Yuan Shen never expected the Sichuan joint she opened in a former office space along Ellicott City’s Route 40 to be ranked among the best Chinese food in the country.

In December, her Pepper House restaurant was named the 11th best Chinese restaurant nationwide as part of an annual Yelp list calculated by how highly customers rated them and how many reviews they received. The eatery currently has more than 200 reviews and a 4.7 rating.

The announcement brought fanfare to the small spot at 10176 Baltimore National Pike, and has also helped the other small Asian businesses in the development profit from their success.

Staff at neighboring Korean pub Rainpia and Korean barbecue joint Dae Jang Geum, which share Pepper House’s parking lot, say they’ve seen a boost in traffic the last few months, noticeably from people out of state.

“We see time and time again when one business shines it helps elevate the entire business community,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball.

“After three years [in business], things have really changed, especially after this ranking,” Shen said. The eatery was a risk for her and her husband, co-owner Frank Liang. Both first-time restaurant owners, they opened Pepper House with no fanfare during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the timing of the couple’s debut in the Howard County dining scene ended up being a prescient move. In 2021, the 5-mile stretch of Route 40 formerly referred to as “Korean Way” became an officially designated Koreatown. Home to 170 Korean businesses at the time, the move was part of the county’s effort to capitalize on Ellicott City’s large Asian population and turn the area into an economic driver.

Unlike Ellicott City’s neighbors to the south in Columbia, the population continues to grow, in part because of an increasing amount of Asian people moving into the area, according to data from the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey. During that period, Ellicott City saw a more than 6% rise in its Asian population, the largest of any other racial demographic.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Howard County was 20% Asian in 2023, the highest percentage in Maryland. Last year, the county allocated more than $40,000 — or about 8% of its marketing budget — to promotion of its Koreatown business community, according to the Baltimore Business Journal. Festivals, media campaigns and a new website sought to turn the region from a stretch of beige strip malls to a tourist attraction.

In the years since Koreatown was established, Shen and Liang are the first business owners there to see national acclaim. Pepper House’s success also brings the county one step closer to one of its goals: turning into a sought-after “dining destination,” Ball said.

“People are coming from everywhere now,” Shen said of the Yelp boost. “They just come from near and far. People in Pennsylvania come and tell their friends. We’ve had some visitors from Europe!”

To deal with the attention, Pepper House has hired more staff and continues to expand their menu. Heavily inspired by Liang’s upbringing in Chongqing, China — a center for Sichuan cuisine — the chef creates deftly seasoned meals ranging from hot pot and malatang soups to noodles and fish.

Citrus and vinegar balances out the heat of each dish, which are doused in a Sichuan pepper fermented chili oil that the business also sells to customers by the jar. Some highlights include fragrant bowls of Tianjiao noodles, which are sunk into a garlicky beef or lamb broth, and Singaporean stir-fried noodles battered with a curry seasoning and a choice of chicken, beef or miniature shrimp. Then there’s the pungent and crisp salt and pepper fish or rich Chengdu pork-filled dumplings and wontons coated in a sauce that never compromises spice for flavor.

Shen says they’re not taking their success for granted as they’ve watched the number of businesses in the Koreatown District ebb and flow over the years. And though they’re thankful for all the supportive and loyal customers, the area has not yet drawn the crowds one might expect of a “dining destination.” But Shen’s doing just fine.