In lieu of a website, as they have none, here's a photo of their menu.
Mr. Dumpling Restaurant
7250 Convoy Court, 92111
(858) 576-6888
So, where to begin ?
It was quite an impromtu beginning of sorts. Big-D and I were gonna have lunch and at the last second, before departing from his ever multiplying family, he sent me a link to this restaurant. Apparently he's seen this place a million times working in the area and has always wanted to try it. I, however, have never heard of it. When I arrived the building appeared to be abandoned, until I spied the flashing OPEN sign.
Dennis emails: Leaving now, grab a table....
Turns out reservations aren't necessary.....
This is high-noon, in a busy industrial/business parky kinda area. This place should be overflowing with people. Tajima 2 has a 45 minute wait right now.....
I am very afraid
My cheecks are already starting to clench
We were warmly greeted by two nice young ladies who showed us to our table and took our drink order, ice teas all around please.
As we started perusing the menu they asked if we have been here before. Upon hearing that this was our first visit, and becasue they are OBVIOUSLY in need of more customers, they said that they would bring us something, "a special item..." But you'll have to wait a bit for more of that...
Here's the "Local flavor menu"
Place setting
Table decoration
Welcome snack
These were pretty good and the first food we've tried here, so we are now, gradually, getting a bit more optimistic.
Obviously these are lightly pickled cucumber and bean sprouts.
Our "special item" turned out to be a scallion pancake. They called it a green onion something or other, but it's the same. Very light on the scallion though, and really you only taste flour. It tasted a lot like a flour tortilla with green onions cooked in the tortilla. But it actually went pretty well with the other stuff that we were ordering, dumplings, duhh
Of course we MUST have Xiaolong Bao (Shanghai Soup Dumpling)
They were not bad, and they looked fresh and homemade.
Good flavor, held the soup inside well, no blow-outs. Quite nice.
We also had what seemed like Low Mein with beef, but they called it pan fried noodle blah blah blah, which is the same thing I guess, once again. Great flavor, cooked well, nicely done.
No complaints so far :-/
And then we had pot-stickers. This was a suggestion by the waitress, And when we said "whoa lady, we've had pot-stickers before, there's nothing new or awesome there, kinda plain and boring" She retorted with "Ohhhhhhhh, round eye, theeeese are special, you must try and you will see".
So we tried.
If you could eat with your eyes I'd say "tastes great!
You're probably going, what the frick?!?!?!?!?!? That's not pot-stickers!!!
But ohhh, it is, quite
Their style is to fry the dumpling on a very thin crepe which holds all of the dumplings together and when cooking is complete they are then turned out, upside down, or is it down side down??? onto the plate as one. Very unique presentation. Flavor wise, not much new or amazing. But we both liked the experience.
Lastly, they offer a Sauce Bar near the rear of the restaurant. Chilis and sauces in which to dip your dumplings, what?!?!?!
There is also a small tray on each table containing different sauces and vinegars, spicy stuff, to dip and try.
Overall I'd say SUCCESS!! I'd definitaly come back for more. Not sure if I'd make the trek all the way from home for dinner, especially with the Dumpling Inn right down the street, but lunch? sure.
Dump-ling
Nom Nom Nom
DVA
Yeah, a tootsie roll for desert, not a fortune cookie.... another last wierd thing
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