As much fun as it was to try dumplings that highlighted a range of Chinese flavors, I love the heat of Sichuan Chinese food, so I was ready to turn the flavor dial up. Must-try: Wontons in chili oil ($7.50 for eight)Īt this point, enthusiasm was still high. The garlicky greens paired nicely with the firm, sweet shrimp, and the delicate wrapper was sticky and light. The shrimp dumplings were a hit and my favorite thing we ordered. Unfortunately, the soup dumplings stuck to the wrapper on the tray, tearing the dough and spilling the rich both everywhere. We rounded out the order with steamed taro dumplings ($4.00 for three), a steamed pork bun ($3.50 for one), and an order of Shanghai steamed soup dumplings ($4.50 for four) for the table. Twitter told me to try the steamed shrimp and snow pea leaf dumplings that was the first thing I marked off the checklist dim sum menu. It’s only a few blocks away, but the cheeky bathroom wallpaper and two craft beers on tap let us know we were in a different sort of place. Nom Wah has a different, more modern vibe than the last two spots, though it's the Philly offshoot of New York's dim sum joint, historically the first of its kind in the great big city. Head down Arch and take a right on 13th Street and you’ll see Nom Wah’s electric signage halfway up the block. Must try: Shrimp and snow pea leaf dumplings ($4.75 for four) We dropped a $20 on the table and headed out to the next stop. That’s not always the case with soup dumplings, so I was impressed. It should be noted that the soup dumplings released off the tray well, preserving the precious parcel of soup. My plastic chopstick tore a small hole in the side to let the piping hot broth ooze out onto my spoon. I didn’t detect much crab in the two I gobbled, just a savory meatball tucked into soft dumpling skin. A few minutes later, the star of the show arrived: a large tin of eight soup dumplings. The dough was chewy and the meat was well-seasoned. The pork and chive dumplings came first and we inhaled them. Finally seated in the back of the restaurant in a small, loud, windowless room with a few large round tables, we chose the steamed crabmeat and pork soup dumplings and an order of fried pork and chive dumplings ($5.50 for 10) along with a pot of black tea. We waited 15 minutes to be seated, which felt like an hour - time proceeds slowly when you're starving. We didn’t know what to expect when we arrived here, and a line snaking out the door told us we’d made a crucial mistake scheduling our crawl for 12:30pm on a Saturday afternoon. Must-try: Shanghai crabmeat and pork soup dumplings ($7.25 for eight) If you follow these tips, you should be as golden as a fresh pork bun. I explained we were only interested in having a snack and over-tipped at each stop for taking up a table during their lunch rush. One huge warning: servers didn’t hide the fact that they disapproved of our light ordering. Because I'm incredibly kind, I'm telling you what to try. It also helps to know which dumplings you plan to order beforehand to reduce any of the guesswork involved - you're in for a long afternoon if you deliberate with the jury over what to order at every stop. We paid in cash to keep the crawl moving, and half these places don't accept cards anyway. Most places cost less than $20 for a few orders of dumplings. We took turns picking up the tab, making the overall process run smoother. The more you pace yourself, the happier you’ll be at the finish line. And resist the urge to finish everything you order unless you have a second or third stomach. Most of the dumplings were stuffed with pork, chicken, and/or seafood, so if you’re on a limited diet, it’ll be a frustrating experience. Bring approximately three comrades with you (even numbers make for easier seating arrangements, and too few means you'll fill up too quickly), preferably ones of the meat-eating kind. Ideally, your stomach should be gurgling, and you should be slightly irritable from low blood sugar. The first thing I learned - and it sounds obvious! - was that if you’re going on this dumpling crawl, show up hungry. As fans of the day crawl, three friends and I dove into this adventure armed with nothing but a hearty appetite and a few restaurant suggestions I’d solicited from Twitter (still accepting your best recs, y'all). Of course, if you’re going to do a dumpling crawl on foot, you’re starting in Chinatown.
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