Filled with Love
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When you bite into a potsticker or pork bun from the Boston-based company Dumpling Daughter, you know instantly that it isn’t your standard frozen fare. The skin is delicate, not dense; the fillings tender and fragrant; and the famous “secret sauce,” a spicy-sweet soy, has a deep but subtle kick that doesn’t overpower what you’re dipping into it. The woman behind these delicious bites is Nadia Liu Spellman, bona fide restaurant royalty. Liu Spellman’s parents were the forces behind Sally Ling’s, one of the country’s first high-end Chinese restaurants, which was named for Liu Spellman’s mother and, before it closed in 2003, frequented by chefs like Julia Child and Martin Yan.
“I was 2 when it opened, and food and hospitality became a part of my DNA,” Liu Spellman says. “I was always trying new banquet-style dishes and making dumplings on the weekends with my family. Some of our best memories were around the table.” She didn’t get just her cooking chops from her parents, though. She also inherited clear values: “My father always instilled in me to do what moves me and what I’m passionate about—and most importantly, to be a self-sufficient woman. He’d say that it doesn’t matter who you marry; it doesn’t matter if you inherit anything. Follow your dream and your passion. Don’t be afraid to be authentic.” Here’s how she’s stayed true to his words.
Where the idea came from
I wanted to share dumplings—and the culture of eating dumplings around the table—with more people. I saw this great opportunity in the frozen dumpling market because it was not mainstream at all. Some advisers told me to serve it to customers first and get their feedback, make a brand, build a story. So I did what I was comfortable with: I opened a restaurant. This year, 2024, will be Dumpling Daughter’s 10th anniversary. I opened it in my hometown, Weston, Massachusetts, because that’s where my father always dreamed of having a quick-service restaurant. Weston happened to have an available location—and I actually spoke to the same landlord my father had decades before.
What she learned in the hard times
The first year, I did not take a day off. I cared so much. But there was a line out the door at times, and I remember being so stressed; I was like, “I can’t take any more people in here. This is too crowded.” My aunt came up to me and said, “Nadia, you need to leave the restaurant for five minutes a day. Go outside and take deep breaths. Focus on your own body and your presence.” And I practiced that. As my career got more intense, I learned to focus on my wellness in order to fuel the rest of my life.
Fast-forward to 2020, I had three restaurants and was pregnant during lockdown. I wanted to find a way to navigate this unforeseen time and lower the chances of Dumpling Daughter failing. I was thinking about ways I could continue to serve my community, so I started building meal kits and shooting YouTube videos on how to cut Chinese vegetables and food so people could follow along while preparing their dinner. At 5 p.m. on Sundays, we would sign on to Zoom and cook dishes for our families together. One evening, I realized I had 40 people on Zoom.
Cooking with gas
When I decided it was finally time to sell frozen dumplings, I started through my brick-and-mortar stores. Then local supermarkets started calling us to buy them. I designed a box and started delivering them. Then they wanted the sauce. Then customers were telling me they were sending this stuff to their friends. So in 2021, we launched our website, where people can order the dumplings and sauce direct to their door. When our products get into people’s hands, they’re cooking a fresh dumpling because ours are raw frozen at the factory. When you cook them, you’re cooking them for the very first time.
How she celebrates Lunar New Year
In my family, we start the Lunar New Year the night before with a big family meal on the last night of the year. We make sure there are plenty of leftovers to have a surplus going into the next year. On the first day of the New Year, we spend the morning making fresh dumplings and feast on them as a family. The first day of the New Year should be exemplary, and I love setting this positive tone.
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Honoring her family legacy
My entire career has just been, How can I serve more dumplings? My goal is to bring this authentic Chinese cuisine to as many homes as possible. That triggered me to ask my mom for more recipes, and we wrote a book with about 85 recipes that celebrate the legacy my parents built and how Dumpling Daughter came to be. I love that people know they can rely on us, that this is exactly what my grandmother made. It’s a classic dish—and one of the oldest in existence.
I think my dad, who passed away in 2009, would be so proud that I followed his guidance of doing what you’re passionate about and what is authentic to you. What I do every day is celebrate this idea of generational family business and service to the community through food. It’s all really joyous, truly. Even in the hard times.
Send Dumpling Daughter’s flavors straight to your door (or your family’s) here.
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