The tastiest things can come in the smallest of packages – even those that were borne out of tragedy.

Kristy Lam founded and owns Mulan Dumplings, based in D.C., with her wife Roya Shadravan. In 2016, Shadravan faced a health scare with a brain tumor, which changed the couple’s perspective on food and lifestyle. 

“We realized how important it is to consume nourishing meals without additives or artificial ingredients, yet we struggled to find convenient Asian cuisine that met these standards,” Lam says. They “felt moved to create Asian dumplings that reflected the positive impact their new diet had on them, and could have on others,” and Mulan Dumplings was born.

Lam soon started a food truck, serving a handful of varieties of natural dumplings using meat free of antibiotics or hormones. Quickly gaining popularity, Lam was soon invited by the National Zoo to park it next to the pandas, which gave her a lot of exposure and helped her meet new fans (pandas not included). 

When the COVID pandemic hit, she transitioned to packaging and delivering the dumplings; scaling up, she is now distributing Mulan Dumplings to regional grocery stores as well as continuing direct to consumer sales, cooking in a commercial kitchen in Hyattsville.

Lam’s dumplings venture proved successful: she, and 19 other woman-woman-owned restaurants and other food-related entrepreneurs in the D.C. and Los Angeles areas, just completed a scholarship and training program through Regarding Her. The organization, also known as (RE:Her) is a national nonprofit of women entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industries that began during the COVID-19 pandemic to support women negatively affected by the consequences of the pandemic. This is the first year the Academy will be open to businesses in the Washington, D.C. area.

Local LGBTQ chefs and owners like Jamie Leeds of Hank’s and Ruth Gresser of Pizzeria Paradiso, have played leading roles in the organization.

The academy provides these entrepreneurs with a highly supportive network in the competitive food and beverage space. But beyond inspiration, the academy and the network are practical: financial management, operations, efficiency, and mentorship.

Lam says that her “LGBTQ identity is central to everything we do at Mulan Dumplings, shaping our approach to both our products and our business values.” It was the health journey that set them on the path to found Mulan Dumplings, “but our LGBTQ identity drives us to prioritize inclusivity and empowerment.” For example, they ensure that they hire women and minorities, prioritize fair wages and support, and create an open and welcoming workspace.

Through their food, the couple has been able share their journey – partnering with regional LGBTQ organizations, supporting LGBTQ businesses, and creating products that are diverse in origin and inspiration. Like many culinary industry founders, they see food as a way to gather people together and celebrate resilience and diversity. And like many in the LGBTQ food industry, they maintain and deepen roots and connections with other queer-owned businesses, both in business and community solidarity.

Moving forward, Lam plans to use the scholarship funds to collaborate with Brand Capture, a local, women-owned startup marketing firm. This partnership allows Lam to lean in to their online and social presence, an investment that Lam says will increase their business possibilities by driving brand awareness and sales, to “continue our mission of providing delicious, nutritious dumplings while supporting our community.”

“Our dumplings are a reflection of our belief that you don’t have to compromise between convenience and quality, just like we believe businesses shouldn’t compromise when it comes to equity and representation. By living authentically, we aim to make Mulan Dumpling a brand that uplifts our community and inspires positive change.”

Move over, Brat Summer. The fall dining scene in D.C. is Hot to Go. From a powerful, historically inspired Afro-Caribbean restaurant in a luxe hotel to a funky music record-inspired bar, below is a non-comprehensive list of restaurants and bars that have opened or are planning to open over the next several months.

Dōgon

Famed chef Kwame Onwauche makes his celebrated return to Washington, D.C. with the opening of Dōgon near the Southwest Waterfront. In 2017, Onwauche, just in his mid-20s, ran Shaw Bijou; and then later Kith and Kin on the Wharf. Now, Dōgon is an ambitious project inside the equally ambitious Salamander Hotel, linking the storied history of freed Black man Benjamin Banneker who surveyed the Nation’s Capital, with Onwauche’s Afro-Cuban background and connection to the West African Dōgon people. Art and symbolism imbue the royal-purple space serving dishes like an “H Street Chicken” with jollof rice. Dōgon will be Onwuachi’s second restaurant opening in a year, following the acclaimed Tatiana in New York. Dōgon officially opened on Sept. 9, to honor the date in history when D.C. was formally named in 1791.

