Myung In Dumplings

Meet the LA County Public Defender Who Doubles as a Dumpling Master | Eater LA

"Balancing a demanding career as a Los Angeles County public defender with a pop-up food venture, Jodi Lin channels her Taiwanese-American identity and storytelling into Dumplins, a dumpling concept rooted in family ritual and community folding sessions with her grandma. It debuted publicly on the back patio of Civil Coffee in Highland Park in May 2021 (an early pop-up that drew about 50 customers) and has since evolved into a menu that mixes personal influences—sports, hip-hop, travel—and bold flavors: a Taiwanese beef noodle soup riff where the dumpling wrapper acts as the noodle and the filling includes ground shank, tomato, and broth (seared on the bottom and pinched on four sides); the Midnight in Paris Dumplin, a raviolo-like parcel with slow-roasted tomatoes, butter, garlic, basil, and breadcrumbs inspired by a dish Lin ate at Le Rigmarole; the Chef Curry Dumplin, shaped like the arc of a Steph Curry three-point shot and filled with sweet Taiwanese curry and a panko crust; the Miso Corny Dumplin, with a miso corn purée and a whole crisp shrimp; and the Kalbi Dumplin, with marinated Korean short ribs in a miso gochujang sauce. A defining feature is that sauces are included in the filling—Dumplins are “saucy by nature”—so there’s no need for extra soy on the side. On the sweets front Lin favors a Red Bean Mochi dusted with matcha and fried purple sweet potato dumplings that gush with coconut milk custard. Pricing has shifted as Lin moved from offsetting labor costs (earlier pricing was $8–$10 for six) to reflecting her time and care; today a serving of four runs about $8–$12. Lin has also collaborated with other pop-ups (including Moderno Cocina) and recently introduced beef birria dumplings at a West Hollywood event, and she continues Dumplins partly motivated by a close friend’s last wish—“Please keep making Dumplins!”" - Andrew Watman