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If you’ve ever needed good Asian food in a pinch, chances are you’ve tried — or have been meaning to try — Dumpling House.
Only a 10-minute walk from Harvard Yard, Dumpling House’s atmosphere is similar to that of any authentic Chinese restaurant — with the unmissable Lazy Susans for large gatherings. Small parties are always welcome, though the general rule with Chinese food is the more company you have, the merrier you are. It is typical in Chinese culture to share numerous dishes per meal, rather than the Western one-dish-per-person practice.
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Service is fast and no-nonsense. Within 10 minutes of placing the order, the first dish of braised eggplant with spicy fish sauce arrives at the table. Located on the pork section of the menu, the exact origins of this dish are difficult to trace, though it might arguably be Sichuan style, originating in the Sichuan province in southern China.
For someone with a love for eggplant, this dish does not disappoint with its sweet and savory sauce, radiating subtle hints of garlic, black beans, and black vinegar. Texturally, the dish could benefit from more uniform slices of eggplant, as some pieces arrive bigger and hence less tender than others. Additionally, the texture of the sauce is slightly too viscous, clinging to the surface of each piece of eggplant rather than infusing it with maximum flavor. Nevertheless, the combination of eggplant and pork delivers flavor-wise and is a hearty palate opener.
A Southern Chinese culinary speciality hailing from Jiangxi province, Three-Cup Chicken has Hakka roots and is even considered a postpartum food in some Chinese communities overseas. The dish is served in a clay pot — a sure sign that a dish will often be extra nourishing because of its traditional cooking technique.
The Three-Cup Chicken unquestionably delivers, and it is full of flavor for a dish with the simple ingredients of soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil. The chicken is delicately cooked and tender, arriving with some unidentifiable bonus vegetables that add a hint of green amid the seemingly bottomless clay pot of goodness.
Dumpling House’s dishes strike a good balance between being robust enough to be enjoyed on their own or with rice but, then again, are not too overwhelming. In a culture where so many dishes are paired with rice, diners often face the unfortunate predicament of consuming too much rice in proportion to overpowering food. With their subtle and well-prepared dishes, Dumpling House knows how to keep its patrons coming back for more.
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Lastly, those dining at Dumpling House need to try at least some dumplings or buns. A great option is Dumpling House’s adorably decorated salted egg custard buns, which look as though they belong in a “Studio Ghibli” or “Le Petit Prince” universe. Typically found on dim sum menus, this dish can be enjoyed at any time in the meal, including dessert.
The buns are moist and soft to the touch and boast a particularly fluffy texture. Also, as anyone who has attempted to eat a bun with liquid filling will know, messes are inevitable, and especially here as the salted egg yolk filling was perhaps too runny. Nevertheless, the buns are a satisfying end to any meal, hitting both the desire for a bready finale and the unique flavor of salted egg, which is almost similar to peanut butter in its golden goodness.
All in all, Dumpling House is sure to hit the spot when temperatures start to drop and diners need a quick fix of warming Asian flavors. Specializing in northern and southern Chinese cuisine, Dumpling House is sure to have something authentic, shareable, and delectable for everyone.
—Staff writer Lara R. Tan can be reached at lara.tan@thecrimson.com.
