Mandu is the family dream of Yesoon Lee, and her daughter Jean and son Danny. Raising her family in Northern Virginia, Mrs. Lee would prepare home cooked Korean meals for her children and friends, and would occasionally take them to one of the multitude of Korean restaurants in the area. As the children grew older and when both moved into the Dupont area, they both questioned why there were vast amounts of Korean restaurants that could be found in the suburbs, but hardly any in the District of Columbia. They saw plenty of Asian restaurants that combined elements of all types of Asian cuisine, but not a single restaurant that strictly served Korean food. This thought sparked the idea of Mandu, a traditional Korean restaurant that would be located in one of the most popular areas in DC.

Yesoon Lee – Owner, Chef
Yesoon Lee was born and raised in Korea, and moved to the United States as a graduate student to pursue her masters degree in music. After marrying her husband, Jong Koo Lee, they moved to Northern Virginia to start and raise their family. Mrs. Lee owned a small deli in Old Town Alexandria for several years, before opening up Charlie Chiang’s Kwai in Ronald Regan National Airport. After nine successful years in the airport, Mrs. Lee decided to open her own place in DC where she could showcase what she does best, which is prepare authentic home-style Korean cuisine.

Danny Lee – Partner, General Manager
Danny Lee was born and raised in the Washington, DC area. After graduating college, he tried a professional office life working at a DC law firm. Feeling that he was meant to work in the restaurant industry, he landed a job at the Oceanaire Seafood Room downtown, and quickly moved up to become a manager where he stayed for two years. After his mother told him that their family dream was finally about to become a reality, he eagerly decided to spearhead his family’s efforts as the general manager of Mandu.