LUNCH BOX (Bián Dang)

A few months back when I was in the midst of my dumpling adventure, I stopped by the Bian Dang Truck (formerly known as NYC Cravings) for lunch which serves one of my favorite dishes: a Taiwanese Fried Pork Chop with Pork Sauce. Since I’ve included Taiwanese-style dumplings from another truck on my search, I thought I should reach out and give these a try.

They were totally different than I expected. And I didn’t terribly care for the greasy sticky brontosaurus shaped-pot stickers so I decided to forget the whole experience and since I had lots of reviews to work on anyway, I just let go.

But recently I came across a coupon for a free order of dumplings from Bian Dang and since it was parked in the Financial District during one of my Food Cart Tours, I figured I’d give their dumplings a second chance. I didn’t bring the whole tour group with me, but instead grabbed some lunch before the tour.

And the strangest thing happened. These were completely different than the first time around. I suppose it’s very possible that they changed their recipe and concept when they changed their name earlier this year. And I’m pleased to report that these new dumplings are well worth writing about.

The pork dumplings had a soft moist wonton consistency that emitted lots of juice when bitten into. In fact, it was hard to keep that juice inside the dumpling so I appreciated the homemade dumpling sauce that was included. My only complaint with this was that the sauce, while sweet, flavorful and heavy on the herbs, was a bit too thin so it took quite a few dunks to really get the full effect.

But the fresh, toothsome pork and scallion fillings, the thick and soft skins, and that complex dumpling sauce made up for those flat dumplings from yesteryear. I’m glad I got to finally include this truck (you definitely also should try that Pork Chop) and that it was a positive thing.

Does Bián Dáng have the best dumplings in NY? A vast improvement over their original recipe, these Taiwanese versions are as good as most Chinese options in the city, earning a 7 out of 10.