DUMPLING REVIEW in New York: Tianjin Dumpling House

My search for the best dumplings in New York continues….

SADLY, TIANJIN DUMPLING HOUSE IS NOW CLOSED.

Tianjin Dumpling House has been operating in Golden Mall for a few years now, but it’s only recently (once they changed their name) that they began to get as much press as their famous neighbors.

I am just as guilty as everybody else who visited the Golden Mall and skipped this kiosk (then called Xie’s Home Cooking). Sometimes it takes a few more adventurous food people than me to discover a stall where the language barrier is dense, but the food is universal. In the last few months, some blogs have called these the best dumplings in the entire city. Those are fighting words.

So I finally made it back to Flushing to examine these dumplings that are influenced by the flavors of Northern China (around the city of Tianjin). These go way beyond the usual pork and chive fillings, leaning on lighter ingredients like sea bass, dill, and lamb. They even allow you to customize your own dumpling filling by choosing three ingredients from a list of photos. I can only imagine what a cucmber, squid, and tomato dumpling would taste like.

The lamb dumpling (with green squash) seems to be the favorite here and so I stuck with that. I desperately wanted to also try the seabass dumpling, but the servings are 12 dumplings per order. Although the price is quite reasonable, I’m not a fan of wasted food. And there’s no way I could eat 24 dumplings in one sitting.

They arrived piping hot, beautifully constructed and with a never-ending layer of steam emenating from their skins.

It was a chore to pick them up with my chopsticks since they were so soft that they tended to fall apart upon touch. A gentle jab made things easier, but also released some of the interior juices.

Their bellies consisted of ground up lamb that was peppery and flavorful without being overwhelmingly gamey or fatty. Alongside, were chunks of green squash that added a nice texture and slight sweetness. These were good and unique dumplings, but I thought the interiors could have used a little more seasoning. I’ve had lamb recipes from Northern China that were wonderfully loaded with cumin. Unfortunately, there was no hint of that spice here.

I’m not sure these were the best dumplings in the city, but with a topping of their chili-laced hot sauce and soy vinegar, they were mighty tasty. And I’m dying to come back to make my own Franken-dumpling. Squid, turnips, and pumpkin, anyone?

Does Tianjin Dumpling House make the best dumplings in NY? I wouldn’t go that far, but they do get an 8 out of 10 for making some plump, light dumplings with surprisingly tasty ingredients.