Mapo Dumpling (Seoul, South Korea)

Mapo Dumpling, or Mapo Mandu is located in a little neighborhood by Hongdae, minutes from the Hapjyeong stop off the circle line. If you are ever in the area it is a must try, partially because of the dumplings and partially because there are two of the exact same restaurant only twenty feet away from each other, and it's hilarious.

We stopped here after a long day of hunting dumplings, and we were not disappointed. As you can see from the picture, these dumplings came in many assortments. I attempted to order my dumplings pan fried, but if you are an American traveling in Korea, you will quickly realize that just about nobody speaks English, and so it was impossible.

The assortment was, in ascending order: pork, veggie, chicken, kimchi, and mystery. The dumplings came out steaming, and arranged beautifully on a metal platter. The pork and chicken were by far my favorite. They were savory, juicy, and packed with meat and fresh herbs. On their own, these dumplings would have received four and a half stars. The issue for me was the kimchi, and the mystery dumpling at the end. The kimchi was far too spicy for my liking, which in Korea is actually only about a two on the spice scale. And the mystery dumpling, well, I literally have no idea what that was.

Point being, these dumplings rate a 3.75 out of 5 stars. And if you are ever in this area, stop by to check out Mapo Dumpling.

Until next time.

Tyuck

Din Tai Fung (Seoul, South Korea)

Aaaaaaand it's official, we've made it halfway across the world, from a little home town in Rhode Island all the way to Seoul, South Korea. This first post comes from Din Tai Fung in the Times Square Mall in the YeongDueng area. The mall is a huge space, six floors with rising escalators, huge glass windows, and a great central view to the middle complex. This mall goes on forever, and at the top floor by the movie theatre, which touts the largest movie screen in the world, Din Tao Fung sits, waiting for you. Their claim to fame is the bao bun, but as always we dared to defy logic. We got the dumplings.

In Korea, dumplings are known as Mandu or Mandoo. Korean mandu are typically cooked steamed or in a wonton soup, so it's unlikely I'll be sampling many pan fried dumplings here, which we all know are my favorite. Alas, a dumpling is a dumpling, right? I went for the eight piece combo, which came with four pork/veggie dumplings, and four shrimp/pork dumplings. They came on a wooden steam platter, which is the customary serving medium for steamed dumplings here. The steam platter is to Korean mandu as the plastic to-go carton is to Chinese take out.

The dumplings arrived behind our complementary servings of kimchi and tea and, oh good god they smelled good. They were perfectly cooked and perfectly arranged. The steam arose into the air like white doves. The one drawback to this restaurant was their lack of sauces. We were not provided any soy, so these dumplings had to stand on their own.

On first bite they were tender and juicy. The mixed pork/shrimp and pork/veggie combo was aggressive, but it paid off. Both were savory and sweet. Although it was a good meal, the dough was a bit light and the flavor was lacking. Overall, the dumplings themselves were not terribly memorable. What was the real clincher was the provided kimchee, pickled plum, and tea that were given for free beforehand. When all was said and done, we had a great meal for only about ten thousand won, which comes to about eight dollars and fifty cents.

So if you ever find yourself in this part of Seoul, go to the mall and check out the scene. 3 out of 5 stars for Din Tao Fung.

Until next time

Tyuck!

Blue Moon Cafe (Maui, HI)

Blue Moon Cafe is set back on a small street away from the main tourist strip of Kihei. It's menu touts mostly American food with hints of asian fusion, though you know by looking at its owners - a nice older brother and sister - that they can cook up some mean authentic dishes. While Maui is glamorous in all of it's devices, it's a bit of a stretch to get dumplings here. You'll be running through back alleys looking for them, and on this particular dumpling run I had to special order them. There were no dumplings on the menu, but I knew if I worked it right I could get my fix. After a few inquisitions it was clear the owner of rhe establishment could make a mean wonton soup. I came out of the conversation thinking I would get the wonton soup without the soup - i.e. dumplings, but I was wrong.

It came out as a soup anyway, but my, my, it was delicious. Normally I like to keep consistency to my order with pan fried pork dumplings because as any true dumpling adventurer knows this is the best food in the world. But over the next few days you'll see my orders change, as Korean mandu often feature a wide variety of choices. Here, the wonton soup came out steaming. It was delicious, and I put it upon myself to take out the dumplings individually and try them.

The dumplings were steam cooked, so they lacked the usual crisp that I so love. Coupled with the broth of the soup, however, the dumplings were great. They were savory and sweet for pork dumplings. Not too much herbs mixed in, which is what I generally strive for, but they still had an earthy taste and hints of love obviously went into the cooking.

As the dumplings came in a soup, there was no soy sauce to dip which was sorely missed, however, they were still juicy enough that one didn't require a sauce for them. Overall, I appreciated the gesture. They were terrifically nice people at Blue Moon Cafe and the meal came out quick, however, these aren't quite the dumplings I'm looking for. Alas, they did not impress me terribly. But, if you are a dumpling lover they are worth eating, and I suggest you swing by on your beautiful Maui vacation in your nice rental car. Or, if you're me, you'll swing by with all of your possessions in your 2005 dodge neon that smells like mold and miller lite.

