My search for the best dumplings in New York continues….
SADLY, LUCKY PICKLE DUMPLING CO. IS NOW CLOSED.
All of the three food businesses in the Pickle Hospitality company (not sure if that’s their official name) have the word pickles in their name. But they have very little to do with pickles actually. Jacob’s Pickles is a hot brunch spot with comfort food and a great beer selection. Maison Pickles focuses on French brasserie food, especially on the French Dip sandwich. And the newest spot, Lucky Pickle, is actually a dumpling shop.
While they all have a side or appetizer of fermented vegetables, I’m disappointed none of these new hotspots are completely dedicated to pickles. We need more restaurants like that.
Despite the lack of actual pickles (they do have pickle ice cream), Lucky Pickle is an exciting addition to the Upper West Side – it’s hip, open late night, and feels like it comes from the far reaches of downtown or Brooklyn.
There are a few choices for dumplings here ranging from tofu to shrimp and pork to chicken. Each choice comes with 5 dumplings and hovers in the world of $9. Let it be known that I think that is too expensive for dumplings, especially at a place where there is no bathroom and just a few bar stools.
Instead of a dipping sauce, these dumplings are served in a bowl filled with a broth. I’ve eaten at lots of dumpling houses across the city and never seen this method. For me, it did not work. The broth was very thin and the flavor quickly slid off the dumpling when picked up.
I chose the original Pork Dumpling with Five Spice Broth. The broth was aromatic and might have been nice as a soup, but as mentioned, it didn’t do much for the dumpling. Which is a shame because these needed something.
The dumplings were beyond bland, All the flavors that should have been inside like the spices and scallions were all outside the dumplings in the bowl. Are we supposed to try put all this inside the wonton?
Skins weren’t tender and the pork mixture inside had a very strange texture. I found them pasty and chewy – like a sticky meatball. The texture was really different than the jiaozi I’m used to – it almost seemed as if flour or something is added to hold it together.
While I liked Jacob’s Pickles and I applaud the attempts, I can’t get behind the actual product. Maybe I should have listened more closely to the word all these businesses have in common and just ordered a side of pickles and been done with it.
Does Lucky Pickle Dumpling Co. have the best dumplings in NY? Afraid not. They get a 5 out of 10 for a strange texture in the filling and an even stranger way of trying to add flavor by leaving it out of the dumpling completely.
| LUCKY PICKLE DUMPLING CO. |
| 513 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 84th and West 85th Street), Upper West Side |
| luckypickledumpling.co |
