Set up next door to the Whole Foods Bowery Market (which is about the size of a large department store), several ethnic dumpling vendors were spread out around a small park, with the center stage set up for a dumpling eating contest later in the day. I had seriously considered entering the dumpling eating contest before and on my way up to NYC, but the realization that I didn’t want to either a) spend the rest of the day being carted around in a wheelbarrow or b) spend an hour inducing vomitosis majoris at the closest port-a-potty afterwards, I opted for just sampling what each dumpling tent had to offer.

Getting to the dumpling festival early was crucial to enjoying the event. Lines were non-existent, but dumplings were ready to go. A $20 ticket would get you four station tastings; each tasting would be anywhere between 2 – 4 parcels of OMNOMNOMnery.

Traditional dumplings were definitely represented, although options such as these whole wheat wrapped dumplings were a nice touch.  The wraps were high quality, and had no particular odd texture that I’d normally think of with a whole wheat dough.

Some dumplings such as these were served with more accoutrements, such as these heavily fried dumplings with scallions and red cabbage.

These golden fried Malaysian dumplings were lava hot, accentuating their freshness.  I was a little dismayed with how little sauce came on each plate, and the servers were definitely not budging on giving me any more than had been dotted there already.

The cheese and potato Polish pirogies were very good, although no plain cheese or meat pirogies were anywhere to be found.

One tent had Chinese bao (buns) available, made with either white flour or with wheat, and filled with BBQ pork or edamame, respectively.  The BBQ pork buns rarely let me down, but the edamame ones were a nice option, too.  I’ve never had edamame filled bao before, but catering towards vegetarians was a definitely smart.

Tents were wide open, with plenty of volunteers right when the festival started up at noon.  We decided to return to the festival after wandering around for a couple of hours, but when we returned, we realized the festival we made a terrible mistake.  Lines ran from one end of the court to the other, with the average waiting time ranging from 15 to 30 minutes for a plate of dumplings.  Not withholding any patience to just hang out, we left the scene, but not before noticing that the Italian ravioli tent was completely without patrons.

Poor Italians.

Well, at least they have Carla Bruni.

The most surprising sight was the uberdumpling.  It looked a bit less delicious than when I think of death by dumpling, and more actually reminded me of something else entirely.

Oh well.

The dumpling festival is held every year in the late summer and fall, so keep an eye out for it in 2011.  And remember, if you really want to enjoy it, get there early, and pig out before the crowds.

Ping Pong is just two blocks north of the Chinatown/Gallery Place Metro on the Red line, close enough to still be considered a part of Chinatown DC proper. If you’re not entirely sure of this fact, look across the street. Even the Hooters has Chinese script on their sign out front. Have you ever seen Chinese Hooters?

No?

Me neither.

I’m not writing this post to talk about Hooters though, it’s about the latest addition to Chinatown’s actual Chinese food offerings.  I can’t remember the last time that’s happened.  So what makes Ping Pong so great?

Dim Sum.

All.

Day.

Long.

It’s almost my fantasties come true (throw in a pool noodle, a ping pong paddle, lots of bacon grease, and some bunny slippers, and we’re a lot closer).   I love yum cha.  Why?  It’s my gastro-fascination with compartmentalized food, which is clearly a result of my upbringing.  Yum cha was a regular event when I was growing up, so I was frequently exposed to steamed buns, dumplings, all all sorts of delicious Chinese delicacies.  So when Jen and I were walking around town, I made it with no unclear terms that we MUST eat there.

The decor is sleek and modern, outfitted as a modern Chinese teahouse.  Black paneled wood adorns the walls as well as the furniture, and seats are either stools or benches, just like you’d find in China.

Maybe in 3000 BC.

Still, it’s not a discredit to the efforts of the decorator-  everything is tastefully done.  The restaurant has a very open and expansive feeling, and nothing comes off as gaudy or cheap.

The food is admittedly a bit more expensive than what you’d pay at any other local yum cha-ery, and you don’t have quite the same experience.  Little steel cart mavens are not weaving between tables, hawking steel containers of delight. Tour buses do not drop off traveling, hungry, bug-eyed Chinese tourists here.  The bathrooms are not nuclear hazardous waste dump sites.

Definitely not quite the same experience.

The restaurant here wasn’t completely quiet, but perhaps us coming in at the tail-end of lunchtime helped.  We were immediately seated, and I dove into the food menu, as Jen did the same with the drinks.