Press Club

In Dupont Circle, the genre-bending Press Club bar is for the musically inclined. The bar takes inspiration from the A&B sides of a record, offering two complementary experiences: The “Track List” menu — an eight to 12 cocktail menu that rotates biannually featuring the team’s favorite spirits and techniques; and the steeper and more experiential “Play List” menu — a bi-monthly rotating four cocktail flights highlighting more seasonal ingredients, presented tableside with the supplemental bites. The space comes courtesy of celebrated D.C. bar vet Will Patton and NYC-based Devin Kennedy.

a.kitchen+bar

James Beard Foundation Award-winning restaurateur Ellen Yin’s High Street Hospitality Group brings its Philadelphia restaurant to Foggy Bottom this fall. Grounded in Chesapeake fare, the menu is based on Americana-seasonal small plates, alongside a focus on natural and organic wine.

Minetta Tavern

Union Market welcomes yet another big-name splash in the form of Minetta Tavern. New York-based Keith McNally, who already runs nearby Pastis with Stephen Starr (no stranger to D.C. himself), is behind the program. This D.C. version will have a similar menu to the Manhattan staple, known for its extensive classic cocktail list and Parisian steakhouse inspiration.

Rosedale

Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj of Knightsbridge Restaurant Group will open Rosedale in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Northwest, named for an estate in Cleveland Park. This classic Americana spot will have a rotating seasonal menu and daily specials from the kitchen’s rotisserie oven.

Bar Betsie

The three gay owners (Ralph Brabham, Drew Porterfield, and JP Sabatier) of Logan Circle cocktail favorite Jane Jane, known for its throwback vibe and sassy needlepoints, will open Bar Betsie in Union Market this winter. Named in honor of Sabatier’s mother, it will have a more relaxed atmosphere than Jane Jane, with more beer and wine options, as well as a larger menu of finger-food snacks.  

Trini Vybez

In Columbia Heights, Natalia Kalloo opens Caribbean restaurant Trini Vybez. Kalloo originally began selling spices native to Trinidad and Tobago in local markets and online, and then grew the business into a food truck serving Trinidadian street food. The new brick and mortar concept will offer more expansive cuisine native to Trinidad and Tobago on the upper floor, and provide for a more modern concept, Soca Cafe and Wine Bar, on its lower level. It will focus on delicacies like oxtail sliders with Trinidad’s traditional hops bread, plus pepper roti for those who like to enjoy a bit of spice.

Modan

Modan, meaning ‘modern’ in Japanese, is a sleek 7,000-square-foot restaurant with a bar, sushi counter, private Omakase counter, and outdoor patio in McLean. Executive Chef Micheole “Chico” Dator (coming straight from his role as Executive Sushi Chef at Nobu DC) distinguishes this concept with its proprietary in-house dry aging for beef and fish, alongside broader Southeast Asian elements.

Also coming this fall is Chefs for Equality, one of the largest and most significant food benefit events of the season. Chefs for Equality advances the fight for LGBTQ+ equality through the work of the HRC Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. On Oct. 21, it brings together 150 of the region’s top chefs, pastry chefs, and mixologists for an evening of food, cocktails, and music. The event features 40+ tasting stations and 20 cocktail stations headed by renowned chefs and mixologists from the Greater D.C. area, as well as 13 personal chef tables. Live and silent auctions are also held.

Two immigrant brothers who could not return home, Michael and Tony Askarinam, turned instead to making a community space of their own. Nearly 40 years after debuting their casual, gay-friendly restaurant, the (straight) owners of Dupont Italian Kitchen are expanding, reinforcing their status as a center of gay life on 17th Street. By early fall, they plan to debut a casual Mexican restaurant, complete with a spacious patio, tons of tacos, and big margarita energy that will please outdoor diners and karaoke singers upstairs alike.

