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

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

China Wok (Towson, MD)

What China Wok again. I know what you're all thinking, "Um, Eric we already read about China Wok's dumplings." Wrong, that was a completely unrelated China Wok, 3 minutes down the same road. This is a completely different place. How outrageous of all the potential Chinese restaurant names to choose from, there happens to be a dozen China Wok's in the greater Baltimore area.

Don't worry though, these dumplings were on point. The sauce was much better than the other China Wok. The dumpling game was solid as well. Throw in getting them delivered because who has time to drive to the Chinese place, especially after my last adventure  to find a China Wok, and you're looking at an easily above average dumpling from the friends over there. There's going to be some serious debating as to which China Wok, of the two I have tried, reigns supreme. I mean this China Wok coming in hot with the dumplings in a styrofoam container, which also fits the sauce container perfectly for easy carrying, is revolutionizing the game. You're move China Wok #2.

That being said you can't go wrong with either. You want to drive to Baltimore go for China Wok. You want a good dumpling go to China Wok. You want easy online ordering and delivery you go to China Wok. See what I did there. Yeah, thats how confusing it is. I have addresses, phone numbers and menus to more China Woks than I can remember. Let me do everyone a favor. I officially declare this " China Wok" "China Woks," thats right I just made it plural. I'll have them print out a huge S and post it on their sign ASAP. You're welcome.

Now for the grade, as I said this is a solid dumpling. Sauce was much better, than one Wok and the dumplings are probably equal in overall taste. However, I accidentally dropped a dumpling on the gross carpet outside the apartment, so even the 5 second rule had no power. This little slip up left a sour taste in my mouth as I mourned the loss of that tasty little morsel, hurting their overall score.

4.1 out of 5

Eric

I don't know what it is but I need to stop ordering from China Wok(s), bad things seem to happen when I do.

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!

Asia Lee (Franklin, NJ)

When a new Chinese place opens, it's my duty to deliver a new dumpling review for it. Asia Lee is somewhat new. It meets all my criteria for a go to Chinese place, used to be an old tire shop, Check, limited number of tables, Check, visibly empty a good majority of time, Check. With all that going for it, I was very excited to give these a whirl.

I usually go with pan fried dumplings, the far superior alternative to steamed dumplings, however, this time around it was steamed dumplings and fried them up myself. I have to say this dumpling fell well short of its potential. You would think a dumpling made in an old garage would be a delectable gem, these were far from it.  Give me some flavor Asia lee. These dumplings were some of the most bland, I have had in a long time. They were very reminiscent of those dumplings at Chinese buffets. Sauce was eh, Dough was eh, and filling was basically devoid of all flavor. Not the stellar dumpling, you would expect from a small, dive like Chinese place.

There are far superior dumplings in the area, but if you found yourself stranded in Franklin on Rt. 23, and dumplings are the only thing that can and will help you in a predicament like that, than by all means stop on in to the former ice cream shop turned sushi/Sichuan/Japanese/thai/Chinese fusion they got going on and grab some.

1.75 out of 5

Good Job, Good Effort.

Eric

China Wok (Baltimore, MD)

Let me preface this by saying there are at least 12 China Wok's in and around Baltimore, and you will go to the wrong one. Trust me its just part of the process. Their phone numbers and addresses are a mystery to figure out. It's alright though because they are all small joints with one table so you know they are going to be prime spots.

Super Bowl Sunday means only one thing when it comes to the dinner menu, Chinese. Nothing says America like a good old fashioned dumpling, and this night's delights were provided by the China Wok on York Road. No, not the one by the circle, the one down a ways by the Little Caesars. After, successfully finding the China Wok, I brought these bad boys home. I will have to say these were probably the best dumplings I have had so far in Maryland. The sauce, nailed it. Filling, nailed it. Dough, nailed it. I was a bit skeptical at first glance seeing how big some of them were. Nothing worse than a disproportionate amount of dough to filling, how wrong I was. China Wok #2 (That's what I'm calling it to keep my dumpling map in order), makes a quality dumpling. I should have known judging by the fading overhead menu, the vertical blinds with every 12th one missing, and the lone corner table with two chairs, one of them piled with a gigantic box of sauce packets.

China Wok

4.65 out of 5

The fact that the Patriots won, is the only thing going against these dumplings. They got a raw deal being influenced by the Pats winning. There's only one thing that could ever possibly ruin a dumpling score, Bill Belichick winning the Lombardi trophy, that's it. What do you know that very thing happened. Thanks a lot Bill for ruining what are so far the best dumpling in North Baltimore.

Well done China Wok

Eric

Are they a franchise, there are way to many of them in such a small space for it not to be, right? Then again, if they are a franchise, they might want to invest a little in a menu that features the right phone numbers, I don't appreciate a scavenger hunt, when i have the itch for dumplings.