These dumplings get a 3 out of 5 stars. Don't forget to follow me on instagram @tyucktyuck

Holler! Next, we go to Seoul, South Korea, on the greatest transcontinental dumpling adventure the world has ever known.

Ace Eat Serve (Denver, CO)

Ace Eat Serve is not for the wet towel personality. If you don't like dumplings, fun, and balls flying around your face, then this is not the venue for you. There are balls everywhere. White ones, orange ones. The click clack of ping pong paddles reverberates around the large space. If you're into good food and good times, Ace Eat Serve is the place for you.

When my girlfriend and I arrived, we were technically in limbo. We had just come in from Vail, and we had no place to go yet for the next several hours and as we were on our way to live in Hawaii for the next three months, we had enough baggage to make Aaliyah's last flight look light. The staff was awesome, they let us set up and chill, charge our phones, and get down with some of the best dumplings in Colorado.

We ordered three different kinds. The pork and the chicken deep fried in greasy goodness, and the veggie pan fried to perfection . Now I'm a meat eater myself, so the veggie didn't do much for me. But, oh, the chicken and the pork, my god. The dough was thinner than the typical dumpling and since they had deep fried it hard, it was crunchy. Yet it was still moist and delicious. The pork and chicken were both savory, both chopped and minced with garlic and herbs, and hints of ginger. They were like serving five strsight on a noobie. Delicious and something to brag about. But the real treat was their sauces. The soy was a delicious and spicy mixture with herbs aplenty. It had an earthy aftertaste and a medium amount bode well on the dumplings.

Overall, my experience at Ace Eat Serve has been almost unbeaten. The dumplings are worth raving about. Yet, I am still in search of the perfect masterpiece. These puppies deserve nearly a five star rating. You can follow their instagram @ace_eat_serve and check them our if you're ever in Denver.

4.5 out of 5 stars for this Denver hotspot. Til next time my dumpling lovers

Tyuck!

Super No. 1 (Kapa'a, HI)

Ahh, Hawaii. So majestic. Known most for its pristine beaches, beautiful sunsets, and clear waters. But where there is people, there is food. Kauai is the northernmost island of the main Hawaiian island chain, and only 60,000 permanent residents reside here. You can get the fresh ono, ahi, kalua pig, or taro. Or you can seek out the dumplings.

To find them, you'll go to the old town of Kapa'a, to a little plaza across from the shell station, where Super No. 1 keeps food steaming in tin foil baking dishes. They have an assortment of rices, sweet and sour chicken, and veggies. Now let's get down to the reason we're all here today, the dumplings.

First of all, dumplings are not on the menu. You have to ask for them, and they'll either steam or pan fry and of course, if you're a true dumpling connoisseur you'll order pan fried. In Hawaii you should expect to pay about two to three times mainland prices for just about everything. A gallon of milk will run you eight dollars. A loaf of bread will be six. Expect to pay 9 dollars a pound for organic chicken. Getting hosed is the name of the game here. But it comes with all of the aloha you could ever want. At Super No. 1, a plate of eight dumplings cost 4.65, which is a total steal. Gas out here once cost 4.65 a gallon when the rest of the country was buying it for three. So when they told me I could get eight dumplings for 4.65 I would have been a mad man to say no.

The dumplings arrived in a plastic container, which I've grown accustomed to in the dumpling world, but am against in general due to the nonrecyclable waste it produces. So where they had me at 4.65, they lost me at plastic container and plastic forks. The dumplings came out hot and just a little brown. At first glance, they were impressive. They had a good body, full arrangement, and the soy sauce looked packed with herbs and spices. However, the first bite proved that all was too good to be true. The fried garlic in the pork was way overpowering - I might even say the garlic was burnt- and the dough was just a little too thin for my liking. The soy sauce was tasty, but the dumpling had to soak in it to assuage the overpowering garlic. Although the dumplings were a total steal at their price, I give them a safe rating right in the middle.

2.5 out of 5 stars for Super No 1. on Kauai.

Until next time my dumpling loving peeps.

Oh, and follow me on instagram @tyucktyuck where I will begin posting dope dumpling photos along with my other bidness.

Tyuck!

Eastern Garden (Sussex, NJ)

When you're at work and the day is dragging on there are very few things that can salvage it, one of those things is obviously dumplings. So I decided to try the dumplings from Eastern Garden. I have to say I was a little disappointed in the fact there where only 6, I have grown very accustomed to the usual 8 dumplings.

Now time to get at it. These dumpling were pretty good, aside from the fact they weren't hot because i spent longer then normal looking for the place as the only directions I was given, was that the place is next to a pizzeria. Turns out there are several other Chinese places in a 5 mile radius also next to a pizzeria.

These dumplings were good. All the usual things I say about dumplings holds true. Filling check, Dough check, but the sauce. The sauce was a bit different all sweeter than the traditional dark soy sauces of other places. To say the least this sauce ramped up the score on these dumplings. If it weren't for the fact they only give you 6, and it's way out of the way in the middle of nowhere NJ. So far Northern NJ is looking like a Mecca for dumplings, just saying.

4 out of 5

Eric