Index of Interview with Danny Lee Asian American Voices in the Making of Washington, D.C.’s Cultural Landscape DC Oral History Collaborative

Narrator: Danny Lee Date of Interview: August 20, 2018 Location: Mandu (453 K St NW, Washington, DC 20001) Interviewer: Crystal HyunJung Rie Audio Specialist: Dave Walker

Danny was born in Washington, D.C. in 1981 to Korean immigrant parents. He grew up in Falls Church and Vienna, Virginia. In the 1980s, his mother ran a deli in Old Town Alexandria while his father worked as a CPA. While he was in high school, his father passed away, which led his mother to open an American Chinese franchise restaurant in Reagan National Airport. He helped out his mother’s business with his friends. After graduating from the University of Virginia, he worked as a paralegal in a law firm where his sister used to work in D.C. Through working at the law firm, he met someone working at a restaurant, Oceanaire Seafood Room, and took an office manager/event coordinator job at Oceanaire. He was trained by chef Rob Klink on both managerial and culinary side of food business. As his mother’s lease at the airport ended, the Lee family decided to open a Korean restaurant in D.C. He left Oceanaire to join the family business. In 2006, the Lee family opened first Mandu in Dupont Circle and later opening a second Mandu in Mount Vernon Triangle. In 2017, Danny, along with Scott Drewno and Andrew kim, successfully opened CHIKO in Capitol Hill and has been expanding his restaurant business. Danny has been playing an important role in bringing chefs in D.C. together through Anju, pop-up events, and creating an unique chef community in D.C.

Danny Lee Index Time Description

00:00:00 – 00:00:50 Interview introduction

00:00:50- 00:04:53 Danny was born in Washington, D.C. in 1981 to Korean immigrant parents; he was born at Columbia Hospital for Women in D.C. on Foggy Bottom and grew up in Falls Church and Vienna, VA; describes his memories of Falls Church; Fall Church was multicultural and ethnically diverse, whereas Vienna was not as diverse, yet very welcoming neighborhood.

00:04:53 - 00:09:25 He first started to identify his own Korean heritage when we went to school; he visited Korea and visited his grandfather’s farm outside of Seoul when he was young; his father told him about his grandparents’ original business, soju distillery; his memories of Woo Lae Oak

00:09:25 - 00:14:50 Woo Lae Oak; Yesoon opened a deli called Pica-deli in Old Town, Alexandria; Yesoon enjoyed hosting family gatherings or parties, and people made dumplings together; Danny’s father was a CPA, but he loved barbecuing and steaming crabs.

00:14:50 - 00:20:55 Since both of his parents were busy working, Danny usually spent time with his parents at their work places; Pica-deli was a popular lunch spot for local offices or workers; Danny ate a school a lot and did not really have a palate for Korean food growing up; his first dream job was becoming a baker, but he later wanted to be a doctor and businessman as he grew up.

00:20:55 - 00:24:20 His older sister went to Dartmouth, so that relieved some pressure off of him; He went to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and met great friends; his father passed away when his sister was in college and he was in high school; Yesoon got back into food business out of necessity.

00:24:20 - 00:27:16 Danny’s mom and aunt opened a convenience store in Herndon, Virginia, trying to do whatever to survive;

00:27:16 - 00:35:04 Opening Charlie Chiang Kwai in Reagan Airport through UIUC alumnus; Yesoon made generic American Chinese food and then started to put some Korean dishes; she was the only store in the entire airport that survived from 1997 to 2006; Danny and his friends worked at Charlie every weekend; he recalls some of their customers: Jesse Jackson, Robert Duvall, Jackie Chan, DJ Tanner, Candace Cameron;

00:35:04 - 00:41:00 Danny’s University of Virginia experience; Yesoon was part of a choral company and they were one of the first Christian-based chorus to be invited to Moscow right after the Cold War around 1990; Danny’s family was a musical family; he played guitar in a band

