EVERYTHING BUT DUMPLINGS (Fu Run)

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

We had an amazing and unique meal at Fu Run, a rare restaurant serving Chinese food from the Dongbei region. It’s in perhaps my favorite culinary neighborhood (Flushing, Queens) and we were brought here because Time Out listed an incredible dessert on their list. Look for that review coming soon.

But I remember this place appearing quite a bit when I was doing research for my dumpling search. I never made it here then, partly because this is a true restaurant and not just a dumpling joint. I was mainly sticking to those fast food-like establishments to limit the vast possibilities, but here I was and it had been a while since I had eaten a dumpling and so I figured I’d check these out.

Now Dongbei cuisine is known for its lamb and there was a really interesting sounding lamb and carrot dumpling dish on the menu. We didn’t choose those because we were already getting a huge lamb chop for dinner and thought it might be fair to try out their more standard dumpling options – the ones I measure all other dumplings by: Pork and Leek.

The wrapper was thicker than I like, but tender and pleasant. Inside, the filling was a bit disappointing. I found the chopped pork and onion to be mostly bland with just a hint of meaty earthiness. These were not the best dumplings I’ve ever had. They were clearly fresh, but lacked much bold flavor. The only thing that really saved the dumplings from total dullness was the the tangy and sweet soy vinegar dipping sauce. It was served in a soy sauce bottle, but I have an inkling it was homemade.

The dumplings were really the only disappointment of the night (and they really weren’t that bad). The rest of the food will stick with me for a long time and I continue to crave the lamb chop, the green sheet jelly, and that amazing dessert. You better believe I have more to say about this place. Stay tuned.

Does Fu Run have the best dumplings in NY? The ingredients are fresh and the dipping sauce is wonderful, but the pork filling is surprisingly on the bland side earning these only a 6 out of 10.