Mike Chen, professionally known by his channel name Strictly Dumpling, is the Chinese-American food YouTuber and former Morgan Stanley financial analyst behind one of YouTubes longest-running food review channels. Born Chen Xing (陳興) in Xian, China around 1980 and raised in the United States, Chen launched Strictly Dumpling on October 28, 2013 after leaving a brief Wall Street career and a decade at New Tang Dynasty Television. The channel has built a 4.2-million-subscriber audience by 2026 alongside Chens broader multi-channel YouTube portfolio that crosses 8.62 million combined subscribers.
TL;DR
- Chinese-American food YouTuber born Chen Xing (陳興) in Xian, China around 1980 or 1981
- Truman State University graduate (accounting), former Morgan Stanley financial analyst (2006), former NTD Television head of digital strategy until 2015
- Launched Strictly Dumpling on October 28, 2013, channel now has 4.2 million subscribers and growing
- Runs 11+ YouTube channels including Beyond Science, The Chen Dynasty, Cook with Mikey, and Eat with Mikey; 8.62M combined subscribers
- Married longtime girlfriend Christine in 2021; relocated to Dallas, Texas the same year; runs Mike Chens Hot Oil sauce brand
Key facts about Mike Chen
| Real name | Mike Xing Chen (Chen Xing, 陳興) |
| Born | Around 1980 or 1981, Xian, China |
| Nationality | American (Chinese-born) |
| Based in | Dallas, Texas (since 2021) |
| Education | Truman State University (accounting) |
| Channel launched | October 28, 2013 (Strictly Dumpling) |
| Subscribers | 4.2 million (Strictly Dumpling), 8.62 million combined |
Early life and the Morgan Stanley pivot
Chen Xing was born around 1980 or 1981 in Xian, China, and emigrated to the United States with his family while still young. His parents ran Chinese buffet restaurants in the US, which Mike helped operate growing up. The early restaurant exposure made him passionate about food and curious about other communities cuisines, a curiosity that would later define his YouTube career.
Chen attended Truman State University in Missouri, where he majored in accounting. After graduation he took a job as a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley, but lasted only one year, leaving in 2006. He then joined New Tang Dynasty Television (NTD), a non-profit media company associated with Falun Gong practitioners, where he served as head of digital strategy and co-created the YouTube channel Off the Great Wall focused on Chinese culture and current events. Chen practiced Falun Gong and has cited the spiritual practice as a turning point in finding his lifes purpose. He left NTD in 2015 to pursue his independent YouTube career full-time.
Mike Chen career timeline
- ~1980 to 1981 Chen Xing born in Xian, China
- 1990s Family emigrates to United States, runs Chinese buffet restaurants
- 2002 Graduates Truman State University with accounting degree
- 2006 Works as a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley for one year
- 2006 to 2015 Joins New Tang Dynasty Television, eventually becoming head of digital strategy and co-creating Off the Great Wall YouTube channel
- October 28, 2013 Launches Strictly Dumpling YouTube channel focused on Chinese food and food reviews
- 2015 Leaves NTD Television to focus full-time on his YouTube channels
- Late 2010s Expands to multiple channels including Beyond Science, The Chen Dynasty, Mike Chen, The CheNews, Cook with Mikey, and Eat with Mikey
- 2019 Combined channels pass 5 million subscribers; spends nearly 1,000 USD on his most-expensive food day, covered by CNBC
- April 2021 Marries longtime girlfriend Christine; relocates from Seattle to Dallas, Texas
- 2022 to 2024 Launches Mike Chens Hot Oil sauce brand and shopmikeychen.com merchandise store
- 2025 to 2026 Strictly Dumpling passes 4.2 million subscribers; combined portfolio passes 8.62 million subscribers and 1.67 billion lifetime views
Strictly Dumpling signature style and editorial approach
Strictly Dumpling videos follow a consistent editorial framework: Mike visits a restaurant or food vendor, orders several dishes, and provides comprehensive on-camera feedback covering taste, texture, presentation, value, and cultural context. Early channel videos focused on educating audiences about authentic Chinese food, including how to distinguish real Chinese restaurants from Americanized ones and which dishes labeled as Chinese in the West are not actually eaten in China.
