Dumpling Houses

Year of the dumpling
By Vera Haller amNewYork Editor in Chief
Feb 15, 2007

With celebrations of the Chinese New Year in full swing this week, what better way to get into the spirit of the holiday than by getting out and taste-testing some delicious dumplings. Most New Yorkers have a favorite place they go to for their fix of these tasty meat- or vegetable- filled morsels. Here are a few of ours:

Mandoo Bar 2 W. 32nd St.
212-279-3075
This Korea town mainstay often stops pedestrians in their tracks because the big, plate-glass windows offer mesmerizing views of workers rolling out dough and stuffing dumpling after dumpling. Once inside, the dining room is inviting with modern, wooden booths, but it’s often crowded. Be sure to try the mool mandoo, filled with pork and vegetables (10 for $6.99). Kids like the baby mandoo, a plate of 16 bite-sized dumplings for $5.99.

Dumpling House 118 Eldridge St.
212-625-8008
Not much more than a hole in the wall, this establishment on the fringes of the Lower East Side and Chinatown is nonetheless a popular stopping-off point for an inexpensive meal. More often than not, a line of people waiting to order (five dumplings for $1) winds down Eldridge Street. Seating is limited. Most customers take their food to go.

Lau Bei Fang Dumpling House 86-08 Whitney Ave., Elmhurst, Queens
718-639-3996
This restaurant is also a no-frills experience, but worth a trip to Elmhurst. Patrons sit at tables with Formica tops, and the dumplings (four for $1) are served in Styrofoam containers whether you’re eating in or taking out. The fried dumplings — juicy and flavorful — are fished out of a big silver vat and served hot and steaming. Also try the soups with hand-pulled noodles.

Rickshaw Dumpling Bar 61 W. 23rd St.
212-924-9220
This relatively new addition to the dumpling scene fills a void in the Flatiron district. In addition to the usual pork and vegetable varieties, Rickshaw also has dumplings filled with Peking duck and Szechuan chicken. They sell for six for $4.95 or nine for $6.95. For something sweet, try the chocolate dumplings.

Joe’s Shanghai 9 Pell St.
212-233-8888
This bustling Chinatown restaurant has a following for its so-called soup dumplings. These delicacies, which are popular with crabmeat or pork, are the reverse of, say, won ton soup. Instead of serving the dumplings in broth, the broth is cooked inside the dumplings. The soup dumplings sell for eight for $4.65. Joe’s Shanghai first opened in Flushing and also has an outpost in midtown.

Ollie’s 2315 Broadway (at West 84th Street)
212-362-3111
Including dim sum in a roundup of dumpling houses may be a bit of a stretch, but it’s one of few options if the craving hits while you’re on the Upper West Side. In addition to other Chinese fare, the restaurant has a dim sum cart filled with dumplings such as shrimp and pork shu mai (three for $2.75), which can hit the spot after a morning of running errands.


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