Kitschy signage and award-winning dishes keep the Wakefield community and beyond coming to Jayd Bun for more buns, noodles, and dumplings than ever before. And now that head chef Annie “Qiang Li” Parisi is a James Beard Award semifinalist, the email-only orders show no sign of slowing down.
Parisi and her husband Joe Parisi may have grown up on opposite sides of the earth - in Tianjin, China, and Narragansett, RI - but a love of food is the invisible string that pulled them together. Annie was in Las Vegas working on expanding her travel industry career, and, being homesick, was cooking a lot of food from Tianjin. Joe was working in the hospitality world, joining friends in the casino industry. The two would invite friends over to their home, where Annie would often cook her family recipes, much to the delight of every guest. Fast forward a few years, and the couple moved back to Joe’s hometown of Narragansett, welcomed their daughter Jinjin, and settled into the location of Jayd Bun right next to Whaler’s Brewing, a destination for craft beer and now Tianjin Chinese food, too. “We try to make every single person who walks through our door feel like friends and family, and whether they come in with a smile or not, we hope they leave with one,” Joe says. “We are all about having fun, and we also are all about helping out the community by giving away free food, no questions asked.”
Annie was very surprised when she found out she was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Northeast Award for 2026. The James Beard Foundation highlighted her “no-shortcuts” approach to food. “Our menu comes from all over China, but mostly Tianjin,” she begins. “Tianjin is known for its handmade noodles, so I learned how to make noodles from scratch. The bao buns are more of a Shanghai style. Some of the things on the menu I grew up making, some others I learned, and others I created.” When asked about what this level of recognition means, Annie replies, “It means everything to us. We never, ever thought that going into this, not knowing what we’re doing, that we would ever start getting national recognition and winning awards.”
But maybe even more so than the Beard nomination, it’s what their customers are saying that really drives the couple to continue. “We are big on reviews, it means everything if someone is happy and they leave you a five-star. That’s when you know what you’re doing is what you should be doing, and how you should be doing it. We just truly love making people smile, making people feel like friends and family, and making lasting impressions.”
Even with the James Beard nomination feather in Annie’s cap, the Parisis aren’t rushing to expand quite yet. “Jayd Bun is our baby, it’s our pride and joy. It’s our passion. We absolutely love what we do and how we do it; we’ll never change anything.” They continue, “For now, we’re gonna keep rocking and rolling. If something‘s working, you don’t mess with it.” And it definitely is working. As I slurp down my Spicy Yo Po Noodles and Pork Buns on the sunny little patio on what feels like the warmest day all winter, I’m instantly taken away from my to-do list and drive home, just reading the silly signs, smiling, and enjoying the spice. 1202 Kingstown Road, South Kingstown
Due to high demand, pre-ordering via email one to five days in advance is highly suggested. Cut-off time for the next day’s order is 5pm. Food is take-out only; during the warmer months, outdoor seating is available. The menu is filled with authentic Chinese dishes, so no fried rice here.
Learn more at JaydBun.US
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here