The wave of immigration that started with the Chinese diaspora of the 19th century spread through much of the 20th century. So in 1987, chef Rong Zhou Hua and his wife Li Mei Yun, influenced by several friends who had already emigrated, decided to embark on an adventure that would change their lives forever.

They arrived in Brazil without speaking a word of Portuguese and settled in Porto Alegre, RS. The beginning was very difficult. At the time, there was no internet or cell phones, nor many of the facilities that today help to soften a little bit of the barrier between such different cultures. They counted only on the help of a few Chinese who had already established themselves in the city.

Zhou, now with the westernized name of Claudio, started working in a Chinese restaurant in the capital while his wife, now Ligia, helped selling small Chinese pastries. They worked for 3 years to settle their travel debts and even managed to gather what was necessary to start their own restaurant. Then You Yi was born, which means “friendship” in Mandarin.