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.

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!

Izakaya Tairyo (Honolulu, HI)

Izakaya Tairyo has a deceiving exterior. From the outside, the restaurant might appear as a fish market, a bar, a grocery store, a black market auction house, or all of the above at once. Inside, it's got a local feel. All of the servers and staff wear black flip flops. They serve sake from an overflowing ceramic container and it catches in a wooden basin that you drink at the end. The food is of high quality, now let's get on to tbe reason we are all here, the dumplings. 

The dumplings were precision made. They arrived on a sizzling skillet with a small decanter of soy sauce. The presentation and service was excellent, and I can't say much more about it. The soy sauce was a fragrant dish with many extra herbs and greens added in that gave it an earthy but delicious flavor. It was somethijg Organic Jesus would certainly approve of. The dumplings were cooked just how I like them, quick and crispy on the outside to a nice golden brown. The dough was savory and the pork was mild but slightly spicy. They had not lost their juicy texture and I enjoyed thoroughly every bite. Though I can say that I was mostly all of the way through a tallboy of Ichiban Kirin, I can say with good reason that the dumplings deserve a solid 4.25 stars. Not quite perfection, but I can tell that as I near Asia in my travels, I am getting closer and closer to the perfect dumpling with every bite I take. That's all for now folks. Until next time

4.25 out of 5 stars.

Tyuck

Lotus Garden (James Island, SC)

There are few comforts in life more rewarding than ordering Chinese food straight from your favorite couch. Soon, technology will allow us to beam the food right to our table, but for now delivery will be a close second. My girlfriend and I had a craving for some fried dough and MSG, so we called Lotus Garden right down the road. Despite being close in proximity, the delivery time was upwards of twenty minutes. That we looked past because we were hungry. We had the sweet and sour chicken, the brown rice with veggies, and suchlike.

Now on to the real reason we're all here: the sweet, sweet delicate deliciousness of the dumpling. The first bite was savory, not too sweet, not too salty. The dough to pork ratio was appropriate - still hot, still fresh. We devoured them quickly and without remorse, the stains of soy sauce blotting the table like a Rorschach pattern. Alas, they were gone, and our appetites were hardly satiated -- that is the effect of MSG on the pallet. Despite our ferocious devouring of the dumplings, their rating is now overwhelming. They were good, but not great. Delicious, but not impeccable.

Four stars out of five for Lotus Garden of James Island. Remember, we must reserve five star ratings for the true connoisseurs.

4 out of 5

Tyuck!