It’s hard to recall exactly everything we ordered, as yum cha usually involves a large wide swath of destruction reaped on the food as soon as it’s brought to the table.  Jen and I did just that, like two raptors viciously tearing into a fallen T-Rex.  a raptor tearing into a T-Rex, and an ankylosaurus, gently nibbling on some trees.  We found it easiest to each go with a set menu that had a variety of things to try, and then added a few additional dishes a la carte.  All the fixed menus come with two baked vegetable buns, stuffed with mooli and spring onions.

Jen had the Vegetarian Lunch (2 golden vegetable dumplings, 1 vegetable bao (white bun) , 2 spicy vegetable dumplings, 1 vegetarian sticky rice parcel) and I went with something, well, more appropriately named to my fixation on yum cha.  The ‘Dumpling Fix’.

Dumpling Fix - 1 chive dumpling, 1 shrimp dumpling, 1 scallop and shiitake dumpling, 1 seafood dumpling, 1 golden vegetable dumpling, 1 spicy chicken dumpling, and a sticky rice parcel

We added several other dishes, like the Char Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Bun) for me, some vegetarian spring rolls for the two of us to share, and even some Valhalla Chocolate Buns for dessert.

Char Siu Bao

Spring Rolls

Valhalla Chocolate Buns

I was very happy with the food here.  The dishes are excellent, and some of the modern twists and uses of high quality ingredients are evident with every bite.  Jen enjoyed the food as well, but maybe not to the same levels of fanaticism displayed by me.

I’d highly recommend Ping Pong to anyone who enjoys Chinese food (and who doesn’t enjoy Chinese food? Maybe the Taiwanese)  and the all-day availability is a huge bonus.  Steamed prawn dumplings at 11am?  No problem.  BBQ pork buns for a mid-afternoon snack?  No problem.  Sticky rice parcels at 9pm?  No problem.  A Chinese hooker who claims she has your baby after your last visit to Shanghai three years ago?

Well.  That’s definitely a problem.

So what gives?  Why is this place so different from your typical American yum cha establishments?

It turns out that Ping Pong is actually a chain, imported straight over the pond from London, where they boast 12 locations throughout the city full of limey blokes, wankers, and chavs (just kidding, I actually love the Brits).  And the universal truth of British gastronomy still stands- The only good food you’ll find in London is either going to be Indian, Middle Eastern, or Chinese.

Ping Pong can be seen on a map here.

Recommended for:

• Dumpling whores
• Chinese food lovers
• Vegetarians
• Germaphobes

Not Recommended for:

• Budget diners
• Chopstick klutzes
• Zone Dieters
• Paleo heads

One of the great things about Korean restaurants is the fact that they always bring a wide array of free appetizers.  We were treated to a sampler of pickled radishes, tofu cakes, kimchi, sauteed eggplant, pickled potatoes, and pickled zucchini.  Tons of probiotics!  Everybody’s a winner!

Since the restaurant is named after, in my opinion, the world’s most perfect food, how could Jen and I go wrong with two plates of them?  We ordered one vegetarian and one pork.  Mandu adds a nice little touch of using green skins to clearly differentiate the types of dumplings here.

Vegetable Dumplings

I inhaled my six pork dumplings while she was taking a sip of a wine, and well on to eying hers just as she put down her glass.  You have to watch those things when I’m around, as well as stray fingers near a dumpling plate. Suffice to say, they’re absolutely delicious here.

Pork Dumplings

Doobu

The Doobu, or egg-dipped pan fried tofu, is reasonably tasty here, but given the fact that you get two for free, I’d say you might be better off ordering another set of dumplings, instead. OM NOM NOM NOM.  Still, I felt better knowing that Jen had gotten enough protein having ordered the Doobu.

For our main courses, Jen ordered the vegetarian Duk Bok Gi on my recommendation, and I ordered the Dwejee Bulgoki.

Duk Bok Gi

The Duk Bok Gi is comprised of thick rice cakes simmered in a chili paste with mushrooms, onions, and meat or tofu.  Jen opted for the latter, naturally.  It’d be worth noting that these rice cakes aren’t the puffy, light rice cakes you’d nomally think of picking up at the store, but rather, thick, chewy, pasta like cakes.  Think of a nice gnudi or gnocchi, and you have a much better comparison.  I loved these things growing up, they have such a great texture and really absorb whatever you’re cooking with them.  Mandu also takes presentation into consideration, as we could see the faint remnants of chili paste streaks around the outer rim of the plate.  Nice one.

