A Feast of Dumplings

Let's start at the beginning, why don't we?  As I've noted previously, the impetus of my quest to survey the many culinary pleasures available in Seattle's Chinatown was a peckish desire for Dim Sum.  Dim Sum is much more than dumplings - the Chinese equivalent of Tapas, Dim Sum is simply a way of expressing the idea of "small plates."  The words "Dim Sum" are widely reported to mean "touch the heart" (whether that expresses a deep and sincere love of food, or is a wry and prescient statement about what is frequently a high calorie, high-cholesterol meal, it certainly makes a statement).

To me, Dim Sum is all about the dumplings.  Never mind your bok choy spears, your congee, your chicken feet, your hum bao and green onion rolls, I'll go straight for the greasy little gluten envelopes full of pork, seafood, and vegetables every time.  I'll admit, while I've been told that pot stickers (fried, rather than steamed, dumplings) are the least authentic version of dumplings and are shunned by true aficionados, they have always been a favorite.  In short, I'm a food lover, not a food snob.  What follows is my very personal skew on the best Dim Sum in the ID.

The Three Types of Dim Sum Restaurant

I classify Dim Sum joints in three ways:

• By the piece: order dumplings one at a time from a sweating chef behind a counter, who often has big steaming bins of fragrant dumplings pouring steam into their face.  The dumplings go into a container for transport home.  My favorite by-the-piece restaurants are a couple of small holes in the wall in San Francisco, where I made a slight detour on my walk to work at Expedia in the financial district a few years ago.  I'd walk in, order a few shrimp dumplings, and some shu-mai, and have them placed directly into a plastic bag.  I'd dump some hot chili oil and soy sauce directly into the bag and eat them with my hands while I walked.

Without copious amounts of chili oil and some soy sauce, it's not Dim Sum.  I'm not really a Sriracha person - give me straight-up crushed chili peppers in oil, please.

• Off the cart: I think of this as the "used car salesman" version of Dim Sum.  Waitstaff roll carts full of steaming bins from table to table, each cart housing its own specialized assortment of dishes.  The staff aggressively push dishes onto you - you spend more time saying "No, thank you.  No.  No, I don't want the Bok Choy, thank you very much." than you spend eating.  It's an essential part of the Dim Sum experience.

• Tick the card: There's a small sheet with cryptically named dishes and a small box to tick off how many of each you'd like.  The waiter picks up the card and brings back your dishes in some random order of their own devising.

And of course, there are some places where Dim Sum is just an ordinary part of the menu, or as I call it, boring.

My Dim Sum Home

I first started getting dim sum in the ID one day during my first batizado at Capoeira Malês in SoDo.  I needed a quick nosh, so I headed to the first place I found on Weller Street: Duk Li Dim Sum.  This soon became a habit, and soon I was introducing friends to the place as well.  Why does Duk Li qualify as my favorite?  Four reasons:

• Price:  I once attempted to eat enough food to make the ten dollar credit card minimum, and I could barely waddle out the door.  If you want to risk such a feat, bring two people.
• Food:  Very consistent, homey, and delicious.  You will always get what you expect, and while it's not everybody's favorite, I love the gooey greasy down home Chinese Diner quality.  And of course, they have the right kind of chili oil!  There are no surprises.
• Atmosphere: Never crowded, never a wait, and the place is comfortable like my living room.  I can come in with a big disorganized group of people who arrive and leave at random times, and they take everything in stride.  
• Schedule: Duk Li is open every day from 7 AM to 7 PM, no exceptions.  Christmas, New Years, National Cheese Day, even Leap Day - they are open, smiling, and ready to serve you yummy stuff.

What I order:  shrimp dumplings, shu mai, salt and pepper chicken wings, mushroom rice roll.  This is a traditional joint, so no pot stickers - steamed dumplings only.  For those keeping score, Duk Li is a "tick-the-card" joint.

Best pot stickers

Japan and China each have their own version of the fried dumpling - in China, dumplings are called jiaozi, and in Japan gyoza.  There are several places to get wonderful fried dumplings or "pot stickers" in the ID.  Here are the ones that stood out to me:

• Fu Lin restaurant.  Quite aside from the crispy style that typifies most commercial gyoza, these were soft and very delicate, with a wonderful flavor.  By far the standout fried dumpling in the ID.  
• Dim Sum King. The only "by-the-piece" restaurant in Chinatown, DSK has very flavorful and moist pot stickers with a nice ratio of pork to vegetables - the pot stickers were heavier on the celery than I usually have, which was a pleasant change.
• Fortune Garden. 
• Harbor City

Most Authentic

If you want a really authentic homemade dumpling experience, you can't do better than Ping's Dumpling House.  I've been here alone as well as with co-workers, including a number of first-generation Chinese immigrants who speak highly of Ping's food.  This is one of the few places in Seattle where you can get authentic soup dumplings - plump steamed wheat dumplings filled with delicious hot soup - a challenge for the uninitiated to eat and remain clean and dry, and a delicious treat.  I don't personally enjoy Ping's as much as some of the other favorites listed here (my native American palate has not developed the taste), but I can attest to the quality and the authenticity.

Best and most unique Dumplings

For the most part, the selection of dumplings in the ID is very consistent - shrimp, shu mai, pot stickers, the occasional chive dumpling - but there are only a handful of restaurants that have unique and delicious dumplings that stand out.  Two dumplings that really stand out are the barleygreen dumplings at Shanghai Garden - delicious pork and vegetable dumplings wrapped in a bright green wrapper of barleygreen dough - and the fresh crab dumplings at Jade Garden.  Jade Garden is typically vaunted as the best dim sum in the ID.  While it's popular (and thankfully draws the crowds away from the restaurants I prefer), I'm not particularly impressed except by the unique and delicious fresh crab dumplings, which are worth braving the crowds for at least once.  Or, do what I do and get them to go! (if you're eating in, know that Jade Garden favors the cart style of serving)  Another nice twist on a standard favorite is the Siu Mai with Chinese Mushrooms at Honey Court.  If you are a fan of Taiwanese food, you can enjoy a Taiwanese skew on dumplings at Henry's Taiwan.  And of course, Ping's has a number of dumplings you won't find anywhere else (such as their Lamb and Carrot offering).