GENTRIFIED AND CHINA-FIED (Dumpling Man)

If you spend much time in the East Village, you know that yes, it’s an eclectic food scene but it’s specifically overwhelmed with Asian eateries. Everywhere you turn on or around St. Marks Place, you’ll see Japanese izakayas, bubble tea shops, ramen noodle bars, even the occasional Asian dessert spot (one even called Spot). Not to mention a handful of Korean joints, sake bars, and the random Tibetan restaurant.

But up until 2004 there were no true dumpling destinations in this neighborhood. Hipsters and college students certainly love dumplings. So Lucas Lin opened Dumpling Man to cater to the drunken and hungry young masses of the East Village. The shop is one long counter with a glass separating the diner from the makers of the Northern Chinese style potstickers.

I had been here many years ago, but when I walked in it still took me a while to orient myself on how to order. There seemed to be so many options (unlike most of the dumpling spots in Chinatown which only offer two options) and ways to mix and match to make a combo. It’s all color coded and designed in a nostalgic video-game type way. Little dumpling men (not unlike little Pac men). Very appropriate for the youthful East Village.

I noticed one of the current specials were soup dumplings. And since I’ve been focusing on both potstickers and soup dumplings, I thought I should try this version instead of mixing and matching a whole bounty of colored dumplings. Yes, I said colored dumplings. See, to distinguish one filling from another, Dumpling Man dyes the wrappers different colors (using vegetable  juices) to bring them to life. For instance, the chicken dumplings are orange (from carrot juice), and the vegetarian versions are green (spinach juice). And most of the dumplings, you can have as an order of 6, 10, or a single dumpling. I love the idea of trying just one dumpling.

Only problem is that the specials are not available as one dumpling. That means if I wanted to taste the soup dumplings, I had to order six. So I gave in and also added an extra seared (or fried) pork and chive dumpling. In many ways, this pork and chive combo is like the margherita pizza of the dumpling world. It’s the most common and classic of the dumpling fillings.

I took my number and waited for my order to be called. I made myself comfortable at the long counter and watched the Chinese men and women stuff and fry the dumplings. It was a Friday night and the place was rather empty.  While waiting I also checked out their unique sauce dispenser. I had to ask because I wasn’t quite sure what was coming out of it – tea? soy sauce? really dirty water? It turns out that it wasn’t soy sauce, but rather a barley sauce (so tea wasn’t so far off). I didn’t care for it with the dumplings, it was a little too sweet for me and I’d have preferred something saltier or more vinegary (both sriracha and soy sauce were on the table). They also offered a number of cutesy named sauce options (Asian Tahini, Hot Monster, etc.) available for an extra charge.

The soup dumplings were served with a little plastic container to drain the soup into if necessary rather than a more traditional spoon. Turns out there wasn’t much soup inside the wrapper anyway so leaking really wasn’t much of an issue. The skin was much thicker than I’m used to (that’s more of a Northern Chinese tradition), but soft and tender. The insides were just lacking much meat or soup.

The steamed dumplings had a similar strong wrapper and the pork/chive interior had a bit of a gingery kick which I enjoyed. The fried (or seared) version was strange. It had a flap of skin underneath that wasn’t very attractive. The base of the dumpling was limp and greasy. I doubt this was seared to order as it should have been.

As I was leaving, the place filled up with hungry kids and hipsters. Everybody seemed to be enjoying their dumplings, yet I was a bit saddened at my mediocre experience. As I was leaving, I took another peek at the menu outside. With all the colors and interesting ingredients, I think I choose incorrectly. So since you can order a single dumpling, I marched back in to give them an immediate second chance. I ordered the bright orange chicken dumpling. Just one.

It came in a small plastic container and was a decent size for the 80 cents I paid. I’m pleased to say this had much more flavor and was bursting with moisture. The cabbage gave it some nice crunch and it had a hint of a sweet carrot flavor from the juices used to dye the wrapper orange. Could it be now that the place was jamming, they were cooking dumplings to order? I got the short end of the stick when I had the place to myself?

It’s a welcome addition to all the ramen noodle shops in the neighborhood, but the dumplings seem to only be good and lively when the scene is good and lively. Sounds like the East Village to me.

Does Dumpling Man have the best dumplings in NY? Although authentic Chinese people are making the dumplings, they’re lacking the liveliness and burst of the spots further downtown so they get a 6 out of 10. But if the house is packed and you pick the right color, you just might end up with an interesting bite or two.