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But even more important to Ma was what enabled Twin Lion to survive the pandemic. "We had a story, and when I shared that with our customers we were able to start a fundraiser that brought in $40,000. at's what kept us going," Ma says. As for his love of food, even in the Marines, Ma was known for the elaborate dinners he cooked for friends and colleagues. No longer forced into the kitchen, he found he actually missed it. Today, alongside his full-time work at a recruiting firm that places veterans in the defense and life science industries, Ma cooks six-course meals for private parties and events. Although Chinese by decent, Ma specializes in Vietnamese cuisine, something his wife, who is of Vietnamese heritage, readily admits he cooks better than she does. Ma's interest in food, however, crosses all boundaries, as reflected in his monthly newsletter, Behind the Bowls, which highlights local restaurants and the people behind them. "I love restaurant people. ere is always a story," Ma says, before quoting Anthony Bourdain: "It's a strange and terrible affliction." Ma is not chasing viral moments. From his experience with Twin Lion, he knows it is community, not algorithms, that keeps a restaurant alive. For his newsletter, he sits down with owners from a wide range of eateries — from a bakery in Bird Rock to a ramen shop in the East Village to an ice cream store in Pacific Beach — and listens. At the end of each issue, Ma shares a recipe or technique from the featured establishment, giving readers a better sense for the food itself. As Ma puts it, "Every dish carries a lineage." behindthebowls.com sent to Indonesia for processing and basic English instruction before arriving in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1985, where relatives lived. Like many immigrants, knowing little other than their native cuisine, Ma's father and three brothers spent the next five years saving enough money to open a restaurant. In 1990, they did just that, moving to Austin as the city was beginning to boom. By 2020, Twin Lion had been in business for 30 years, but the pandemic cut revenue by nearly 80 percent. On top of that, decades in the restaurant business had taken their toll on Ma's father and uncles, one of whom died from covid. It was time to sell, but the timing could not have been worse. In addition, even in 2020, Ma's father and uncles still ran the business entirely on paper. ere were no digital systems in place, and Ma, who was stationed in Corpus Christi at the time, was instrumental in introducing the systems that would allow the business to be sold in 2023. Tong Ma's uncle (left) and father (right) LEFT Twin Lion's famed Orange Chicken BELOW The Ma family's last day in their kitchen before selling @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE MAY 2026 39