Wellington chef Vicky Ha had a "strong vision" when she started her own dumpling company back in 2012.
"If I'm going to do anything, I'm going to [use] the goddamn best ingredients I can find in this country and I'm going to make the pastry from scratch, which not a lot of people do."
This year, House of Dumplings took out the Supreme Award at the NZ Artisan Awards.
Vicky Ha and her mother Photo: Supplied
Vicky grew up in a Hong Kong apartment where lots of amazing food came out of the tiny kitchen thanks to her mother.
She always wanted to be a chef but her family insisted on university first.
After her studies, Vicky become a "dishie" and fell in love with the professional kitchen environment.
"I always say there are only two people who go to work in a kitchen - you either can't find any other job or you love being in there.
"It's the smell, it's the chaos, it's this vibrance. There's always something going on, it's busy… you're constantly problem-solving."
Later Vicky did go to chef school and "did her rounds" as a chef, including a stint cooking on a fishing boat where the smell of prawns got into her pores.
"It's stinky, all the rejects of society working there in a very close environment. It's quite disgusting, in some ways, but I grew up so much in those ten weeks… I loved it actually."
- Related: Vicky Ha on Nine to Noon (September 2013)
On her first day selling dumplings at the Wellington City Market, Vicky sold out completely in just two hours.
Now House of Dumplings products are sold in 150 supermarkets around the country.
Despite her passion for excellent dumplings, Vicky says there are no rules about how to cook them.
Most New Zealanders like their dumplings pan-fried, but for this method, pre-steaming is key and not many New Zealanders know how to do it, Vicky says.
House of Dumplings' packaged dumplings, which are sold pre-steamed, can even be cooked in the toastie pie machine at work.
"I am sure my mother would not approve of that. One hundred percent sure. But hey, it's New Zealand, it's not Hong Kong, so toughen up."
