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!