Rickshaw Dumplings

Normally I enjoy making my own dumplings at home. I usually buy packs of 50 frozen dumplings from Vanessa's Dumpling House on the Lower East Side for $9. Today, I decided to try some "trendy" dumplings from the Rickshaw Dumpling Truck on 75th and Broadway. After seeing Anita Lo on Top Chef Masters, I was very excited to discover that her dumpling truck regularly goes to the Upper West Side.

I ordered a dozen of their daily special, Szechuan Chicken dumplings along with another order of their Pork and Chive ones. They only had 11 of the Szechuan Chicken dumplings left, so I got one Chicken and Thai Basil as a replacement. Total cost was $18 for 18 dumplings, which is quite pricey for me. But I just had to try them at least once! I rushed home and immediately, yet ever so delicately, opened the sticker-shut packages.

Honestly, I was a tad disappointed. First, none of the dumplings were anywhere near warm. I suspected that they cooled off during the walk home, since condensation did form at the tops of the dumpling boxes. Some of the dumpling skins were torn from possible rough handling, or because they were the last bunch of the batch. Beyond the surface abrasions, I could tell that many of the dumplings weren't skillfully made. A couple fell apart after the first bite and others just didn't look very pretty.

Flavor wise, I liked the Pork and Chives dumplings the best. They had a classic taste and were pleasantly chewy. I also enjoyed the Chicken and Thai Basil "make-good" dumpling. The thin glass noodle inside enhanced the texture. Unfortunately, I wasn't happy about the Szechuan Chicken flavoring or texture. The meat was a bit dry and the spices were flat. In a typical dumpling you can taste the meat and vegetable elements, but in the Szechuan Chicken dumpling, it was all just one note.

I'm glad that I was able to try Rickshaw Dumplings, but disappointed that the experience didn't meet my expectations. If you're craving classic pork & chive dumplings, I would recommend going downtown to Vanessa's Dumpling House at 118 Elridge Street (between Broome and Grand). If you're looking to explore new interpretations of dumplings, try the Rickshaw Dumpling Bar. I heard that they're slightly better than the truck.

More pics can be found here.