DIK Bar, as it is affectionately known, still serves fan-favorite lasagna and eggplant parmesan, though no longer for a cool $4.25 from its opening menu. Michael, who moved to the U.S. from Iran to study in 1974, graduated in 1980 – less than a year after the Iranian revolution. Part of a Jewish family, he felt unsafe going back to his homeland with the new regime, and has never returned. Instead, he and his brother, who also fled, opened a restaurant that still sits on the same corner as the day it opened. Though he is not Italian, Michael had plenty of relevant experience: He had worked in Italian restaurants during summers while studying, and another brother owned the now-closed restaurant Spaghetti Garden (where Pitchers stands today). The menu, he admits, pulled heavily from his family influence.

Opening on 17th Street in the mid-‘80s, the brothers knew the community vibe. Annie’s, just a block away, was already well known as an LGBTQ-friendly institution. At the time, he says, the street was a bit grittier — not the well-manicured lane it is today. Still, they decided to open a restaurant and Italian Kitchen was born. His brother at Spaghetti Garden suggested adding “Dupont” in front to help ground the location, and DIK came into being. “At the beginning I admit I was a little uncomfortable with the name, having young kids. But it grew on me,” he says. Leaning in, he’s embraced the name.

A few years later, the restaurant expanded vertically: taking over the apartments upstairs to turn it into a bar; a new chef came in who introduced DIK Bar’s popular brunch. But he and his brother never really relinquished the cozy space that he had envisioned. Each pushing 80 years old, they come in nearly daily: cooking, bartending, even washing dishes.

DIK has evolved, but only slightly. Eggplant and chicken parm, lasagna, pizza, pasta, and a $1 garden salad: the opening menu from the ‘80s reads like a genuine old-school Italian joint. Today, you will still find classic gems, though now they are nestled alongside Brussels sprouts and arugula salads.

As longtime patrons know, the restaurant is more than the sum of its pasta parts. “It’s an atmosphere where everybody is welcome. I got that from my mother,” he added, noting that she had experienced discrimination as part of the Jewish minority in Iran. Given this background, it was logical for them to build a space where “you have a place to be who you are and feel comfortable.”

In 2020, as the restaurant’s lease was expiring, he had the opportunity to buy the building, which included adjacent Argentine restaurant Malbec. “The landlord let us know that they felt we deserve to own the building after being here for so long,” says Michael.

It was a blessing; to him, it meant the sustainability of Dupont Italian Kitchen. Earlier this year, when Malbec’s lease expired, they decided against finding another tenant and instead they would make it their own. The two eateries already shared one storage basement, where the Malbec kitchen was located. Saving costs by sharing procurement, staff, and utilities (as well as liquor), they took the leap. “Plus, we can be our own great tenant,” he said with a smile.

The refurbishment thus far has included a new HVAC system and a new bar. The new restaurant allows them access to a more spacious kitchen that can cook up sizzling Mexican favorites with speed and in volume. Customers at upstairs DIK Bar have always requested more bar-style finger food, he says, and tacos are better suited to a drinking atmosphere than fettuccine alfredo or creamy Cajun sausage pasta. Mexican food is also well suited to the patio. He also has a family tie to Mexico: relatives own Johnny Pistolas in Adams Morgan. The rest of the menu is being developed, including shareable small plates and “Mexican pizza.” Drinks will feature tequila, mezcal, and margaritas; and there is a happy hour in the works. “I’m hoping this expansion can help cement our future,” he says.

The opening timeline is early fall.

Looking back on almost 40 years and looking forward with the expansion, he mused that the restaurant still maintains its authenticity and its central role in LGBTQ life in D.C. “I’m really proud of the fact that it caters to this community. We are an institution, we want to continue to be part of this place.”