Chuya Lee was actually totally fine with running just one dumpling restaurant, the excellent Formosa in Bushwick. Opened near the end of 2023, the charming Taiwanese spot is as much a relaxed local gathering place as it is a solid option for grabbing a quick meal. Lee, a longtime Bushwick resident, furnished the space—which is right around the corner from her apartment—almost entirely from nearby secondhand shops. She invites local artists to hang their work on the walls, and also hosts bop-in-your-seat DJ nights.
"I just want to have a little store," Chuya told Hell Gate, "get the community involved, play some music, have some artists come in..."
Chuya's dad, however, is the Taiwanese dumpling legend Hsin Chang Lee, whose "signature pork" creation back in 1993 launched a 100-franchise empire in his native country. (Its name translates roughly to "Overseas Dragon"; he's since sold his stake in the business.) The elder Lee had other ideas, namely: expansion. And since he's the owner, his vote counts more, which means there's now a second Formosa in Brooklyn, located on the corner of Underhill and Dean where LA Burrito used to be.
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