After less than a year of operating Donwoori Korean at 65 Winooski Falls Way, co-owner Summer Cao said the restaurant will move in mid-December to the former location of Mandarin, at 22 Main Street near the Winooski rotary. Cao, 26, owns Donwoori Korean with her 22-year-old brother, Khoi. She said the larger, more visible space will “open a lot of doors” by doubling capacity to 65 seats and increasing kitchen space. The siblings plan to keep their original Winooski lease and open a new Asian restaurant there, potentially with a partner, in early 2026.
In early October, when Mandarin owner Lawrence Fong announced he would close his 7-year-old restaurant, he kept the identity of the new tenant of his building under wraps, saying only that it would serve Asian cuisine.
Cao worked for Fong at Mandarin after her 2022 arrival in Vermont and credits the experience with inspiring her to open her own restaurant. The young entrepreneur launched Donwoori Korean in the Williston Road spot now occupied by Thingz from Yaad before moving it to her Winooski hometown in March.
At the new Main Street location, Cao said, she will reintroduce soups and stews offered in her original South Burlington spot, such as kimchi tofu stew and spicy, hot pot-style “army” stew made with fish cake, Spam and American cheese. Donwoori will also add desserts, such as Earl Grey crème brûlée, and even a few Mandarin faves, such as its popular crab Rangoons, but with a different mango-sriracha sauce, Cao said.
Donwoori will continue to take reservations only for large groups but will launch an online wait list after the move.
This article appears in Nov 26 – Dec 2 2025.
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