Dallas social media sensation serves authentic Korean mandu dumplings
DALLAS – Breaking into the food industry can be tough, and location is crucial. Yet one new dumpling spot in Dallas has discovered the power of social media to attract hungry customers.
Hong Dumpling House serves Korean-style mandu dumplings. From the outside, the Northwest Dallas business park may not seem like much, but that does not deter people looking for a much-hyped bite to eat.
"Just scrolling through [social media], I saw it and wanted to try it out," said customer Gabriella Whitehofer.
Owner Peter Hong is a passionate chef leveraging the power of social media to carve out his place in the culinary world.
"My grandfather came to me in a dream and said, 'You make dumplings,'" Hong joked.
But when it comes to learning the craft, he doesn't play around. "How to fold it, dumpling, shape, different shape, (I) learn(ed) from YouTube," he explained.
Though he's a bit shy about his English skills, Hong's handmade dumplings speak for themselves.
"I was pretty much scrolling on Instagram one day," shared customer Sam Moon. "It's not very often you find authentic handmade mandu, so [I'm] pretty pumped to try it out."
Moon was drawn to the restaurant by a viral video from local creator @Simplyminwin, which has racked up 22,000 likes on Instagram and is driving traffic to the restaurant.
"Most Asian ethnicities have their own version of a dumpling, whether it's a soup dumpling or steamed dumpling, pan-fried dumpling," Moon explained. "Mandu is just like a Korean version."
If you're ready to try the dumplings, visit Hong Dumpling House is located at 1901 Royal Ln. in Dallas.