Spring 12-05-2012

Location: 36 West 38th St.
Time: 1:30pm
People: SaSha and myself (Thanks SaSha for the dumpling pic!)

Feelings: The newly opened Spring, "The House of Pot Stickers, Yummy Dumplings and Juicy buns" required a bit of walk from Midtown West. Why are 5th and 6th avenues in Midtown so damn far from each other? But considering the amount of carbs you are about to consume at this carb friendly joint, this is truly a blessing in disguise.

Cute signs and decor are usually a rare thing to see at a Midtown dumpling spot since Rickshaw arrived. Without being too hip while retaining its Midtown atmosphere, Spring attracts a diverse clientele. From foodies to people who are afraid of everything but chicken sandwiches can enjoy what they have to offer.

They are only offering the limited menu now, ("larger menu, Chinese tapas, wine and beer coming soon," was clearly written) but it already looks more than large enough. There are options of dumplings, buns and noodles plus soup and salad, and everything is reasonably priced under $10. In addition, there are plenty of interesting Chinese tea drinks available. The chrysanthemum drink I tried was a bit too sweet, but it would be perfect for these dim sum like treats at Spring.

The dumplings were unfortunately not made to order, so I decided to go with "Shrimp Ball Noodles" ($8.25). You can choose from four different noodle options: rice noodle, ramen, udon and egg noodle. The broth was rather bland, but the vegetables were fresh, and shrimp balls were flavorful with very strong shrimp smell. The ramen noodles I chose to accompany the balls were... just about ordinary. I should probably have ordered egg noodle or rice noodle for this, but when I see the word ramen, there is no escape from it.

SaSha thought her dumplings were juicy and flavorful, but the skin was a bit too thick. Also, somehow there was no sauce for dipping. Do they not offer any interesting customized sauce, or are we supposed to just use soy sauce?

Spring is a great introductory spot for dumplings, buns and noodles for people who rarely touch Asian food. The space is clean and welcoming, and it's a perfect place to sit down with your friends and enjoy some dumplings, tea and hopefully some Chinese beer soon.

Rickshaw Dumpling Truck 01-27-2010

Location: 57th St. and 8th Ave.
Time: 12pm

Feelings: I used to work right next to Rickshaw on 23rd Street. While I did not particularly love their noodle soup with dumplings, I used to get lunch there when the weather was poor, and I didn't want to walk far. I felt that their noodles were always overcooked, and the miso broth was bland. Now that I am in Midtown, it is almost impossible to find decent and quick dumpling takeouts. Thankfully, Rickshaw Truck stops by the area every Wednesday to satisfy my dumpling cravings.

When I paid a visit today, they only served the dumplings on the truck. No salad or noodle soup here. I ordered their only vegetarian option, Edamame dumplings ($6, with lemon, scallion and whole wheat wrapper with lemon sansho dipping sauce). $6 for six truck dumplings is really overpriced, but perhaps I am too used to economical pricing of many dumpling joints in Chinatown.

The dumplings were fresh and clean, and the texture of edamame was still present. It's visually interesting to chew into a dumpling and find bright green guts! I felt like I was eating Kermit meat. I wish the skin had more smooth texture instead of being so sticky, but for takeout dumplings, it was decent and tasty.

The bad thing about eating dumplings, and dumplings only, is that you get hungry right away, and Rickshaw was no exception. I got hungry about an hour later, and I ran to the Restaurant Week Soup Truck yet again, but they were only serving meat soup. Restaurant Week Soup Truck, you are such a disappointment.

Mandoo Bar 10-09-2009

Location: 2 West 32nd St.
Time: 6:30pm
People: RB and myself

Feelings: A man with perhaps the biggest smile in the city welcomed us to the Korean dumpling bar, Mandoo in K-Town. As soon as we were seated, tasty banchan was served. Unfortunately, the man's smile and banchan were the only things that we enjoyed at this place.

We started our meal with boiled vegetarian mandoo ($9.24 for 10pcs). These unauthentic, overpriced small dumplings lacked flavor, and the skin was overly thick and doughy. I have had much better dumplings for $4. However, they were incredibly cute to look at, and I would highly recommend them to your out-of-town friends who are unfamiliar with Asian cuisine. They are cute, approachable and taste like most dumplings from mediocre Chinese takeout joints.

When the mandoo dishes at a place called the Mandoo Bar is a disappointment, you can't expect much from their noodle dishes. I was utterly shocked when I saw my mandoo ramen ($9 with egg and pork mandoo in spicy broth). The noodles were not freshly made and tasted like they were from a package. They actually tasted like the dry kind you used to eat in college. It was disturbing that a restaurant would serve cup-a-noodle type dried ramen noodle. I would understand if this was middle of nowhere, but this is Manhattan. This is Korea Town!

RB's joll noodle ($10) was spicy, and he enjoyed the chewy texture of the noodle. The sauce was boring and tasted like your typical Korean sweet chili sauce. But at least he didn't get the cup-a-noodle...

This place would be perfect for people who have only eaten Asian food at Ruby Foo's or are not quite familiar with the delicate flavor and texture of dumplings. They would probably do very well in suburban malls if they cut down the prices. For me, I have never been so upset to see dried crinkly ramen noodles in front of me.

Eton 09-27-2009

Location: 372 Sackett St.
Time: 6pm
People: RB and myself

Feelings: Eton of Carroll Gardens is famous for their Hawaiian style shaved ice, but RB decided to get some dumpling takeout from their new Smith Street location instead. After all, shaved ice is not adequate for dinner or takeout.

RB tried the chicken and mushroom dumplings and beef and pork dumplings, and he kindly brought me veggie dumplings. Each kind came with five large dumplings at $3.50 along with one dipping sauce per order. We tried each of the three ginger-soy-hoisin sauce, plum sauce and Sriracha.

My veggie dumplings with tofu and lentils were just too dense and large for me to bite into, so I had to cut into two with chopsticks. I liked the crunchy bottom and doughy top layer, but I did not enjoy the grainy lentil filling. They gave me an unpleasant aftertaste, which probably could have been perfectly washed away by shaved ice.

RB enjoyed his beef and pork dumplings. They were flavorful and not greasy, and the skin was not too thick so he was able to taste the juicy fillings without the doughy distraction. He just wished they did not fall apart as he had a bite. The chicken and mushroom ones were a bit on dry side but decent.

I would love to try their famous shaved ice soon, but I just could never figure out when their Henry Street location is open. Their Smith Street location is only a few blocks away though.