The signature on-camera moment is Mikes evident, unfeigned enjoyment of food. Where other reviewers go negative for engagement, Mike consistently emphasizes what works about a dish even when noting flaws. The travel format expands the formula geographically: he visits Japan for ramen, India for McDonalds, Singapore for floating noodles, Vietnam for street food, and dozens of other destinations. The travel videos retain the same comprehensive feedback approach as the local restaurant reviews.
Notable work: viral food days and the 11-channel portfolio
Mike Chens most-referenced viral content includes the 5.5-pound gyoza dumpling in Tokyo, the floating-noodles restaurant in Singapore, and the all-you-can-eat lobster buffet in Las Vegas. The 2019 CNBC piece on Mikes best and most-expensive food day, where he spent nearly 1,000 USD in a single day on memorable meals, became one of the channels mainstream-media breakout moments.
The 11+ channel portfolio is itself notable. Beyond Strictly Dumpling, Mike runs Beyond Science (his first channel to cross 1 million subscribers, focused on mystery and paranormal content), The Chen Dynasty (Asian culture), The CheNews (Chinese current events commentary), Mikey Chen (travel vlogs), Cook with Mikey, Eat with Mikey, and other niche channels. The strategy allows him to separate distinct content types under specific brand identities while sharing the underlying audience.
Awards and recognition
- 2019 Featured by CNBC Make It on his best and most-expensive food day
- 2019 to 2024 Combined YouTube channels pass 5 million, then 8 million subscribers
- 2021 to 2023 Launches Mike Chens Hot Oil sauce brand and merchandise empire at shopmikeychen.com
- 2025 to 2026 Strictly Dumpling alone passes 4.2 million subscribers; combined portfolio crosses 8.62 million and 1.67 billion lifetime views
Impact and cultural relevance
Strictly Dumpling has been one of the defining food-review YouTube channels of the past decade, alongside Mark Wiens and Sonny Side. Mikes consistent positivity-first approach helped establish a non-negative food-review style that competitors have widely adopted. His specific focus on Chinese food, and on correcting Western misconceptions about Chinese cuisine, has made him a particularly influential voice in Chinese-American food media.
The multi-channel strategy Mike pioneered has been studied as a creator-economy case study for how to scale beyond a single channel. Where most YouTube creators concentrate audience on one channel, Mike has distributed across 11+, with the lower-volume channels serving as on-ramps for the higher-volume ones. His Mike Chens Hot Oil sauce brand, launched as a product extension of the food-review channel, sits alongside other YouTube-food-creator businesses including Gugas merchandise empire and Uncle Rogers restaurants.
Mike Chen FAQ
Who is Mike Chen on YouTube?
Mike Chen is a Chinese-American food YouTuber better known as Strictly Dumpling. Born Chen Xing in Xian, China around 1980, he was raised in the US after his family emigrated. He launched Strictly Dumpling on October 28, 2013 after a brief Morgan Stanley career and a decade at New Tang Dynasty Television.
What is Strictly Dumpling?
Strictly Dumpling is Mike Chens main YouTube food channel, launched October 28, 2013. It focuses on food reviews of restaurants worldwide, particularly Chinese and Asian cuisine, with comprehensive on-camera feedback covering taste, texture, value, and cultural context. The channel has 4.2 million subscribers as of 2026.
How many YouTube channels does Mike Chen run?
Mike runs 11 or more YouTube channels, including Strictly Dumpling, Beyond Science, The Chen Dynasty, The CheNews, Mikey Chen, Cook with Mikey, and Eat with Mikey. His combined channel portfolio has 8.62 million subscribers and 1.67 billion lifetime views.
Is Mike Chen married?
Yes. Mike married his longtime girlfriend Christine in 2021. The same year he relocated from Seattle to Dallas, Texas, where he now lives and films most of his current content.
Does Mike Chen have a product line?
Yes. Mike runs Mike Chens Hot Oil, a brand selling several spicy sauces, and operates shopmikeychen.com where he sells Strictly Dumpling merchandise including plushies, bags, slippers, and socks.
What is next for Mike Chen
Mike continues to upload Strictly Dumpling reviews from Dallas and during travel trips, and runs his hot oil sauce brand alongside the multi-channel portfolio. Follow him on Instagram (@mikexingchen).
