MìLà and Simu Liu: How the Frozen Dumpling Business Bridges Culture
WRITTEN BY FÊTE CHINOISE EDITORIAL TEAM (Renee Chu, Kayla Lo)
IMAGES: Fête Chinoise Team (Renee Chu, Rhonda Lam)
For Jenn Liao, co-founder of MìLà, food has always been more than just sustenance—it’s a form of storytelling. What began as a small operation in her Seattle home has now become a brand redefining how Asian cuisine is represented in the frozen food industry. But MìLà’s rise wasn’t about chasing trends. It was about scaling tradition without losing authenticity—a challenge that many culturally rooted brands face. After securing a round of VC funding, MìLà’s latest frozen soup dumplings have been turning heads, as food lovers can’t get enough of their flavourful bite-sized delights, and now they’ve finally arrived on Canadian shelves this month.
On March 9th, CCYAA (The Canadian Chinese Youth Athletic Association) hosted an intimate conversation between Jenn Liao and Simu Liu, exploring the intersection of heritage, entrepreneurship, and modern branding. The discussion was a reflection on the evolving role of Asian-owned businesses in shaping mainstream markets without compromising cultural integrity.
MìLà: From a Home Kitchen to a Cultural Movement
For Jenn Liao and her husband Caleb Wang, MìLà (originally named Xiao Chi Jie in 2018) started with a simple craving: authentic soup dumplings they couldn’t find in Bellevue. What began as a passion project quickly turned into something much bigger during the pandemic.
At first, Jenn and her husband started making their frozen soup dumplings only available through a WeChat group and a Google Form—handmade in small batches and sold directly to local customers. Word spread quickly: first a few orders, then ten, then a hundred. And demand skyrocketed, Jenn and Caleb realized they had tapped into something greater: a longing for high-quality, accessible Chinese cuisine that didn’t compromise on flavour, craftsmanship, or experience. As demand skyrocketed, they began thinking about fundraising for expansion.
Scaling, however, came with challenges. Unlike traditional frozen foods, xiao long bao require meticulous precision—from dough elasticity to soup retention—to maintain their signature bite. MìLà’s R&D team spent months refining each element, ensuring that their dumplings could be produced at scale without losing the handmade quality that made people fall in love with them in the first place.
When Serendipity Meets Strategy: Enter Simu Liu
MìLà’s journey took a pivotal turn when Simu Liu tweeted about his love for introducing friends to soup dumplings. His management team sent him a box of MìLà’s to try, but the real test came when his parents, unknowingly, tried the frozen dumplings in his absence.
Their verdict? They devoured them.
For Simu, that was enough proof that this was more than just another frozen food brand. He saw an opportunity to support something that went beyond selling dumplings: preserving culture, championing authenticity, and making Chinese cuisine more accessible without dilution.
A New Era of Cultural Branding
The gathering celebrated MìLà’s success while also showcasing a new wave of cultural entrepreneurship. The discussion underscored how brands like MìLà aren’t simply replicating heritage dishes but redefining the way they enter the mainstream market. Jenn and Caleb set out to prove that authenticity and large-scale production could thrive together.
Simu’s biggest takeaway was that modern branding is about crafting stories that bridge cultures. He referenced Ryan Reynolds’ marketing approach, highlighting how the most influential brands today go beyond selling food to shaping cultural conversations.
CCYAA: A Legacy of Building Community
At its core, CCYAA has always been about creating a sense of community; first through youth sports and fair play, and now through conversations like this.
This event highlighted that evolution, providing a space for Asian entrepreneurs, creatives, and industry leaders to discuss the intersection of culture, business, and representation. By facilitating these conversations, CCYAA continues to support and amplify the voices shaping North America’s Asian-owned businesses.
Why This Moment Matters
The discussion highlighted the power of relationships, legacy, and cultural preservation in modern business. From Clement Chu’s early connection with Simu Liu to MìLà’s journey from a home kitchen to a national brand, this was a story about how cultural legacies are passed down, driven through deliberate efforts to uplift, collaborate, and share the essence of our heritage.
As MìLà continues to expand and as figures like Simu Liu redefine what it means to be an ambassador for cultural brands, one thing is clear: the future of entrepreneurship is about more than just business. It’s about storytelling, legacy, and honouring the traditions that came before. The momentum is undeniable, and it’s impressive to see how this network is helping push these stories forward.
More from Fête Chiniose
For Jenn Liao, co-founder of MìLà, food has always been more than just sustenance—it’s a form of storytelling. What began as a small operation in her Seattle home has now become a brand redefining how Asian cuisine is represented in the frozen food industry. But MìLà’s rise wasn’t about chasing trends. It was about scaling tradition without losing authenticity—a challenge that many culturally rooted brands face. After securing a round of VC funding, MìLà’s latest frozen soup dumplings have been turning heads, as food lovers can’t get enough of their flavourful bite-sized delights, and now they’ve finally arrived on Canadian shelves this month.