On July 13, Duan’s Kitchen USA opened a new location at Westfield Oakridge Mall in South San Jose — marking the brand’s first entry into a food court in the United States. The move aims to bring Taiwanese cuisine to the mainstream market, while also launching a new item, “Taiwanese Handmade Xiao Long Bao,” recreating the nostalgic flavors of Taiwan’s traditional-style dumplings. The opening ceremony was attended by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, Saratoga Mayor Yan Zhao, World Journal San Francisco General Manager Ming-Pin Lee, Overseas Community Affairs Council Member Han-Wen Lee, and other political and business figures in support of Taiwanese cuisine.
Duan’s Kitchen operator Xun-Xi Tsai noted that, compared with their first location in Cupertino, the South San Jose branch serves a much smaller proportion of Chinese customers, making it a more ethnically diverse market. The goal of this expansion is to localize the Duan’s Kitchen brand and increase mainstream acceptance of Taiwanese cuisine. The store also introduced a new product, “Handmade Taiwanese Xiao Long Bao,” which differs from the typical soup-filled dumplings. Instead, they are similar to the breakfast-style dumplings found on street corners in Taiwan — filled generously, easy to carry and eat, and evoking fond memories for many Taiwanese locals.
Duan’s Kitchen USA has opened a new location at Westfield Oakridge Mall in South San Jose.
Yeh Ya-Fang, manager of Wang Zuo International Dining — the Hexagon Group subsidiary responsible for operating the Duan’s Kitchen — attended the opening ceremony in the U.S. She noted that in Taiwan, most Duan’s Kitchen locations are situated in food courts, which are the best places to connect with consumers. In contrast, the first two U.S. locations were standalone stores. This marks the brand’s first attempt to open in a predominantly mainstream food court, which she believes will be a fresh experience for American customers. She hopes that traditional Taiwanese snacks can truly break into the U.S. market and that in the future, whether in California or across the country, traditional beef noodles will represent Taiwan in the same way that ramen represents Japan.
Mayor Matt Mahan shared that he has tried Taiwanese xiao long bao and beef noodles before, finding both dishes delicious and memorable. He said San Jose warmly welcomes Duan’s Kitchen to South San Jose, bringing the traditional and nostalgic flavors of Taiwanese beef noodles to the community. He added that San Jose is home to more than 6,000 small businesses, many founded by new immigrants, making the city rich in cultural diversity and a model of multicultural harmony.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan sampled Duan’s Kitchen’s dishes, including beef dry noodles and xiao long bao, praising them as delicious.
Han-Wen Lee stated that Duan’s Kitchen is a special representative of Taiwanese cuisine. As the Chinese-language media liaison for Mayor Mahan’s office, she felt it was her duty to share this news with the mainstream community, hoping residents of South San Jose — regardless of ethnicity — could better appreciate the authentic flavors of Taiwanese beef noodles.
For the first time, Duan’s Kitchen USA partnered with the World Journal for the store’s opening, offering a 50% discount on xiao long bao with a coupon from the newspaper’s promotional ad. The offer ran until July 14. On opening morning, July 13, the promotion drew huge crowds, with many specifically lining up to buy the dumplings, creating long queues and an incredibly lively atmosphere. Ming-Pin Lee expressed his delight at seeing Duan’s Kitchen’s success in the mainstream market, noting that the promotion was also featured on the World Journal San Francisco Facebook page, further leveraging the social power of the Silicon Valley Chinese community.
In addition to Yan Zhao presenting a certificate of commendation, the event was attended by Overseas Community Affairs Council members Chia-Hao Chang and Li Du Chen; Winnie Hu, president of the Cupertino-Taichung Sister City Association; Chi-Wei Chang, CEO of Instant Tek Solution; and Sheng-Yung Shen, Western Regional Sales Manager of Lee Kum Kee USA, all there to show their support.
Duan’s Kitchen’s new South San Jose location drew large crowds, with the World Journal promotion especially attracting many customers who came specifically to purchase xiao long bao.
Saratoga Mayor Yan Zhao presented a certificate of commendation to the newly opened Duan’s Kitchen USA.