For Xinming He, opening Wen’s Cafe in Hutto is the culmination of more than 20 years of culinary experience. “I was finally able to create my own menu,” Xinming said about opening the restaurant—his first—last March. “I got to put my own innovations into my own restaurant.” Xinming’s culinary journey began in mainland China. He speaks Mandarin, and Wen’s Cafe General Manager Winnie He translated the interview. “Everything here we start from scratch,” Xinming said. “For the dumplings, I make my own dough and all the fillings. We chop the cabbage, the carrots, all the ingredients ourselves.” Fresh ingredients are important for their nutritional benefits and robust flavor, he said. Customer favorites include Mongolian beef—Xinming’s take on the traditional Chinese dish—and Salt and Pepper Shrimp—a classic Chinese cuisine “everyone loves,” he said. “I’m an eater,” Xinming said. “I like to eat all kinds of good food. When I try something good, I create my own version of the dish.” Xinming said he moved to Hutto when his daughter started attending The University of Texas at Austin. “I saw that people are really friendly here,” he said. “I really liked that Hutto was not too small and not too big.” Hutto has received the restaurant eagerly, Winnie said. Local customers are the heartbeat of the restaurant, she said. “We are not just here to make a living,” Winnie said. “We are here to serve our customers. It’s not just a business. It’s more like a family.” Wen’s Cafe 5004 Gattis School Road, Ste. 330, Hutto 512-520-5296 www.wenscafeaustin.com Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.