DUMPLING REVIEW: Famous Food at HK FOOD COURT

Today food halls are all the rage. It seems like a new one opens every week. And generally, in Manhattan, they consist of a rotating list of local vendors. Some are exciting but generally the options get pretty tiresome if you ask me.

Before these were the hip (and economical) way to expand your food business, food halls existed deep in the Chinatowns of the outer boroughs. The original Golden Mall in Flushing and the Fei Long Food Court in Sunset Park look very different from the ones in Chelsea or Midtown.

But they are almost as diverse. Take the new (but seemingly been there forever) HK Food Court in Elmhurst, Queens. The vendors represent many different regions all over Asia. You can get your regional Chinese food, Tibetan dishes, spicy Thai food, and even Japanese ramen.

Dumplings might have been available at other stalls but the one that was the most visible and seemed like the specialty was called Famous Food. There was also a sign that said Handmade Dumplings. Not sure which was the name of the business. I’m sure the name is something else entirely in Chinese.

Normally I try both the boiled and fried options but the boiled order came with 15 dumplings and I had already had a full lunch and was flying solo so it seemed like a waste of food.

So I stuck with the more modest fried dumplings which came in at $4 for 6 pieces.

They were pretty good but I found them a bit greasy. It was probably that oil that helped them maintain a crisp browned skin. The thicker skins actually melted away on each bite. I quite enjoyed the texture but was just a bit put off by the grease.

Soy vinegar helped cut the fat and made them rather tasty. Inside the pork filling itself was a bit bland and overwhelmed with richness. By far, the outer skin had the most flavor. I found that a bit unusual.

I also discovered what some might consider a treasure but I wasn’t so sure. Accidentally (I assume) in my pork and chive dumplings, I found a piece of shrimp. I’m sure this was an honest mistake but thankfully I did not have any shellfish allergies or else we all would have been in trouble.

These might be the best dumplings in the food court, but if you are specifically on the search for Chinese dumplings (as I constantly am), I would head further out in Queens to Flushing. But on your way, make sure to stop here at HK Food Court and maybe pick something from the Thai or Tibetan vendors and try something that none of the fancy food halls in Manhattan offer.

Does Famous Food have the best dumplings in NY? I quite enjoyed the flavor of the skins despite being thick and greasy so for that they get a  7 out of 10 but the pork filling needed a little more flavor and finesse.