00:41:00 - 00:46:00 Danny worked as paralegal in D.C.; he then worked at the Oceanaire Seafood Room near Metro Center; chef Rob Klink taught Danny about operational and culinary side of restaurant business; When Charlie Chiang Kwai lease was ending in 2006, a new company took it over and wanted Yesoon to change it to Panda Express; Yesoon and her children decided to open a Korean restaurant in D.C. replacing a Himalayan/Nepalese restaurant 00:46:00 - 00:50:13 The Lees opened a Korean restaurant, Mandu, in Dupont Circle; Danny’s sister convinced him to quit his job at Oceanaire and help out family business; Danny and Yesoon struggled a lot when they first opened; The restaurant started to have its own identity as they decided to tie it to their family

00:50:13 - 00:54:58 Challenges of running an ethnic restaurant in America; struggles of keeping Korean culinary identity instead of being misinterpreted as Americanizing or whitewashing;

00:54:58 - 01:00:53 Annandale’s price war among Korean restaurants; he discusses about the problem of including only ethnically driven restaurants on cheap eats list; pricing and ethnic food;

01:00:53 - 01:05:37 Yesoon thought Americans will choke if they eat rice cake; explains some of the more adventurous dishes on their menu; American palate has become more open to various cuisines

01:05:37 - 01:10:15 Korean food is being localized in America; how his family opened their second Mandu in Mt. Vernon Triangle

01:10:15 - 01:14:57 The challenges of opening the second location; Mandu’s bar became very successful; he was persistent about keeping the restaurant hours;

01:14:57 - 01:20:09 Explains D.C.’s tight chef community; late-night Anju pop-up and cooking with other chefs – Jonah Kim; he was able to be more creative with Anju pop-up; Yesoon and Danny collaborated with a restaurant called Carousel in London; Anju also opened a lot of doors including opening CHIKO

01:20:09 - 01:25:33 D.C. chef community is very supportive; D.C.’s unique restaurant industry compared to New York City

01:25:33 - 01:29:50 Danny explains D.C.’s recent restaurant boom; Opening CHIKO in Capitol Hill;

01:29:50 - 01:34:56 CHIKO has been getting recognition from the Washington Post, James Beard Foundation; RAMMY Awards, etc; Comparing Mandu and CHIKO; Scott and Danny’s collaboration in creating new dishes at CHIKO

01:34:56 - 01:40:58 Yesoon is proud of CHIKO; how Danny divide his time between Mandu and CHIKO; CHIKO plans to expand to Dupont Circle and San Diego; Yesoon’s work ethic; 01:40:58 - 01:45:06 Yesoon’s culinary creativity; working with his mother in the kitchen together;

01:45:06 - 01:49:50 Working with his mother in the kitchen and learning Korean cooking from her; Yesoon likes seeing her guests enjoying her food; Bobby’s interaction with Yesoon; Doing CHIKO’s After Dark with Seng

01:49:50 - 01:52:24 CHIKO’s After Dark series; deciding to open CHIKO in San Diego

01:52:24 - 01:53:24 redacted

01:53:24 - 01:59:44 His Korean heritage and identity; memories of attending Korean language school in the summer; opening Korean restaurant encouraged him to be connected with his heritage a bit more; explains how some Korean customers behave differently in restaurants; his recent experience of visiting South Korea

01:59:44 - 02:05:40 His goals in his personal life; getting ready to open new restaurants; the importance of maintaining a balanced life; making sure everyone is happy

02:05:40 - 02:09:00 He started to feel more responsibility as he is getting feedback from Korean guests, saying they are proud to see CHIKO’s success; Using his restaurant to promote Korean cuisine and culture

02:09:00 – 02:15:24 David Chang started a strong representation of Korean American chefs in restaurant industry; Other Korean American chefs – Roy Choi in LA, Edward Lee in Kentucky and D.C.; he hopes to see more female Korean American chefs come out like Beverley Kim in Chicago, Rachel Yang in Seattle, and Esther Choi in New York