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The preparation time for the gyoza at Umami is a little longer than at other Japanese restaurants in Pittsburgh, as the dumplings are cooked to order in a single pan in the post-World War II style. The wait at this third-floor Lower Lawrenceville izakaya pays off with a plate filled with wrappers that express a duality of shatteringly crunchy and pillowy, and are stuffed with a juicy, garlicky pork filling. The accompanying rayu shoyu dipping sauce and chili threads add an extra oomph of umami and soft heat to each bite. As he did with his 2023 soup project, Chough uses mandu filling to explore his roots. A recent iteration on the Soju menu saw foraged Western Pennsylvania ramps and morel mushrooms mixed with a blend of pork, beef, kimchi, tofu, ginger, garlic and sesame oil packed into delicate wrappers.
Sichuan Impression*
Thin wrappers are stuffed with a bouncy chicken stuffing, steamed to tenderness and given a quick fry that offers a bit of extra umami from a slight char. While not every item is a winner on the menu, a few standouts—including the pork xiaolongbao, the saucy, garlicky dan mien (served with your choice of protein) and the Dungeness crab fried rice keep us coming back to Dan time and time again. Chef Do Leung and his team take the time-honored dumpling styles and upgrade the ingredients tucked inside, often showcasing local producers. For instance, the microgreens in the veggie Xi’an dumplings are grown nearby. They’re part of the beautiful finishing touch on those delicate boiled dumplings, along with sliced radishes and sweet fennel.
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Diners around the world have known and loved fillings tucked into dough for ages. The arrival of Asian-based chains such as Din Tai Fung fueled a seemingly insatiable hunger for the juicy, soup filled dumplings over the past decade. Japanese gyoza are meant to be very garlicky, so if you can’t find nira chives at your local Asian market, use the same amount of scallions or chives, but also add 2 grated garlic cloves to the filling. Rie McClenny grew up in southwestern Japan with family members who not only loved to cook but, as the owners of a tearoom and cafe in their small seaside city, were pretty darn good at it. Eric White’s boundary-breaking dumplings capture the spirit of personalization. The Pittsburgh native, who once worked as an executive chef for P.F.
Tasty Duck Restaurant
For those looking for a little Luscious outside of Monrovia, Highland Park’s Mason’s Dumpling Shop offers a more limited menu, albeit the same dumplings, as its sibling restaurant in the deep SGV. Though its name might conjure up images of New England lobster rolls, this small Vietnamese-Chinese SGV strip mall spot sells the most incredible fresh stir-fried lobster with green onion and garlic in town, all on top of a bed of noodles. Those in search of a deal will also appreciate their affordable lunchtime specials menu. This mom-and-pop restaurant in Alhambra specializes in all things braised, including standout versions of soy-braised pork rice that use a variety of cuts and supplemental pickled peppers.

He became the breadwinner for his family after the untimely passing of his father. Some of the city’s most experienced and ambitious chefs are offering their takes on mandu, the signature dumpling of the peninsula. If it’s a toss-up between steamed Har Gow dumplings or the boiled Xi’an dumplings, get an order of both. Sugar snap peas are tossed in a hot pan with fresh ginger at Dumpling Time in San Francisco. But the dumpling formula remained fairly static, with the traditional recipes holding firm on the culinary landscape.
Most recipes are based on food she grew up eating or learned to cook once she moved to the U.S., using ingredients you can get at any Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods instead of a specialty store. Fried chicken dumplings are packed with springy ground chicken and aromatic lemongrass. They’re cooked to a tender-crunchy texture comparable to a pot sticker. Drench them in the soy-based dipping sauce, which is savory and herbaceous and has a soft, building heat on the back end.

These dumplings are light enough that you could eat 10 rounds of them and not feel overly full. That said, even with premade wrappers, it might take beginners a lot of practice before their fingers develop the requisite muscle memory to fill, fold and pleat at a record pace. She cooked professionally for three years before burning out one night after working more than 300 meals.
