Illuzion (Hoboken, NJ)

I order sushi, strictly for the gyoza. I'm getting close to hitting all of the Hoboken sushi/chinese. Just throw Illuzion on the list today. Gyoza here obviously ordered. I went classic pork. Always. go. classic. pork. at least at first.They had a couple other flavors on their menu, but I'll leave them for anther person to try.

The gyoza here, are pretty good. The crisp stayed crisp even though I ordered them delivery. If you order pick up you're a chump, or just not a dumpling mogul. These gyoza were flavorful on the inside, I liked the fact that the dough wasn't too much. Can't have a thick dumpling like dough, on a sleek tender gyoza. I like my gyoza to be almost translucent. These were a decent gyoza.

Sushi is a totally different game, and I'm sure someone out there has a review on illuzion, but it's not me. I would get these again sure, but there are better dumplings and better gyoza out there.

3.8 out of 5

Eric MacPherson

Flushing, I'm coming for you.  

Komegashi Too (Jersey City, NJ)

 Hopped on over to Komegashi Too, last week for a little dumpling/ office party Thursday. I mean how could I not, open bar, unlimited sushi, and the cherry on top all you can eat dumplings. Now granted whenever dumplings are made in huge quantities and kept hot by a sterno, they are setting themselves up for failure, so I wasn't going in to strong. I also had to go in fast though, before the effects of the open bar start to appear. 

That being said, these were some solid 'lings. They were a tiny bit soggy but that comes with the territory of having to hang out in the buffet dish, but I can look that off if the taste is there. Komegashi Too, they had the taste pretty on point. The inside had some flavor, you can taste the chives, it had some substance. Overall good filling; the ratio of dough to filling was spot on, and like I said the only flaw was the dough being a smidge soggy, but its the Christmas season. I will also say get deeper dishes for the dumpling sauce. I need to dunk my dumpling in sauce. It has to be submerged into that heavenly liquid. I can't be spooning it on to a plate, to then have to mop up like some poor. Get it together this goes for all buffet spots with the small round plates that can barely hold any liquid. I don't want to have to start bringing my own little clear solo sauce container to pour into. Their sauce was good though, even though I was mopping it instead of dunking.

3.9 out of 5

Eric 

Merry Christmas ya filthy animals

That's if I don't post another entry before then, but I probably will. Who really knows though.

Sushi Lounge (Morristown, NJ)

So I was down in Morristown celebrating a friend's birthday and eating sushi for like the 5th time in 2 weeks, I should probably cut down. Walking into an asian restaurant, I obviously go straight for the dumplings. I immediately put in for an order of gyoza, and out they came.

First, thing I notice is that these puppies are gigantic, and honestly I'm not a fan of big dumplings. Cut them in half, give me 8 smaller ones, is that so hard. I bit into them and they were okay. Much more heavily influenced by the veggies inside than the actual pork. Sauce was pretty good, however.

Maybe after the several sakai bombs I had, they would rank a little higher on my radar. Then again, whenever you go into a sushi restaurant it's more about the raw fish. Definitely concentrate on that aspect first, 10 times out of 10. If I wake up in the night with stomach pains because of raw fish, I don't care how great the dumplings were.

Sushi Lounge dumplings are okay. They gotta cut back on there size and then we can talk. Sauce is good. Dough was great, filling ehh. With that being said...

Ahhhhhhh ahhhhhh....sakai bomb,

3 out 5

Eric