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

Sushi Ya (Sparta, NJ)

Sushi Ya isn't my go to sushi spot. That doesn't mean if I'm craving a little late night raw fish, I'm not not going to consider it. When I don't feel like driving to Mt. Arlington, it does the job. That being said I always go gyoza at sushi joints. Need a little land based animal appetizer to warm you up, to  remind you that fish ain't the only star of the show, especially if that pork is wrap in tasty crispy dough.

Gyoza is always a great option because its always crispy and light, Sushi Ya is no exception. They have a great filling, nice and crisp, and a good sauce. All around a quality dumpling, but even a grade A dumpling at a sushi place is still overshadowed. It's like finding the best hamburger in the world at a steakhouse, people will still only care about their porterhouse.

That being said,

3.7 out of 5

Not memorable, but a crucial component of any Sushi Ya meal, and if you're trying for a quick sush meal, its a requirement.

Eric

Hunan Wok 2.0 (Sparta, NJ)

While Tyuck is galavanting around in Asia, I'm here in the Garden of Eden fro dumplings; yes you guessed it New Jersey. Asia might seem like the most logical place to get dumplings, but any real connoisseur knows the the great New York Metropolitan area is the primer dumpling hotspot.

Sparta seems to have a Chinese place every 10 feet. These morsels of heaven come from Hunan Wok. Now Hunan Wok is across, so its about time I try them out hot. Other then not having rated these dumplings properly before (see previous Hunan Wok post), I am also coming down with a cold so I obviously needed some dumplings to help boost my immune system. Vitamin C wishes it was on the same level as a fried dumpling.

I went in with my expectations not too high, I was just looking for a quick dumpling and one I haven't properly rated. These blew my socks off for not expecting much. The dumpling center was tasty, the dough ratio was great, but those alone would have only made these good dumplings. What took this dumplings from good to potentially my new replacement for Lucky House (Never Forget), was the sauce. It was so much more than just your standard soy sauce with chives thrown in it. It elevated the dumplings to another level. Its like when you open a brand new pair of socks on wear a pair right out of the bag. That feeling of fresh socks makes you feel like you could climb everest, if you weren't currently scrolling through the TV looking for something to catch your attention for the next 20 minutes. This sauce was a pair of new socks. Sure maybe after a while of eating it its allure wears off, sure it could possibly be I haven't had a dumpling in a bit, or I'm coming down with a bit of a cold, but deep down I know this sauce was a fresh pair of white crew socks fresh out of the package and with that I give these dumplings-

4.1 out of 5

Eric

Now where did I put my socks.

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!