I don’t think I can properly put into words my feelings towards dumplings, and my office in SoHo’s proximity to Chinatown puts me in prime position for exploring and consuming. My first week on the job, I walked a few blocks down Canal Street to Lafayette, where I found the highly recommended Excellent Dumpling House. When I walked in, the place was packed (which is usually a good sign) and my friend and I were seated at a round table of 6, with two other sets of people already settled in and being served. The waitstaff moves fast, and before I knew it I had a menu thrust in front of me. My eyes widened at the selection of dumplings, pancakes, noodles, soups, you name it, on their menu. We decided on a number of small plates; fried and steamed dumplings, wontons, chicken and corn cakes, and steamed pork buns. The pork buns were absolute heaven. The honey-sweetened barbeque pork filling was encased in a sweet, sticky, spongy bun.
On my last visit to Excellent Dumpling House, I was surprised to find that they had run out of chicken and corn cakes. My friend and I needed to select an alternate menu item (and quickly because they are very fast-paced there) so we decided on the wontons with hot and spicy sauce. When it came to the table, I was pleased to see the dish topped with fresh bean sprouts, perfectly cooked wontons in a peanut and spicy oil broth. It was the perfect addition to our meal on a cold afternoon. It has taken the place of the pork buns in my ordering queue (but I’m going to get them both next time, for sure!)
Tags: chinese, dumpling, oil, peanut, pork bun, spicy, steamed, vegetable, wonton
