Kimchi dumplings at Noah’s Rockin’ Buns (Photo by Jay Paul)
1. Kimchi Dumplings
$8 at Noah’s Rockin’ Buns
Chef Noah Rock climbed up the kitchen food chain post-culinary school, eventually launching his own mobile venture specializing in bao, aka rockin’ steamed buns. His bite-sized, pan-fried vegetarian dumplings, however, packed with cabbage and aromatics, are noteworthy in their own right.
2. Steamed Chili Dumplings
$9.70 at Fat Dragon
These purse-shaped, shumai-style dumplings are plumped with pork and shrimp meatballs, steamed tender and swaddled in a spicy scallion sauce. Chili dumplings are always on the menu and among the deals during happy hour. Fat Dragon also rolls out housemade dumplings as specials, including a lobster-filled variety.
3. Chicken Dumplings
$6 at Dumpling and Noodle Cart
Carytown needed another approachable counter-service dining room for snackers. On Dumpling and Noodle Cart’s simple menu find noodles, bao and pan-fried dumplings, all at uber-affordable prices. Juicy minced chicken, cabbage and ginger fill thick, rustic wrappers fried crunchy and served with soy sauce and a dense, piquant, sweet house glaze.
4. Soup Dumplings
$13 at Peter Chang Scott’s Addition
Xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, are traditionally found on weekend dim sum carts, but they’re served every day at Peter Chang in Scott’s Addition. Nestled inside sturdy wrappers, cooked pork and collagen-rich pork trimmings turn to hot, liquid gelatin when steamed. The result is a delightful burst of umami-rich broth with each bite.
5. Seafood Shumai
$6.95 at Cantonese Kitchen
The daily dim sum menu at this authentic Cantonese eatery is worth seeking out for its hand-formed dumplings. Though it’s hard to look past the chef’s gooey-yet-crispy sticky rice dumplings, I urge diners to do so in favor of the steamed shrimp, scallop and squid shumai. Bursting with sweet shellfish, their aroma swirls around the steamer baskets, transporting taste buds on an oceanic magic carpet ride.
