IF LIZA LIKES IT… (Family Dumpling)

SADLY, FAMILY DUMPLING IS NOW CLOSED.

Celebrities don’t excite me much. There are a handful of famous people that have inspired or moved me to the point of awe. But I still wouldn’t necessarily run out and eat at a restaurant that Dustin Hoffman recommended. So I found it strange that once the owner of Family Dumpling learned I was a blogger, he grabbed an article (from what seemed like decades ago) to show me that Broadway legend Liza Minnelli recommends the place. Oh, well if Liza likes it, then I’ll have to tell all my friends to try this place immediately.

It struck me as quite humorous how the owner’s demeanor changed once he saw me snapping photos of the food. When I first walked in to this modest and presumably sanitary (they have an A grade from the health department hanging in their window) dumpling house in Sunset Park, I was practically ignored. I had to interrupt the workers to tell them what I wanted.

An order of fried dumplings and an order of boiled dumplings is my usual, so this meal was no different. What was different was the price list. The four fried dumplings for $1 is pretty standard at these small dumpling houses (although some places give you a fifth potsticker for the same price), but the boiled dumplings (ten to an order) usually cost about $2. Here, they were $4!!! That’s an absurd price for these, especially since we’re in the far reaches of Brooklyn as opposed to the tourist saturated streets of Chinatown.

I was gruffly told the boiled dumplings would take 10 minutes. It almost seemed like he was challenging me to complain. But I smiled, took a seat, and started shooting some photos of the interior. That arose his suspicion. At first, I thought he might be worried I was going to challenge his health department grade because he didn’t seem happy with my photography. But then something must have clicked, because a smile broke on his face and he struck up a conversation with me.

He began questioning me to see what publication I work for, but I explained to him I’m a food blogger. Throughout this interaction and the rest of the meal he took to calling me “Sir.” Little does he know I’ve only been to England once and I certainly didn’t get knighted while I was there. That’s when the Playbill featuring the “Broadway star” came out and he showed me the article where she raved about their scallion pancakes. I didn’t order the pancakes, but he insisted that he make me one to try for free.

When the pancake came out, it was very fresh and even if I didn’t like it, I felt the need to fake a smile and praise his preparation. The good news is that they were quite good. It had a warm, tender bite without being greasy. The scallions added some savory flavor and crunch. They were not as crispy as the ones at Vanessa’s, but they were nice and doughy and I would have eaten the whole thing if I didn’t have to save room for dinner after my dumpling excursion.

So he won me over with free fresh scallion pancakes, but I paid good money (and too much) for the dumplings and I will be as discerning as I want.

The fried dumplings were ready first, which is commonplace. They were thick and juicy and a little to greasy for my tastes. It also seemed like only one side was fully seared so it didn’t have that pleasant crunch of other interpretations. If there’s going to be this much grease, I want to have some firm texture to make the calorie intake easier. The pork and leek innards were quite flavorful and soft although they too had soaked up quite a bit of oil. I have a feeling these were made before I revealed my true identity of influential food blogger.

Instead of a styrofoam plate, the boiled dumplings were presented in a silver bowl. Maybe that explains the extra $2 price tag? They were steaming and plump. The wrappers weren’t as firm as most and were on the bland side (it could have used some salt). But again, the insides were flavorful and juicy.

The dumplings overall were fine – not the worst I’ve had and certainly not the best. I’m not sure they’re worth the trip out to Sunset Park, especially when you can get dumplings just as good for half the price. Yet I left Family Dumpling with a confused feeling. I’m not easily won over by free food, celebrity endorsements, and certainly not by Liza Minnelli. I didn’t even like Cabaret and I’ve seen it twice. I realized that the owner put on a show (a cabaret?) for me and I fell for it a bit. So I recommend going to Family Dumpling, but just bring your camera and wait to be taken care of.

Does Family Dumpling have the best dumplings in NY? The fried ones are greasy and the boiled are bland, but the flavorful filling and forced hospitality earn them a 6 out of 10.