NYC Dumpling Crawl

"First stop on the dumpling crawl. Located in a derelict dystopian mall at 88 East Broadway. And there it is. The dingiest restaurant I have ever eaten in. And I have eaten in some truly cursed locations. We ordered the fried pork dumplings and fish ball soup. The dumplings were fantastic. Crunchy, savory, perfect bite. The soup was very fishy. I liked it. Rob hated it. But for $5.50 you could drink the brine. It’s Chinese Matzo Ball Soup. This place was so hard to find it felt like a test. And I passed. The Dumpling crawl was initiated."

"Much easier to find, definitely more TikTok-coded. During the pandemic, went viral. Hipsters, selfie lighting, four-minute line. No napkins anywhere. Boiled pork and chive dumplings were unreal—pillowy, delicate, beautiful texture, deeply savory filling."

"Decorated by a sentient wood panel in 1994. Food was easily the best of the day. Sichuan beef dumplings and spicy Sichuan peanut noodles—out-of-body good. The heat, the texture, the clarity of flavor, just fireworks."

"Pan-fried pork buns that collapsed in the mouth like steamed brioche with a crispy undercarriage. Rich, savory, soft. Soup dumplings with just-right heat and broth. Clean folds, tender skins, beautiful pacing. The whole place moved with the quiet confidence of an institution."