From Push Cart to Dumpling Temple: Guy Fieri Discovers Hong’s Chinese Dumplings in Burlington
“I have to go like counseling,” Guy Fieri confessed about his dumpling obsession. Lucky for him, the people of Burlington, Vermont pointed him toward a local legend—a woman who started with a humble push cart on Church Street and built what loyal customers call the “Dumpling Temple.”
Hong’s Chinese Dumplings is the brick-and-mortar home of Mama Hong, officially known as Hongyu, who arrived in the US with her daughter Lisa in the late ’90s. What began as a street cart operation reached such legendary status that Guy declared her “The Dumpling Mayor” of Burlington. One local summed up the devotion perfectly: “She’s like my grandma basically.”
Two Dumplings, Two Worlds
Mama Hong walked Guy through making two distinct dumplings: traditional pork and an unconventional chicken and cheese variety that had even Guy hesitant.
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The Pork Dumplings started with a simple flour and water dough that Mama Hong mixed while singing—prompting Guy to joke he’d join in with a C minor. The filling combined ground pork with salt, chicken base, what she called “the secret spice,” sugar, ginger, granulated garlic, oil, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, cooking wine, regular soy sauce, green bell pepper, and white onion. The pork goes in raw, cooking entirely inside the dumpling wrapper so “all that flavor stays inside.”
The Chicken and Cheese Dumplings represented Mama Hong’s Vermont adaptation of Chinese tradition. “We’re in Vermont so I’m going with this cheese,” she explained, though Guy admitted he was “on the fence.” The filling featured cooked chicken breast, ginger powder, garlic, Montreal seasoning, turmeric, paprika, salt, chicken base, sesame oil, regular soy sauce, vinegar, red and green bell pepper, white onion—and cheddar cheese. Guy couldn’t even watch: “I can’t believe I am participating in the cheddar cheese going in the Chinese dumpling. I’m not even going to look.”
The Sweet and Sour Secret
Perhaps the most surprising element was Mama Hong’s sweet and sour sauce, made from cranberry sauce, pineapple, cranberry jelly, and ketchup, cooked down for 15 to 20 minutes. Guy’s reaction? “I want to buy it by the gallon.”
These aren’t delicate little parcels either. “They’re probably the biggest dumplings I’ve ever seen,” Guy noted as he watched Mama Hong load them generously. She’s certainly not shy on portions.
The Verdict
Guy’s assessment of the chicken and cheese? “Tastes like a quesadilla”—and he meant it as a compliment, praising the spices as “really really good.” But it was the pork with cranberry sauce combination that seemed destined: “The pork with the cranberry sauce to me is just meant to be.”
The final damage: three pork dumplings and three chicken and cheese. And true to form, Guy confessed to “having this undying need to shovel this.”
For fans of Guy discovering unexpected fusion dishes, this Vermont stop shares DNA with episodes where he’s tried Kare Kare and a Pork and Fennel Sausage Roll—dishes that blend tradition with local ingredients in surprising ways.
Looking for Hong’s Chinese Dumplings or other spots Guy has visited? Check out our restaurant directory to find Triple D locations near you.