![]() The pho is in the style of the Mekong Delta southwest of Saigon, with delicate rice noodles that don’t really seem to be the point of this mild soup, which has great beef balls, nice sliced steak. In the future, the couple says they hope to open restaurants in cities across the country to provide more opportunities for d/Deaf people to gain experience in the industry.Pho vietnam chinatown. While one had worked in the back of house as a dishwasher before, this was his first time working the front of house as a cashier-a position that d/Deaf people are often excluded from. In the six weeks since Pah! opened, Barrios and Covarrubias have already hired two employees, and both are d/Deaf. Gluten-free options are also in the works. They’re using plant-based cheese from Portland’s own queer and Latinx-owned vegan taqueria Mis Tacones. I n the future, Barrios and Covarrubias plan to add their own scratch-made vegan burger patties. There’s a vegan option for all burgers, too. The hand-cut fries were crisp and not overly oily, complete with extra secret sauce for dipping (or in our case, aggressively dunking). The patty was juicy and perfectly cooked, while the cheese-Muenster, in this case-was nicely gooey. We tried the Kissfist, which sounded like a classic cheeseburger on the menu but surprised us with a little extra oomph from Pah’s own secret sauce (hint: it involves Worcestershire). The cashier writes the order directly onto the counter with a liquid chalk pen to confirm the dishes were communicated correctly, then writes the order’s total price. ![]() Those who don’t know how to sign speak into a tablet connected to a microphone and equipped with transcription software that shows the spoken words on the screen. ![]() So how does ordering work at a deaf-owned restaurant? Those who know ASL communicate with the cashier in sign language. Covarrubias didn’t know a word of ASL when the couple met, but he dedicated himself to learning online, including through YouTube. “Well, he should have told me he was hearing!” retorts Barrios. Just like when he applied for jobs, Barrios didn't include in his dating profile the fact that he is deaf. “It was a bit of a shock,” Covarrubias says. It wasn’t until the pair met in person that Covarrubias realized Barrios was deaf. The couple connected through a dating app seven years ago, when Covarrubias invited Barrios to a concert. Barrios has worked at The Queen’s Head, McMenamin’s, and Mis Tacones, while Covarrubias has worked at Harlow and at his family’s restaurant, Don Pepe, in Oregon City. The couple brings their previous experience in the food and beverage industry to Pah!. (Editor's note: Some d/Deaf people, including Barrios, prefer to use a lower case d, to represent people who became deaf later in life or have many hearing family and friends many people who use a capital D identify strongly with Deaf culture, have attended Deaf schools, and/or have many Deaf family members and friends.) ![]() They've created a workplace where Barrios could not only be free from the discrimination he’d previously faced in the industry, but where d/Deaf* culture was showcased. The menu includes pub-style dishes such as blooming onions, burgers, and fish and chips. Lillouie Barrios, who is deaf, and his husband Victor Covarrubias, who is hearing, teamed up to open the restaurant, which displays a Mexican flag, a bisexual pride flag, an LGBTQ+ flag, and a trans flag a Deaf flag is coming soon. Pah! is a proudly deaf, queer, and Latinx-owned restaurant at The Zed, the food court at Zoiglhaus Brewing ’s taproom. There are no other restaurants like it in Portland-and few other restaurants like it in the country. Within just a couple hours, the restaurant had sold out of its house made burger patties, and the owners had to close momentarily to catch up on prep. The grand opening of one of the newest restaurants in Portland, Pah!, drew visitors from as far away as Chicago, Las Vegas, and Minnesota.
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