Thomas and Mariah Pisha-Duffly first met as teenagers in their hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, not in the restaurant world, but on a friend’s stoop where they spent a long, unhurried summer talking, laughing, and orbiting each other’s circles. It wasn’t until many years later, in 2008, that they officially began dating, and not long after that the idea of opening a restaurant together began to take shape. We’re so happy to share the story of that dream coming to life in the form of Gado Gado restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Tom grew up eating Indonesian, Malaysian, and American fusion food cooked by his mother, who showed love through labor-intensive, thoughtful dishes. His mother is half Dutch and half Chinese by way of Indonesia, and his grandmother — “Oma” — delighted in sharing recipes, ingredients, and stories from her life across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. At family gatherings, Gado Gado was always on the table — a dish that literally means “mix mix,” layered with rich peanut sauce, snappy beans, crispy cucumbers and fudgy eggs.
After years in professional kitchens, in Boston and later when the couple lived in Portland, Maine, Tom began to explore what “his food” truly meant. The couples first trip to Indonesia sparked a burst of creativity and renewed Toms interest in exploring his own personal identity through food. Pop-ups became their playground for experimentation and their favorite way to throw a party.
Mariah’s own path in hospitality began behind the counter at a chip shop and has brought her through every front of house job imaginable, allowing her to dive deep into the unique community and camaraderie found within bars and restaurants. In Portland, Maine, Mariah served as the front of house manager for James Beard Award-winning Duckfat before opening The Honey Paw, a noodle bar where she and husband Thomas Pisha-Duffly served as General Manager and Executive Chef, respectively. She has long been interested in reimagining hospitality through a feminist lens, building structures that value care, collaboration, patience, and the holistic well-being of the people who make restaurants come alive. Her voice and vision continue to shape the culture at both Gado Gado and Oma’s Hideaway.
When they moved to Portland in 2016, they immersed themselves in the city’s collaborative food community. Their Gado Gado pop-ups featured midnight noodle nights, laksa tasting menus, roti sandwiches grilled over live fire, and whatever else they felt called to cook. In 2019, they finally got the keys to a crumbling space in a Hollywood strip mall and lovingly transformed it by hand into the brick-and-mortar Gado Gado, a lively, welcoming space built on community, creativity, and joy.
Just months after opening, and weeks after the birth of their daughter, the pandemic brought everything to a halt. Overnight, Tom and Mariah transformed their young restaurant into Oma’s Takeaway, a vibrant, takeout-driven concept inspired by Tom’s grandmother and her spirit of resourcefulness. What began as a survival pivot grew into Oma’s Hideaway, a beloved sister restaurant known for its color, comfort, and heart.
Since opening, Gado Gado has earned multiple James Beard Award nominations, been included in The New York Times Best Restaurants in Portland, Oregon, and received a bevy of recognition that feel like both an honor and a reflection of the people who helped shape its story. Through it all, Thomas and Mariah have continued to cook with heart, lead with generosity, and celebrate the connections that make dining together so meaningful.
Six years in, Gado Gado remains true to its original dream: a place that fosters human connection through radical self-expression, sensory joy, and courageous exploration.
