A new family-owned spot for dumplings has debuted in Flower Mound: Called Dumpling Queen, it's now quietly open at 1050 Flower Mound Rd. #110, in the former Here Asian Cuisine, where it's serving steamed dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, and other family recipes from Sichuan, China.

Dumpling Queen is the brainchild of chef Lulu Du, a native of China who moved to the U.S. in 2021 and has worked at well-regarded restaurants in China and the U.S., including the acclaimed North Dallas restaurant Tian Tian, which closed in 2025.

She's joined by a stellar team that includes her husband, John Watson, and daughter Ruby Sun; restaurateur Yen "Louie" Jing (Ocean Buffet, Hokkaido Ramen Sushi) who brings operational expertise; and chef Andy Feng, who previously owned multiple locations of Lovers Egg Roll.

"My wife has a good reputation in the industry, and once word got out, we started getting requests from people who wanted to work with us," Watson says.

They did a soft opening on Memorial Day and were hit by a surprise rush of customers, both for takeout and dining in.

"With the holiday, we thought we could open quietly, but it was the opposite," he says. "It got a little chaotic; we're quickly learning to adjust."

They chose Flower Mound because the area had few Chinese restaurants nearby.

"We feel grateful to have landed the location, right in the heart of Flower Mound," he says. "The location got a lot of interest including more than one national chain. But we had a few things working in our favor including our partners' expertise and my wife's experience. She lived in China for many years and worked at a 7-star restaurant, where she learned to master noodles and handmade dumplings."

Their menu combines Chinese-American favorites such as orange chicken and Mongolian beef with Chinese handmade dumplings and buns such as their xiao long bao, AKA soup dumplings, and their authentic Chinese potstickers.

They have dumplings in about a dozen varieties, such as shrimp & pork chive, veggie with tofu & mushroom, pork with crab, and their four-color rainbow dumpling sampler with two each of beef, chicken, seafood, and veggie. There's even a dessert chocolate lava bao filled with chocolate.

They also offer some signature items not commonly found around DFW including:

• Sheng jian bao: pan-fried buns from Shanghai, with a wrapper made from a yeast dough, known for their crispy, golden-brown bottom and soft, fluffy top, filled with a juicy pork and gelatin mixture that creates a soup broth when cooked. They're like a hybrid of dumplings and bao, and are often consumed for breakfast.
• Thumb-sized pan-fried buns: bite-sized Shanghai-style dumplings, sometimes called mini sheng jian bao.

This is in addition to familiar dishes like sweet & sour chicken, cashew chicken, kung pao chicken, wontons, scallion pancakes, egg rolls & spring rolls, and shrimp & veggie tempura, all overseen by Chef Andy, while Chef Lulu is in charge of the dumplings.

"We're bringing all the experience that Andy and Lulu have, with no compromise on food quality," Watson says.

They inherited a space with good features but have made some updates and additions, including a new side patio that's enclosed, similar to what you find at the Gloria's chain. This not only gives them greater seating capacity but also a bar-like place with a big screen TV where people can watch and have a drink.

"We are waiting on our liquor license, but we'll start with beer, mimosas, and sake," Watson says. "Initially, we're not planning on cocktails but we may add that down the road."

Their most significant modification was transforming the former sushi bar into a dumpling production area, so that customers can watch while the dumplings are being made — "like a little show," Watson says.