It all began with a family vacation to Yellowstone. On a visit to Bozeman in 2006, owners Fei and Jian Zhang felt a spark. The time, the place—it felt right. They knew they’d found their new home, one that would change their lives. In 2010, the adventurous couple decided not only to relocate to the Gallatin Valley, but also to open their first restaurant in downtown Bozeman, calling it Sweet Chili, named for the sweetness of Cantonese dishes and the spice of Thai food.

Natives of Hong Kong, the Zhang’s were already well-traveled, spending 10 years touring Asia studying Chinese, Thai, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese cooking. In that magical decade of exploring cultures and sampling cuisine, they learned traditional methods of preparation and cooking and the importance of utilizing local ingredients. After traveling throughout Asia to learn the regional culinary arts, ultimately they learned the most from their grandparents and many of Sweet Chili’s recipes are from Jian’s family.

Over the years, between all the travels and time with family, they have developed an array of dishes that mixes the knowledge of food and cooking from different regions with homegrown ingredients from Big Sky Country.