What to know
- 24-year-old Richard Wang is documenting a daily video series to help his 62-year-old father Ming Da Wang retire from Northern Dumpling Kitchen in Richmond Hill.
- The restaurant has been a family-run staple since 2006, known for its soup dumplings and Northern Chinese cuisine.
- Wang takes on everything from cooking the 800-item menu to refreshing the restaurant’s interior, sharing successes and mishaps online.
- The videos have already boosted customer traffic and are part of a larger mission to honour his father’s decades of hard work.
After almost 20 years of owning a Richmond Hill restaurant, one father is getting closer to hanging up the apron, thanks to a daily mission led by his son.
Chinese eatery Northern Dumpling Kitchen has been a staple in Richmond Hill’s Times Square since 2006, run by owner Ming Da Wang. His son, 24-year-old Richard Wang, describes him as the perfect role model.
“He’s the most quietly humble, hard working person I’ve ever seen. It’s incredible,” Wang told Now Toronto, adding that he himself struggles to stick with anything for more than 30 days. “I’m trying to be more like him, where he can do something for 19 years with no complaints.”
Growing up in the restaurant, Wang held countless roles – from washing dishes at 10 years old to serving tables during his high school years. He remembers a once-bustling storefront, with the dining room regularly filled to capacity.
But things changed after he returned from post-secondary, both in the restaurant and in his father’s demeanor.
“Over the years, my dad’s just gotten really tired,” he shared. “I came back from university and saw it was really quiet. Before, every day at 5:30 we’d always be full. But these days, it’s 7 p.m. and it’s empty.”
Already on a digital self-improvement journey focused on positivity and doing good, Wang decided to intertwine the restaurant into his social media content – something he felt he had begun to neglect.
“I always felt like I wasn’t doing anything. I just worked there, and I wasn’t progressing. Time was flying by,” Wang said. “So, I figured, let’s document everything.”
That decision jump-started a daily video series following Wang as he takes on everything from improving the restaurant’s interior to learning how to cook the 800-item menu, all in an effort to help his 62-year-old father comfortably retire after decades of work.
“We’ve got to post a video every day, and we’re going to make every video meaningful,” he said. “That way, every day will be meaningful.”
Read More
Now, more than 50 days into the series, which began in October, Wang has redesigned wall posters, refreshed the entrance with blooming plants, and documented himself cooking including all the mishaps and re-dos. From beef and broccoli to moo shu pork, he says his favourite moment so far came on Day 34, when he made a sautéed eggplant in house sauce he still can’t stop thinking about.
At first, Wang says his father was “dumbfounded” by the videos, unsure how to react. He attributes that to his dad not fully understanding the impact of social media.
But once customers began coming in – some telling him they discovered the restaurant through the online posts – his father’s perspective shifted.
“I think he fully gets it now, and he’s very happy,” Wang said. “He’s saying it’s a lot busier because of the videos.”
Wang says his daily journey will continue for as long as it takes to get his dad out of the kitchen and onto the fishing boat he bought two years ago – which he’s only used once so far – even if that means another 700 days of videos.
When it comes to his parents’ restaurant, Wang encourages people to stop by not just for the delicious soup dumplings it’s known for, but for a home-away-from-home experience built on fresh, from-scratch ingredients and meticulous attention to detail.
“It’s not just a restaurant that we made to just make a living,” he said. “My parents are doing it because they love it… Every detail is important to my dad, and so that’s what really sets us apart. We’re really proud of the food we make.”
Looking ahead, Wang knows he’ll eventually take over as owner. He wants customers to understand that the work he’s putting in now is more than just content, but about honouring his father’s dream and the legacy of Northern Chinese cuisine.
“I want people to see that the owner of this restaurant is not forged, and you can trust him,” Wang said. “Here’s his whole journey every day, and the things that he did to learn this restaurant. It’s not just a son that was given this restaurant. It’s the son that earned it.”
