A Guide to Dumplings in Dallas

Merriam-Webster defines the humble dumpling as “a small mass of dough cooked by boiling or steaming,” and needless to say this string of words, though technically accurate, does not do justice to this most ubiquitous of foods that seems to be represented in almost every culture the world over. Examples include ravioli from Italy, empanadas from Mexico and Spain, pierogi from Eastern Europe, and most significantly the countless forms found in East and Southeast Asia.

North Texas is blessed with a plethora of such dumplings, with representations from Korea, Japan, Nepal, and of course China, which has several subcategories of dumplings as well. Here’s a smattering of places that serve up some of the best examples of dumplings from this part of the world, a primer, if you will, to these little “boiled masses of dough” whose dictionary definition belies just how wonderful they can be.

Korea - Mandu

The Korean peninsula gives us mandu, typically filled with ground pork, ginger, garlic, tofu and chives. They can be either steamed, pan- or deep-fried or boiled; they're usually served with vinegar for dipping. Hong Dumpling House (1901 Royal Lane, Farmers Branch) offers a great example of this dumpling, serving freshly made-to-order mandu in a rainbow of colors filled with a choice of pork, shrimp, squid or kimchi. They're highly recommended and priced to move.

Nepal - Momo

The Nepalese version of the dumpling is called a momo, a steamed variety native to the Himalayan region including Nepal and Tibet. These can be meat or vegetable-filled and pan-fried as well. Everest has a few varieties of momo on its menu, including the vegetable chili momo, which is pan-fried and covered in a spicy red sauce, and mutton steamed momo, for those into sheep. Find them at either of the restaurant's locations, 3310 W. Rochelle Road, Irving, and 2300 McDermott Road, No. 570, Plano. We recently discovered momo at Taipo in Arlington, a new restaurant by two young restaurateurs from Nepal. The namesake Taipo dumplings are oversized fried dumplings filled with chicken, pork, beef or potato are mandatory. While you're there, get the spicy keema noodles with ground pork.

Japan - Gyoza

Gyoza is the Japanese version of the dumpling with wrappers that are usually a bit thinner than other versions. The filling almost exclusively consists of ground pork and is almost always crescent-shaped and a bit smaller than their Chinese counterparts. The dipping sauce most commonly consists of rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger. They aren’t hard to find in the Dallas area. Ramen Izakaya Akira (2540 King Arthur Blvd., No. 126, Lewisville), Sushi Robata (4727 Frankford Road, No. 313) and Okari Cafe (312 N. Greenville, Ste. 100) are just a few places that offer a great version of this dumpling, which is often the gateway dumpling that can jumpstart a lifelong love affair with little wrapped pockets of goodness.

China

Probably the most common version of the humble dumpling in North Texas is the Chinese dumpling and its numerous variations. These include jiaozi, xiao long bao, sheng jian bao, wonton, har gao, sui mai and bao zi. These names are even more confusing when you consider that there’s often a Cantonese name, a Szechuan name and an Anglicized name with different spellings within and between each. It’s no wonder many just call them “potstickers.”

Xiao Long Bao

These are steamed soup dumplings, which can be tricky to eat but well worth the effort. The soup filling can be beef-, pork-, fish- or chicken-based. Jeng Chi (400 N. Greenville Ave., No. 11, Richardson) is justifiably famous locally for its xiao long bao, which arrive eight to an order in a bamboo basket. Here, they're listed as small juicy on the menu. Others such as China Blue (2001 Coit Road, No. 135, Plano), Fortune House (8150 N. MacArthur Blvd, No. 190, Irving, and 2010 Greenville Ave, Suite B, Dallas), Wu Wei Din (2909 W. 15th St., Plano, and 2505 S. Stemmons Freeway, Lewisville), Monkey King Noodle Co. (multiple locations), Yao Fuzi (4757 W. Park Blvd., No.108, Plano), 88 Baobao (4800 Eldorado Parkway, No. 300, Frisco), Tian Tian (18101 Preston Road, No. 204C), Mulan Noodle and Grill (1016 E. Hebron Parkway, No. 140, Carrollton) and China Queen (3412 E. Hebron Parkway, No. 100, Carrollton) steam up fine soup dumpling as well. Just be careful eating these, and maybe bring your own bib. One method is to nibble just a touch of the dumpling and allow the soup inside to cool a bit before devouring.

