Index of Interview with Yesoon Lee Asian American Voices in the Making of Washington, D.C.’s Cultural Landscape DC Oral History Collaborative
Narrator: Yesoon Lee Date of Interview: August 20, 2018 Location: Mandu (453 K St NW, Washington, DC 20001) Interviewer: Crystal HyunJung Rie Audio Specialist: Dave Walker
Key Words: Asian American; Korean American; Korean immigrant; Asian restaurant; Korean restaurant; ethnic restaurant; McLean, VA; Vienna, VA; Every College; Woo Lae Oak; Pica-deli in Old Town Alexandria; Charlie Chiang Kwai; Reagan National Airport;
D.C. Neighborhoods: Foggy Bottom, Mount Vernon Triangle, Dupont Circle, Capitol Hill
Yesoon was born in Seoul, Korea in 1946 before the Korean War. She came to the United State for her master’s degree in music composition at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She met her husband, who also came to the U.S. as an international student at UIUC. After they got married, they moved to Virginia. In the 1980s, Yesoon ran a deli in Old Town Alexandria with her church friend while her husband worked as a CPA in D.C. After her husband passed away, she opened an American Chinese franchise restaurant in Reagan National Airport. As her Charlie Chiang Kwai lease at the airport ended, the Lee family decided to open a Korean restaurant in D.C. After the opening of Mandu in Dupont Circle in 2006, the Lee family expanded their restaurant to Mount Vernon Triangle, opening a second Mandu. In 2017, the first Mandu restaurant shut down due to fire, but the family is in the process of re-opening the first Mandu space with a new concept, Anju.
Yesoon Lee Index Time Description
00:00:00 - 00:05:01 Interview introduction; Yesoon was born in Seoul, Korea in 1946; After the Korean War, she attended Namdaemun Elementary School and attended all-girls high school called Sudo Girls High School; she had one older sister and one younger brother; she did her undergrad in Yonsei University and came to the U.S. to pursue a master’s degree in UIUC
00:05:01 - 00:10:08 Yesoon followed her older sister’s footstep who came to the States for graduate school; before coming to the U.S., she had an American dream; She met her husband at UIUC and got married; they moved to D.C. area as her husband got a job in D.C.; they lived in McLean and Vienna, VA; She attended Korean Baptist Church until her husband passed away
00:10:08 - 00:15:01 Running Pica-deli in Old Town Alexandria; she taught music history and theory at a Baptist college named Averett College in Virginia; her husband passed away due to cancer; her transition from international student to permanent resident was very easy and quick;
00:15:01 - 00:19:50 She explains how easy it was to immigrate to the U.S. in the 70s; her family only came to D.C. when they have friends or relatives visitors; her family enjoyed dining at Woo Lae Oak in Pentagon city; the challenges of teaching Korean language to her children; her family visited Korea frequently; opening Charlie Chiang Kwai
00:19:50 - 00:25:12 She started making Charlie Chiang Kwai food from scratch; Reagan National Airport renovation in 1998; after her Charlie Chiang Kwai lease ended, her children encouraged her to open a Korean restaurant; the customers of Mandu were shocked and happy
00:25:12 - 00:30:35 Since D.C. does not have a big Korean community, most of the Mandu customers were non-Koreans; she was excited to introduce Korean cuisine to those who are not familiar with the cuisine; opening second Mandu in Mount Vernon Triangle; differences between Dupont Circle and Mt. Vernon Triangle location; she is not interested in opening a Korean restaurant in Koreatown due to a severe competition; her first day at Mandu; working with her son, Danny
00:30:35 - 00:35:14 Her hesitation of serving rice cake dish based on her experience in the 70s; she is surprised to see how the American palate has been changing; many people were familiar with Mexican or Mediterranean cuisines, but not Korean cuisine when she first opened Mandu 13 years ago; her modification of Korean dumplings
00:35:14 - 00:40:10 She started standardizing her recipes for her kitchen staff; Danny threw a surprise birthday party for her in 2013; she interacts with other chefs in D.C. through Danny; she is proud of her son
00:40:10 - 00:45:00 She thought that Danny would be in medical field, not in food business; she is happy for the CHIKO trio – Danny, Scott and Andrew; fire at the first Mandu in 2017; re-opening plan with Anju idea
00:45:00 - 00:49:56 She enjoyed collaborating with other chefs through Anju program; charity event for Korean orphans with Hooni Kim; teaching piano to David Chang; she now goes to McLean Bible Church
00:49:56 - 00:55:20 Her children do not go to church anymore; her life goals; she thinks America is a land of opportunity and owes a lot to this country; over the last 13 years, D.C. has become more diverse
00:55:20 - 00:59:50 D.C.’s unique chef community; her interaction with Bobby and Seng; smaller and casual restaurants are getting more popular in D.C.
00:59:50 - 01:05:00 Her time outside of the restaurant; CHIKO is her favorite restaurant in town; she usually makes Korean food at home for her sister-in-law instead of going to Annandale; she misses Woo Lae Oak’s naegmyeon; she lived in Mt. Vernon Triangle in D.C. for several years, but moved back to Virginia; H-mart delivery for Korean ingredients
01:05:00 - 01:10:52 Sourcing ingredients for Pica-deli; Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday; she celebrates New Year’s Korean way; her experience in Illinois almost five decades ago
01:10:52 - 01:15:01 Her wedding at a church and reception at her professor’s house in Illinois; her perspective on interracial marriage; she thinks Korean people should be more open-minded
01:15:01 - 01:21:33 Her ambiguous national identity; her perspective on contemporary Korean values and lifestyle; she will continue to work until Danny needs her