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In small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and chili oil. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. So good, in fact, that she never felt the urge to learn to make them herself. The simple, home-cooked meals her mother, Yoko, and maternal grandmother, Kiyoko, prepared for their rural customers, using seasonal local ingredients and traditional recipes, were far from fancy. Yet their skillful mix of salty, sweet, sour and bitter — key elements in authentic Japanese cuisine — were rich with umami flavor. Luong came to Pittsburgh from New York in 2012 to work at Tan Lac Vien.
Dan Modern Chinese*
If you’re in the mood for something brothy, go for the mandu guk, which highlights Kwon’s dumplings in a soothing soup. Thai Place, opened in 1989, is the region’s longest-standing Thai restaurant business. Its Wexford location is the last of several restaurants with the same name operated by Santi and Surin Thamwiwat, and it’s a solid destination for Thai dumplings. Go for the steamed version, which includes chopped chicken bolstered with herbaceous celery leaves. Diced carrot replaces the more traditional fish roe atop the sui mai, adding a vegetal sweetness.
Nathanan “Natalie” Manjeen offers a lens into Thai street food at her charming Squirrel Hill restaurant. Go for gu chai, a Thai favorite that’s hard to find in Pittsburgh. The crispy, chewy wrapper is prepared with glutinous rice, wheat and tapioca flours. It’s filled with pungent Chinese chives, crimped in a style similar to xiao long bao, and then pressed to form a patty. The steamed and pan-fried dumplings are a study of texture and flavor, given an additional boost with a sweet chili dipping sauce. The dumplings listed as “dumplings” are Manjeen’s spin on siu mai but with a folded top like an envelope to enclose the family recipe blend of pork, egg, scallions, onions and chestnuts.
The challenge with soup dumplings is to eat them while keeping the broth inside, taking care not to burn your tongue. Experts advise placing those Xiao Long Bao on a soup spoon and gently poking a hole in the dumpling to let the steam escape. One perfectly juicy bite and you’ll understand what all the fuss is about.
“That’s how you get the crispy bottoms and soft, tender tops. This method cooks everything the way it needs to be,” Li says. Once again, royal courts played a role in introducing dumpling culture to Thailand. Cho muang, for example, is a fanciful, flower-shaped dumpling with a wrapper made with various starches dyed into a soft blue with pea flowers and lime.
The best ones in Pittsburgh are now served at Tan Lac Vien 2. Wagyu beef and black truffles are tucked into the outstanding pan-crisped gyoza at Dumpling Time in ... Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush). Chubby Noodle in the Marina is our go-to in the neighborhood for a good time and even better food.
The boiled Xi'an veggie dumplings at Dumpling Time in San Francisco get a fresh finish with produce ... This dish includes a lot of buzz words, like “lobster” and “white truffle oil,” but it’s mostly a stunt. You’ll be more excited to tell people you ate these than you will be to order them again. Cover with lid and steam the gyoza until most of the water has evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Using your dominant hand, place a scant 1 tablespoon filling in the center of the wrapper.
SF Eats: Mac'd new location unveiled, Dumpling Time anniversary, more - Hoodline
SF Eats: Mac'd new location unveiled, Dumpling Time anniversary, more.
Posted: Fri, 18 May 2018 07:00:00 GMT [source]
As diverse cultures continue to shape Pittsburgh’s dining landscape, the personalization of Korean, Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese dumplings offers a delightful gateway into expanding palates across generations. In Pittsburgh, they’re often added as a filler item to a more lengthy menu that incorporates various styles of Japanese restaurants into one catch-all establishment. “Every family has their own story to tell in terms of dumplings. It’s a love letter to the next generation,” says Edward Lai, co-owner and chef of Bae Bae’s Kitchen. Dim sum, dumplings, hot pot—whatever you’re in the mood for, these standout Chinese restaurants are calling your name. The beverage menu options are every bit as interesting as the savory and sweet dumplings, with a mini bottle of Moët & Chandon joining glasses from Cali and beyond.
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