Sheng Jian Bao

These round pan-fried dumplings originated in Shanghai. One thing that sets them apart is that they are pan-fried raw, without being steamed first. This creates a crisp bottom and a light and fluffy top. Traditionally they are stuffed with pork and gelatin, creating a soupy interior. The wrapper is thicker and more bread-like, and they’re often garnished with sesame seeds and green onion. China Queen, Mulan Noodle and Grill, Tian Tian, 88 Baobao and China Blue, to name a few, offer fine examples, the latter also in a spicy version. Expect around four to an order and be sure to brush up on your chopstick technique, as the dumplings' larger size makes them a bit unwieldy. You could always admit failure and eat them with a fork, however.

Wonton

Wonton are the kreplach of China (or is kreplach the wonton of Jewish cooking?): small boiled dumplings with a bit of pork or shrimp stuffing, often used in soups but also served by themselves, either deep-fried, boiled or steamed. They are similar to jiaozi but with less filling and a thinner wrapper. Wang’s Cook House (4011 E. Renner Road, No. 128, Richardson) has a spicy wonton on the menu that is pretty … pretty good, and it is on the menu at several locations such as Wu Wei Din and 88 Baobao. Don't let memories of the dried tasteless pieces of fried dough from your Chinese takeout days in college prevent you from trying these.

Jiaozi

These dumplings are folded so they resemble the golden ingots (sycee) that were the currency of imperial China until the 20th century. They're popular to eat during the Lunar New Year for good luck, especially in northern China, but increasingly throughout the world. When people think of “potstickers,” this is what they are really referring to.

These can be stuffed with ground meat or vegetables and can be prepared by boiling, steaming, pan-frying or deep-frying, and even served in soups. Traditional dipping sauce is soy sauce with vinegar and sesame oil, but often chili and ginger are added as well. Dozens of restaurants in North Texas offer them, but you can never go wrong with Jeng Chi, China Queen, Food Republic (2049 Coit Road, Suite 300-H, Plano), Cris and John (5555 Preston Oaks Road, No, 5), Hello Dumpling, Dumpling House (3231 Preston Road, Frisco), Yao Fuzi, Fortune House, Tian Tian, Mulan Noodle and Grill, 88 Baobao or Wu Wei Din. Many of these places sell frozen versions to go, so you can eat in the comfort of your own home and not worry about people judging your chopstick skills.

Har Gao, Sui Mai, Bao Zi

These last three types of Cantonese dumplings are most popularly served as dim sum items and almost always steamed and shaped in a circular form rather than crescent shaped. Har gao are stuffed with shrimp, but the others can have a variety of meat and veggie fillings. Good dim sum places in our area include Royal China (6025 Royal Lane, No. 201), Bushi Bushi (4930 Belt Line Road, No. 100) and Kirin Court (221 W. Polk St, No. 200, Richardson), but there are many more, including at some non-dim sum spots such as 88 Baobao. Dim sum is great concept for those who love the idea of a restaurant buffet but just can't be bothered to get up and get the food themselves.
So, there you have it, a guide to North Texas Dumplings, which only begins to scratch the surface. One could probably spend considerable time just sampling all the different types of dumplings from the various regions of China alone, and of course, there are the dozens of varieties of dumplings from other parts of the world, which you could spend a lifetime categorizing as well. Then, there's the United States’ somewhat questionable foray into the dumpling scene, the Uncrustable. The less said about that the better.