Dwejee Bulgoki

The Dwejee Bulgoki is a uberspicy (and yet sweet) pork dish, served with rice and mixed vegetables.  Absolutely fantastic, and very highly recommended.  The portions are large, and the spice burns your tongue enough to make you have to make the decision to eat another bite to drown out the taste of burning or have a sip of water.

The wait staff is courteous and always appearing at just the right times.  Dining here is casual, so it can get loud at times when you’ve got large parties in attendance.  The downstairs has a well staffed bar with great sojutini (soju, a Korean wine, mixed as a martini) specials, and the upstairs dining area has a nice, cozy feel to it.

There’s nary a bad thing I can say about Mandu.  The dumplings, were on point, and very satisfying.  The tofu well prepared, as well as tofu can be, and the bulgoki just barely stops from crossing the line of being unbearably spicy.  The price might be a little bit steep for some people, but I’d say that’s something you have to factor in for living in the city.  The dumplings are very reasonably priced for the quality, and I’d happily join anybody for an all out dumpling double happy extra special good time bonanza.

Check out Mandu on a map here.

Recommended for:

• Dumpling champions
• Casual diners
• High stakes riverboat gamblers
• Chariot riders

Not recommended for:

• Penny pinchers
• Kim Jong-Il (the Il-matic)
• Retiree tour bus cross country travelers
• Carbophobes

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Let’s back up a second here and get you acquainted a bit with the terms.  Dim Sum, literally translated as “Touch the Heart”, refers to a Canton style brunch where restaurants have young Chinese women push stainless steel carts between tables, with each cart holding numerous dishes of seafood, pork, beef, chicken, vegetables, and desserts.  These dishes are served in steamers or small plates, and typically are served in portions for two to four people to share.  The phrase Yum Cha translates to “drinking tea”, and can be interchanged with the phrase Dim Sum, as they both refer to the same meal.

I’ll be the first to admit, the experience of yum cha in this area isn’t really the most pleasant.  The typical patrons lack tradional Western manners, which may be perceived as rude or even slightly unpleasant.  The hostesses and waiters tend to be very direct without the niceties, although the cart pushing girls are a little bit better.  The tables are usually clean, but you shouldn’t be surprised if they are a tad greasy when you arrive…and don’t bother queuing up unless you’ve got everyone who’s going to eat with you, or you’ll be shunned by herr hostess without a bat of an eye.

The bathrooms, well, let’s just say I strongly encourage you to hold your bladder, or find a place elsewhere to do your business after yum cha.

But don’t be scurred.  There’s a one really, really good reason why I’ll ignore all that and come to China Garden, time after time.

Dumplings

Carrot Sesame Paste Pastries

Taro Cakes

Egg Custard Tart

The food you get at yum cha is phenomenal.  A huge array of compartmentalized dishes, each with their own distinct tastes and flavors.  The dumplings and buns are by far some of my favorites, with the soft breaded exterior secretly holding delicious variations of meat or custards inside that are so incredibly delicious.

The one caveat is that you’ll have to steel yourself and come with an open mind for tastes and textures.  There are definitely a handful of dishes that are way off some people’s tolerance for consumption.  For example, chicken feet.  It’s a delicacy in China, and America, apparently, exports some of the best chicken feet in the world.  So good it’ll prevent a trade war between the two countries.

Still not good enough for me to ever eat them.  I’ve tried it once, and…BLARGH.  Not my cup of cha.

But BBQ pork buns?

Baked custard buns?

OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM

LOLWTFBBQPORKBUNS

Definitely $240 worth of pudding. Er, custard.

And the icing on the cake?  Most dishes won’t run you more than $4 a pop.

So a solid gorgeathon here will, with a generous tip, drain your wallet of about $16-25.  Not too shabby!

Most yum cha establishments have vegetarian dishes, but I wouldn’t feel entirely comfortable taking Jen here because I can’t definitively say that the vegetarian dishes we would order are definitely meat-product free. With that being said, there is a vegetarian only dim sum restaurant in New York’s Chinatown that is worth a visit.

China Garden is for:

• adventerous eaters
• dumpling lovers
• proficient chopstickers
• budget diners
• meat lovers
• gluttons

China Garden is NOT for:

• vegetarians
• germaphobes
• claustrophobes
• restricted carb diets
• paleo eaters
• mermaids

China Garden is located on the Mezzanine level of the Channel 8 7 building in Rosslyn. View a map here.

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