Dumpling King
Tea
Vinegar Slips Away Potato Silk
Fried Lamb with Cumin
Crystal Beef Grilled Dumplings
Juicy Beef Soup Dumplings
Lamb Boiled Dumplings
Boiled Shrimp Egg and Leek Dumplings
Baked Yolk Coated Pumpkin
Steamed Venison Dumplings
Spicy Laoganma Sauced Eggplant
Leek Pancake
Roasted Peking Duck
Toffee Taro
Largely unaware of the prevalence of a Buddhist or Muslim beliefs in China, let alone the latters particular contributions to the country’s culinary diversity, it was with great curiosity that five friends and I sat down amidst the colorful confines of Dumpling King and with friendly service paired to one of the most cleanly spaces on Spring Mountain Road the dozen plates that followed were every bit as surprising as the relative lack of praise the space has received since opening its doors nearly one year ago.
Truly a decorative space, with red florals covering each seat and several shining ornaments arranged in the foyer as well as alongside the bar, it was at one of the large turnstile tables that the group was sat and with full view afforded of each dumpling being made by hand suffice it to say that the surprisingly low priced menu is an even bigger bargain when taking into account the painstaking effort involved in each piece, a single order of ten broth-soaked beef soup dumplings taking the team of three nearly five minutes to mix, roll out, fill, and twist fourteen times before arranging to steam.
Treated to tea, as well as water that unfortunately required frequent prompting to be refilled, it was in a pair of items considered to be Northern Chinese specialties that the tasting began and with tender potatoes sliced like noodles beneath a drizzle of vinegar presented alongside richly spiced lamb mixed with shoots, onions, and peppers the opening volley traversed the palate adeptly, the light heat of dried peppers occasionally peaking through with a touch of unexpected sweetness lingering on the end.
Moving onward to the dumplings it was largely at the discretion of our server that the table placed its faith, and opting to see what could be done in a variety of fillings and styles one would be hard pressed to say which presentation was ‘best’ as not a single one lacked – the steamed beef “XLB” more meaty than most with an intensely flavorful broth while both the ‘stone dumplings’ amidst their golden lattice and the rich venison variant were chockablock full of flavor, the later almost as juicy as the soup dumplings with more than enough aromatic nuance to help even the most timid palates conquer their fear of game.
Personally impressed by the soft pumpkin fried beneath salty egg yolk, while others felt the flavors too mundane, it was again a ‘vegetarian special’ that wowed in the next round of plates and although the robust heat was an early challenge to my somewhat timid tongue subsequent bites of the Laoganma eggplant proved more and more accessible, a mild numbing effect perhaps contributing to somewhat off-putting ‘oily’ flavor prevalent in sizzling leek pancakes that were otherwise lightly fried and creamy beneath the exterior crunch.
Admittedly taking a chance on Peking Duck, considering the heritage of the space in which we dined, suffice it to say that neither tepid flesh nor flaccid skin was well received yet with eyes at this point glazing over from the sheer volume of delicious food it was the final plate of the afternoon that proved the most interesting of all; a pile of chopped taro boiled soft beneath a shattering lacquer of caramelized sugar that necessitated a quick bath in iced water in order to avoid severe burns, each cube harkening a creamy one-bite crème brûlée.
FOUR STARS: Undoubtedly unique, not only in its heritage but also with regard to the cleanliness and friendliness of the staff, Dumpling King is perhaps the very definition of ‘hidden gem,’ the dumplings themselves undoubtedly on par with the best in the city while other unique plates such as the potatoes, eggplant, pumpkin, and taro are the sort of things I’ve not seen since trips to Toronto and Richmond, BC.
RECOMMENDED: Toffee Taro, Fried Lamb with Cumin, Crystal Beef Grilled Dumplings, Steamed Venison Dumplings, Spicy Laoganma Sauced Eggplant.
AVOID: Roasted Peking Duck, Leek Pancake.
TIP: Absolutely Pork-free due to their religious beliefs but with more than enough menu items, as well as specials, to please any palate those interested in visiting Dumpling King are advised to do so with a large group as portions trend quite large – a ‘two plate’ per person approach deemed “too much” by our server, though by the end of the meal everything was indeed (just barely) consumed.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://www.dumplingkingvegas.com/
