Although he graduated from Elon University School of Law in 2018, he’s been working towards starting his own food truck business with his wife, Megan since 2021. For now, they’re running their business, The Southern Wok, as a pop-up and catering operation, bringing their food to breweries throughout the Triad. Their menu, which centers on fresh, handmade steamed dumplings, reflects Lemon’s Chinese and Southern cultures.

His father is half Chinese and his mother is a native Southerner. He loves both traditional Chinese dishes, as well as Southern American classics like savory barbecue and rich and creamy Mac and cheese. The best representation of how he melds the two cultures to produce his own take on a classic is the pulled pork dumpling. Flavorful smoked pork butt is encased in a red dry rub-infused wrapper. When paired with the blackberry sweet and sour sauce — made with a local blackberry puree — you’re not thinking that you’re eating something Asian or Southern. It’s just really delicious.

The menu also includes veggie and chicken dumpling options. Sides are country fried rice and Mac and cheese (his mom’s recipe). Fried wontons filled with pimiento cheese have become a customer favorite. Dumplings are definitely at the heart of their business. Their voicemail says that they’re  not available because they’re probably foldin’ dumplings.

He calls his wife, Megan, the “master dumpling folder,” and estimates that they’ve probably made at least 10,000 dumplings together. The couple met when he was in law school. She fell in love with dumplings — and him — after he made them for her when they first started dating.

Lemon’s grandmother passed away of pneumonia before the pandemic began. He and Megan saw her before they were married.

“(Her passing) that was kind of the start of a real roller coaster ride and sparked my not wanting pursue law,” he says.

Prior to her passing, his goal was to return to Virginia, practice law and be close to his family. But afterwards, he says, he just really wanted to pursue food as a way to feel close to her.

“Whenever we’re folding dumplings, it feels like Grandma is there,” he says. “Serving food and seeing people smiling and being happy — it’s way more rewarding than doing law reviews or working to be a partner (at a firm).”

He plans to introduce more specials highlighting classic dim sum dishes and pairing them with local ingredients and flavors. They could include shrimp shumai, turnip cakes, custard buns or braised chicken feet, which were his grandmother’s favorite.

“One of the things about Chinese cooking and Southern cooking is you try to use the whole animal,” Lemon says.” It’s also supposed to give you good luck. But it’s not for the squeamish. It’s definitely for people feeling adventurous.

Follow The Southern Wok on Facebook and Instagram @thesouthernwok