16 March 23-29, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Nepal Momo The Nepalese version of the dumpling is called a momo, a steamed dumpling 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, includ- ing 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 loca- tions, 3310 W. Rochelle Road, Irving, and 2300 McDermott Road, No. 570, Plano. Japan Gyoza Gyoza is the Japanese version of the dump- ling with wrappers that are usually a bit thin- ner than other versions. The filling almost exclusively consists of ground pork and is al- most 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) and Sushi Robata (4727 Frankford Road, No. 313) are two of many that offer up a great version of this dumpling, which is often the gateway dump- ling 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 Chi- nese 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 be- tween 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 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. Oth- ers such as China Blue (2001 Coit Road, No. 135, Plano), Fortune House (8150 N. MacAr- thur Blvd, No. 190, Irving, and 2010 Green- ville Ave, Suite B, Dallas), Wu Wei Din (2909 W. 15th St., Plano, and 2505 S. Stemmons Freeway, Lewisville), Monkey King Noodle Company (multiple locations) and China Queen (3412 E. Hebron Parkway, No. 100, Carrollton) steam up a 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 origi- nated in Shanghai. One thing that sets them apart is that they are pan-fried raw, without being steamed first. This creates a crisp bot- tom and a light and fluffy top. Traditionally they are stuffed with pork and gelatin, creat- ing a soupy interior. The wrapper is thicker and more bread-like, and they’re often gar- nished with sesame seeds and green onion. Taste of Peking (3131 Custer Road, No. 182, Plano), China Queen and China Blue, to name just three, offer fine examples, the lat- ter 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. Don’t let memories of the dried tasteless pieces of fried dough from your Chinese takeout days in college pre- vent you from trying these. Jiaozi These dumplings are folded so they resem- ble 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 through- out the world. When people think of “pot- stickers,” this is what they are really referring to. They can be stuffed with ground meat or vegetables and can be prepared by boil- ing, steaming, pan-frying or deep-frying, and even served in soups. Traditional dip- ping 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), Taste of China (2001 Coit Road, Plano), Fortune House or Wu Wei Din. Many of these places sell frozen ver- sions 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, Richard- son), but there are many more. 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. S o, there you have it, a guide to North Texas Dumplings that 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 categoriz- ing as well. Then, there’s the United States’ somewhat questionable foray into the dumpling scene, the Uncrustable. The less said about that the better. ▼ FIRST LOOK TAKING IT FROM THE STREETS LIFELONG FRIENDS BRING HOMEMADE LAO AND THAI FOOD TO DALLAS. BY ANISHA HOLLA F risco’s underground Thai spot X- Press Thai has been taken over and rebranded as Kin-D Lao and Thai Food. Perhaps it’s a nod to the “kind” smiles that welcome you at the entrance. Or maybe it’s a phonetic translation of the Lao phrase kin di, which means “to eat well.” Either way, neither customer service nor the food at this establishment disappoints. Best friends Lita King and Lou Sing- harath are the culinary brains behind the operation. The two are both first-generation Lao immigrants who are following their dream of bringing traditional Lao cooking to the U.S. “We always wanted to open a place like this,” King says. The duo has finally decided to pursue their dream in Frisco. “We actu- ally just moved here a month ago for the purpose of starting this restaurant. So far it’s been pretty good,” she adds. Lao street food is Kin-D’s specialty. Ap- petizers mimic the snacks you might see on the streets of Southeast Asia. Deep-fried pork rolls, crunchy pot stickers and spicy garlic-marinated chicken wings all contrib- ute to the smells of deep-fried oil that waft out of the back kitchen. Portions (and prices) are made for sharing: perhaps a nod to their family-oriented dining culture. The Lao sausage ($8.99) is just one of many shareable favorites, which comes fried in Lao spices and cut into thick slices. Hot soups are a good choice for the low spring temperatures. Soup bowls ($10.99) offer different concoctions of coconut milk, pork broth and mushroom broth, to name a few. Fragranced with spices like lemongrass, curry powder and peanut sauce, these bowls are served steaming hot with a side of warm jasmine rice. Salads, curries and fried rice dishes add even more dimension to the menu. Tradi- tional Thai dishes like pad Thai and drunken noodles ($12.99) are complemented by lesser- known Lao specialties like nam khao ($11.99), a coconut rice dish with an oddly satisfying crunch to it. Most of Kin-D’s dishes can be customized with your choice of protein, al- lowing for a pretty flexible menu in terms of diet and palate. When asked what sets this place apart from other Thai and Lao restaurants, King points to the fact that Kin-D makes many dishes, includ- ing spices, from scratch, using home- Hank Vaughn Xiao long bao from Jeng Chi Hank Vaughn Gyoza from Ramen Izakaya Akira Hank Vaughn Sheng jian bao from Taste of Peking Hank Vaughn Spicy wonton from Wang’s Cook House City of Ate from p15 >> p18 Hank Vaughn Shen jian bao from China Queen
