We are a dim sum-loving family. When our kids were smaller, we were frequent flyers at the local Sunday cart-service joints, including Shanghai, Fortune, and T&S Seafood. When we travel we seek out the best local dim sum joints (we’re particular fans of Din Tai Fung in Seattle and Mekong Palace in Mesa, Arizona). But sometimes we don’t want all the other stuff that comes with dim sum, like scallion pancakes and custard buns and salt and pepper squid. Sometimes we just want dumplings.
Thank goodness, then, for Dumpling World, the second location of the Sugar Land-based casual dumpling spot, which opened in the Triangle in April.
What kind of dumplings do you want? Boiled? Pan-fried? Steamed? Are you looking for soup dumplings? Potstickers? Wontons? There’s a whole cornucopia of Chinese dumplings in the world, and Dumpling World offers a cross-section of them, with iterations on jiaozi, those highly recognizable crescent-shaped bundles stuffed with an assortment of proteins and veggies.
On a warm Saturday evening, five of us crammed into a booth and sampled as much of the menu as we could manage without overdoing it. (Narrator voice: We overdid it.) We started with an order of cheese crab puffs, because we are American and this is America, the birthplace of the dish formerly known as Crab Rangoon. The cream cheese and imitation crab-stuffed fried wontons were crispy and fresh, with an obligatory bowl of sweet-and-sour dipping sauce on the side. I’m not usually a fan of this appetizer, as I often find them cloying, but these had the perfect balance of sweet cream cheese and savory wrapper.
Once we’d polished off our starter, the fire hose of food started and we scrambled to make room on our table for the plates that kept coming and coming. From among the steamed dumplings, we chose the pork and scallion jiaozi and the pork and mushroom xiao long bao (soup dumplings). Because I did a poor job of supervising my dining companions, we also wound up with an order of the pork and scallion pan-fried thumb buns. Yes, that’s three kinds of pork dumplings, which is just silly. But! Each variation on the piggy theme was unique: The thumb buns popped with bright scallion flavor while the mushroom added an earthy depth to the soup dumplings. The steamed pork dumplings suffered a bit from coarse, inconsistently ground meat, which made them a bit unpleasant, texturally.
Out of curiosity, we ordered a couple of noodle dishes: eggplant and minced pork and peanutty vegan sesame sauce. These got mixed reviews: I enjoyed the sesame sauce, which was analogous to pouring peanut sauce on rice noodles (if you’re like me and can never get enough peanut sauce, this is your dream dish). It was mildly spicy and, with the addition of some protein, would be a perfectly serviceable meal. On the other hand, while my companions liked the eggplant and mixed pork, I found it bland and greasy, and I was unable to discern the flavors of either co-starring ingredient, which was strange. It was, as the kids say, “mid.” I don’t think you’d be missing much if you skipped this portion of the menu.
When we returned, just three of us this time, for Thursday evening dinner, the restaurant was quieter and less chaotic. We were greeted and seated promptly, and we were more strategic in our ordering, careful to diversify our proteins and order something from each preparation style (boiled, steamed, and pan-fried). The pan-fried chicken and corn potstickers were bland and uninspiring, sadly, but the boiled shrimp paste dumplings were delightful. While they were reminiscent of one of our dim sum faves, shrimp har gau, the wheat-flour wrapper was a little thicker, resulting in a sturdier, heartier version with the same flavor profile.
We also sampled the steamed bok choy and mushroom steamed dumpling, one of a few vegan options on the menu. The filling comprised the more bitter dark green leaves of the bok choy, which danced nicely with the mellowing effects of the mushroom, with a hint of garlic in the mix. I liked them but didn’t love them. The star players of this visit were the pork, shrimp, and chive thumb buns, the fatty pork and nutty shrimp popping with the grassy chive. I cannot recommend the thumb buns highly enough; they are decidedly the GOAT of this menu. What’s more, everything came to our table fresh and piping hot (according to the roof of my mouth, maybe let those dumplings sit for a minute before digging in).
This was more than enough food for the three of us, but I’ll admit to some FOMO on the Chinese burritos, a dish in which you stuff egg roll wrappers with shredded pork, potatoes, or scrambled eggs and veggies. They’re a street food treat in China, and my spouse and I plan to return just so we can try them.
The drinks selection leaves a lot to be desired if you don’t want tea (my daughter liked her Okinawa brown sugar milk tea with crystal boba) or a canned soft drink. There’s no wine or beer, sadly, so we just drank the lemon water provided in a plastic pitcher for the table. There’s no dessert available, either, but this just gives you a good excuse to go to nearby Jeni’s or Mandola’s for a sweet treat after your meal.
The interior is minimalist, functional, and clean; while the gray, maple, and black doesn’t scream “get comfy!” and there’s no attempt at mood lighting, the space could definitely be less welcoming. The service is cordial, but not particularly warm or friendly. And that’s fine! It’s a strip mall restaurant, not a Michelin-starred fine-dining establishment.
We will definitely be back to Dumpling World, as its central location makes it possible for us to get our dumpling fix more readily than making a trek to the northern suburbs. Their workmanlike approach to dining may lack bells and whistles, but makes up for it in mostly excellent food that won’t break the bank.
Dumpling World
4616 Triangle Ave. #203
This article appears in October 4 • 2024.