Chinese dumplings
When the Taiwanese restaurant Din Tai Fung opened in Bellevue in 2010, herd lined up for hours to sample its xiao retentive bao, soup dumplings made with steam pork barrel. And the external chain is still democratic a ten late, now having expanded to downtown Seattle, University Village, and Tukwila. But many Seattle diners prefer its rival Dough Zone, which has seven locations in Seattle and the Eastside. When the International District branch opened in 2017, Seattle Times food writer Bethany Jean Clement wrote that her dumplings were “ significantly hot, juicier, and more tender ” than the ones she ’ d had recently at Din Tai Fung. I ’ ve enjoyed plates of soup dumplings at both chains, and I don ’ thymine think you can go amiss with either .
I haven ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate had a prospect to try the xiao long bao at Xiao Chi Jie in Bellevue ( which can besides be ordered freeze ), but I ’ megabyte flush more intrigued by their sheng jian bao, pan-fried versions of the pork dumplings that add a crisp textural contrast to the fat soup inside.
You ’ ll besides find great versions of both pan-fried buttocks and steamed, boiled, or pan-fried potstickers at Little Ting ’ sulfur Dumplings, with locations in both Greenwood and Bellevue. For a dollar you can add an egg to either dish if you want to make them “ amaze, ” though I think they ’ ra reasonably flavorful tied without it. My favored dumplings here are the pork barrel and fennel potstickers .
Another type of dumpling you ’ ll promptly find all over the city are the doughy buns known as bao. My favorite spot for these is Mount & Bao in Lake City, where your bao can be either steamed or pan-fried, and filled with beef, pork barrel, or vegetables. The restaurant besides serves an outstanding version of the fold dumplings called jiaozi, which contain alike combinations of ingredients ( my go-to order is the pork-and-chive ). queerly, there ’ s a surcharge if you want your dumplings pan-fried or steamed, alternatively of boiled, but you can buy a frozen bag to take family and cook them the way you like .
A relatively new option for Seattle dumplings is Dumpling the Noodle in Wallingford, which opened in early 2020. The appealing menu includes pan-fried dumplings with pork, chives, and shrimp, or beef and bell peppers, ampere well as buns filled with pork barrel and onions, and hot wontons with pork barrel and prawn. There are besides vegan options hera, including dumplings with bean curd, carrots, and Napa cabbage, and buns with shiitake and bok choy .
For a modern take on Szechuan-style dumplings, I ’ d recommend Tyger Tyger in Queen Anne. The flavorful pork barrel dumplings are seasoned with black vinegar and hot chili vegetable oil, and the honey walnut prawn buns cuddle fry runt, candied walnuts, and pickled fresno chilies inside a pillowy crescent of boodle .
I ’ ve besides enjoyed the Sichuan pork dumplings at Plenty of Clouds in Capitol Hill. Beer-lovers and Ballard residents should take notice that the restaurant besides operates a food truck in the park lot of Cloudburst Brewery on Shilshole .
I haven ’ triiodothyronine had a short ton of great dimmed sum experiences in Seattle, but I ’ thousand tidal bore to try Harbor City in the International District, which claims to be the city ’ randomness best spot for it. Among other dishes hera, I ’ d like to sample har gow, which are rung, translucent shrimp dumplings, and shu mai, a smaller steam dumpling with pork barrel and runt ( angstrom well as early flavor combinations ) .
And a final spot on my taiwanese dumplings disturbance list is Dumplings of Fury in West Seattle. There, you can ordain jiaozi with beef and ginger, and blue prawn and pork barrel wontons – ampere well as steamed or pan-fried mandu, korean dumplings that are made with pork barrel, bean curd, and kimchee .
Dumplings from elsewhere in Asia
Most dishes at Revel in Fremont have a korean spirit profile, but the two types of dumplings it presently offers crisscross cultural boundaries. Mapo pork wontons are a riff on the piquant Szechuan dish called mapo bean curd, while the crisp lumpia, made with pork barrel and collard greens, are a version of the Filipino peculiarity. ( The short rib dumplings I ’ ve enjoyed there over the years are no longer on the menu. )
Read more: Homemade Dumplings
Despite the high concentration of japanese restaurants in Seattle, I haven ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate encountered excessively many places that offer the traditional dumplings called gyoza. You ’ re more likely to find these at ramen restaurants than at sushi joints, though. One topographic point that ’ mho highly regarded for its gyoza is Ramen Danbo in Capitol Hill, which besides has locations in New York City and Vancouver. You can order the pan-fried dumplings as a side dish to your ramen, or as separate of a lunch extra with a vegetable “ ramen topping ” side serve or a soft toast, tea, or beer .
Another great choice for asian dumplings, Kathmandu MomoCha, is a food truck that you can often find cheeseparing breweries in Ballard like Fair Isle and Stoup. Momocha are wrappers made from ingredients like beetroot and saffron that are filled with grind chicken, pork, or gripe, green onion, and Himalayan spices. And one more option for momo in Seattle is Annapurna Café in Capitol Hill. The Tibetan vogue chicken and spinach versions here are both served with peanut, sesame, and tomato chutneys .
Dumplings from Eastern Europe and Turkey
I can ’ triiodothyronine claim to have across-the-board experience with Seattle dumplings that don ’ metric ton come from Asia, but there are a handful of easterly european places that I ’ thousand tidal bore to explore. These include :
- The Georgian restaurant called Skalka downtown, where I’ve tried two versions of the dumplings called khinkali, one with mushrooms and one with cheese. They also make a beef-and-pork variety that I’d go back for, but none of the khinkali appear on their current online menu.
- Korocha Tavern in Wallingford, which opened its new location in 2020 after a stint in Lake City. I’d like to try the Russian dumplings known as pelmeni, filled with pork and beef, as well as the vareniki, with potato, dill, and cheese.
- You’ll find similar flavors of frozen dumplings at Dacha Diner in Capitol Hill, as well as a version that’s filled with semisweet cheese and served with a side of cherry compote.
- For pierogis, I have my eye on Sebi’s Bistro in Eastlake. Their Polish dumplings are filled with meat or vegetables, topped with bacon or onions, and served with a side of sour cream.
- I’m also curious to try the pierogi that are available for both dine-in and to-go meals at the Polish Home Association in Capitol Hill. On Friday nights you can order from a wide menu of Polish specialties, including beet soup served with dumplings, and both savory and sweet pierogis.
ultimately, one of my favored discoveries from a trip to Turkey a few years back was the dumplings called manti. In the town of Kayseri, brides would traditionally make manti for their future mother-in-law, and the smaller the dumplings were, the more skilled she was believed to be in the kitchen. 40 bantam dumplings were supposed to fit on a single spoon !
There are only a few turkish restaurants in Seattle that serve manti. One place I ’ d like to try them is Café Turko in Fremont, where the dumplings are stuffed with zest gripe and topped with mellow butter, tomato, and a garlicky yogurt sauce .
Where are your favorite spots in Seattle for dumplings from around the world ? Leave a comment and let me know !
To get updates on newfangled posts, you can follow me @ seattlefoodhound on Instagram, or @ seafoodhound on Twitter.
More from SeattleFoodHound:
What I Ate : pork barrel dumplings in black vinegar chili vegetable oil from Tyger Tyger
