname and his passion for dumplings eventually birthed Little Brother Chinese Food.
Lee and his co-founder Claire Guyer worked together in Chicago before making the move back to Maine, where Guyer is from. They launched Little Brother Chinese Food in early 2021, selling handmade, frozen jiaozi (better known as dumplings) out of Portland’s Fork Food Lab.
One of their first offerings was a recipe passed down from Lee’s grandmother and aunt: a pork and napa cabbage jiaozi made with ginger, scallion, and sesame oil. Another classic Little Brother recipe caters to the plant-based eaters: a jiaozi made from soy protein with napa cabbage and roasted mushrooms.
About two months into the endeavor, demand began to outweigh supply, even with the duo routinely producing 3,000 dumplings per week. At a crossroads, Lee and Guyer took a hiatus while they ordered a custom dumpling machine from China to ramp up production. What happened next is a tale as old as time for Mainers: The company sent the machine to the wrong Portland.
After rerouting the machine and lots of recipe testing, Little Brother Chinese Food was back in business. While continuing to sell out of Fork Food Lab, Little Brother products started popping up in retailers around the state. The coveted Little Brother la jiao jiang (crunchy chili crisp hot sauce) flies off the shelves faster than retailers can stock it. Portland Press Herald food critic Andrew Ross wrote:
Lip-numbing from Sichuan peppercorns, this chili crisp doesn't overwhelm with heat. Instead, it seduces with crunch and aromas of black cardamom and citrus peel.
Lee and Guyer often collaborate with restaurants around Portland to bring the flavors of la jiao jiang to your plate. Check out some of their mouth watering creations below:
Scratch Baking Co. – Little Brother Chili Crisp Cream Cheese
Hunt + Alpine – Chili Crisp Crab Roll & Chili Crisp Ice Cream Sando Sundo (because there’s always room for dessert)
Friends & Family – Little Brother Chili Crisp Pizza
Monte’s Fine Foods – The ‘Fagiole’ Pizza with Chili Crisp
Room for Improvement – The Chili Crisp Cheese Dog
They also co-host a collaborative benefit dinner in support of Unified Asian Communities of Maine every May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month. Hosted at Crispy Gai on Exchange St., Little Brother shares the kitchen with local chefs for the five-course dinner complemented by signature cocktails.
Find Little Brother products at a retailer near you, and follow Little Brother on Instagram to see their latest products + collaborations with your favorite spots in Portland.
