Loaded Mandoo

Once my kids became old enough to use a stove—in our family that’s around age six, still supervised, of course—they were automatically enrolled in the first three courses of Simeon cooking school. The first is learning to cook eggs (scrambled, then fried), the second is making ramen (the instant kind), and the third (and best lesson) is cooking potstickers, also known as mandoo, or gyoza, or what have you. It’s a straightforward process, but one that requires visual feedback and timing, two crucial skills for pint-size cooks. Also, without a doubt, there has not been a moment in the past decade when my house has not had at least one, often multiple, bulk bags of potstickers in the freezer. Quinn, who’s now fourteen, is the official dumpling deputy of our house, and can always be relied upon to cook a batch when the rest of us need a last-minute meal, which is pretty much weekly it seems like.

Even the greatest frozen potstickers can get a little boring, though, which is where this dish comes in handy. It’s the dumpling equivalent of loaded nachos or potato skins, made in the pan you’re already using to cook the potstickers. The sautéed onion-kimchi is a base layer for the gooey, molten mozzarella, which gets finished with chopped tomatoes, scallions, and spicy mayo

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• Neutral oil, for frying

  Ohana Style Sheldon Simeon

• ½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

• ½ cup roughly chopped kimchi, with juices

• 1 teaspoon shoyu (soy sauce) or pinch of kosher salt

• 12 frozen dumplings (mandoo, gyoza, or similar)

• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• ¼ cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon sriracha or 2 teaspoons gochujang (Korean chile paste)

• 1 clove garlic, grated

• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

• 1 medium Roma tomato, seeded and diced

• Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

• Handful of chopped scallions Chili oil (optional), for serving

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet or nonstick pan with a lid, heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion, kimchi, and shoyu and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened, the juices of the kimchi have evaporated, and the mixture begins to caramelize, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the kimchi-onion mixture to a small bowl, give the pan a quick wipe with a paper towel, and return the pan to medium heat.

Drizzle in 2 tablespoons neutral oil (or slightly more if your pan isn’t nonstick), then arrange the dumplings, flat-side down, in a tight row or circle so they’re shoulder to shoulder. Cook until browned on the bottoms, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan (about 3 cup for a 12-inch pan), cover, and cook until the water has evaporated and the dumpling skins have softened, another 2 to 3 minutes.

Uncover and carefully spoon the kimchi-onion mixture evenly over the dumplings, then sprinkle the mozzarella on top before replacing the lid. Continue to cook for about another minute, until the cheese melts. Remove the pan from heat and let sit, covered, while you prepare the sauce.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, sriracha, garlic, and sesame oil until combined, adding a little water as needed until it reaches a drizzle-able consistency.

To serve, carefully lift or slide the dumpling raft (held together by molten cheese) onto a plate and top with the chopped tomato, cilantro, and scallions. Drizzle with as much spicy mayo and chili oil (if using) as desired.

Reprinted with permission from Ohana Style: Food from Hawai'i, for Your Family by Sheldon Simeon; with Garrett Snyder, copyright © 2026. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Photographs copyright Ó 2026 by Kevin Miyazaki

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