Szechuan's Dumpling, Arlington

I will preface any post about Chinese food with this: I don't know much about Chinese food, other than what my rather Americanized palate enjoys. I don't know how any particular restaurant compares to "the real stuff" (whatever that may be), but I know what's tasty to me. And I only add this preface because there are a lot of people out there who do know about this, and they often speak down (write down?) to those of us who don't know what the names of all the dishes mean. That being said...

Szechuan's Dumpling is a new-ish Chinese restaurant in Arlington Heights; they've been open since around February. I had read some good things about it online, but I didn't visit until my friend Dave arranged for a few of us to try it out a few months ago. I have visited about once a week since then, and there are at least 3 other Chinese take-out spots between my house and Arlington Heights, so that should give you an idea of how good this place is.

No order is complete without their Pork Mini Juicy Dumplings (aka soup dumplings) and their pan-fried Pork and Chive Dumplings (above). I especially love the crispy sear that the pan-fried dumplings get, and the juxtaposition with the chewy dough and salty meat.

My absolute favorite dish at Szechuan's Dumplings, though, is the Eggplant with Basil Leaves. I will eat eggplant (especially the long, thin ones) in just about any presentation, but this one is sweet and salty and just a little spicy and absurdly addictive. I often find myself picking off the last few pieces and then mixing some rice into whatever sauce is left on the plate because it's just too good to leave behind.

There are many other tasty items on the menu (the Crispy Chicken with Basil Leaves and the Salt and Pepper Shrimp jump out at me), but I am so enamored by the dumplings and the eggplant that I have a hard time ordering anything else. We try to sneak in a new dish every time we eat at the restaurant itself, but it's hard when I've already established favorites!

Dim Sum at Myers + Chang

I've had dim sum at a number of Chinese restaurants over the years, but I've always felt disgusting a few hours later. After a delicious meal at Myers + Chang in the South End in December, I knew I had to give their dim sum a shot, as I was sure that post-meal sickness wouldn't set in from their food.

I took along my friends Ann, who had never had dim sum before, and Kristen, who loves M+C for their gluten-free menu. When we arrived at noon, the restaurant was almost empty (although I think the holiday weekend had something to do with it). Our waiter gave us little slips with all the dim sum offerings, and we began checking off our order.

First out were the bao, steamed buns with various fillings. I've heard amazing things about the pork belly (in the back of the photo), but it was my least favorite. The braised short rib (left) was tender and tasty, but the soy braised chicken (right) was my favorite, bursting with salty goodness and perfectly cooked meat. The bao aren't huge, but the short rib and chicken both had tons of meat and were pretty filling.

Plates started coming out faster, and we were enjoying every bite. Mama Chang's Pork Dumplings were fantastic - crispy dough with intensely flavored pork without the greasiness inherent in so many dumplings or potstickers. The tea-smoked pork spare ribs (above) were lacquered with a sweet and sticky coating which crisped up all the edges of the meat. The fried rice with pork and pineapple was fine, but I wasn't wild about it. I definitely appreciated the wide range of flavors (and I loved the fried slivers of shallot on top), and the balance between sweet and spicy and savory was on point.

Thankfully, all of the plates are small enough that you can order many different things to get tastes of everything (my favorite way to enjoy a meal). The dan dan noodles (above) were plenty spicy, and the cucumber on top helped cut the heat. The Thai ginger chicken vermicelli was a big hit, especially with Ann, who normally hates Thai food and would never even order anything with the word Thai in it. We also ordered the edamame and celery slaw with candied lemon, which is not usually on the dim sum menu but they added it for the gluten-free menu. I love this stuff and could eat it every day. The savory sesame oil and the sweet lemon peel both bring out the fresh flavors of the veggies - so tasty!

We ended up ordering more than we intended, mostly through some miscommunications with our waiter. So if there's one thing I would do next time, it would be to only ask for a second menu sheet instead of verbally giving an additional order to the waiter. We ended up with 3 of some dishes (where we only wanted 2), and a few things got ordered that we never asked for. It wasn't that big of a deal, though, because everything was delicious and we didn't mind having more of it to enjoy.

Denian's, Lexington

I have officially left the semi-urban landscape of Brookline (where the T stopped right in front of my building) for the more suburban town of Lexington. I'd gotten so used to have amazing food within walking distance, and now... well, at least I have a car.

That being said, I was very happy to notice a new restaurant that had opened in Lexington. Denian's is a small take out shop that focuses on Chinese buns, located right next to the Royal Pastry Shop on Marrett Road. It's strictly for take-out - the only seats are a few along a small bar on the wall (although there is room for a couple of tables, which would definitely help the place out).

Denian's offers seven different types of buns - pork, beef, chicken, green veggie, carrot, sweet bean paste, and taro paste - and you can buy them in quantities of 1, 3, 4, 6, or 12. I opted for three, trying one each of the pork, chicken, and carrot.

The dough itself was light and a little fluffy. Each bun holds a decent amount of filling, which matches up with the amount of dough very well. As for the fillings, the ones I tried ranged from fine to very very tasty. The pork was pretty standard, much like you'd find in any potsticker - it definitely didn't wow me. The chicken (above), on the other hand, was delicious. There was lots of ginger and scallions in there, making each bite flavorful. My favorite of the three, however, was the carrot (top) - both sweet and savory, and wonderfully spiced with five-spice powder and a touch of sesame oil. The chicken and the carrot were both a little unusual, and the flavors were very well balanced.

My three buns made for a decent-sized lunch, but when I saw the scallion pancakes on the menu, I had no choice but to order them. They are one of my favorite foods, and although I make them at home, I prefer to order them out. Sadly, this version wasn't fantastic. They were a little on the chewy side, but that may have been because a miscommunication left them steaming in their take-out box a little too long. That being said, the flavor was good and I would definitely give them a try again.

Denian's also offers noodle soups and bubble tea. Since it's right down the street from Lexington High, I'm sure it will get a good deal of business from students once school starts back up in the fall. The bubble tea flavors are all powder, though, so if that's not your thing (I think the powders are gross), you've been warned.

Cheap Eats: Gourmet Dumpling House

This past weekend, Chinatown was abuzz with preparations for Chinese New Year, which begins today. Tables were set up on the sidewalks, selling flowers and paper lanterns, the line to get into Eastern Live Poultry was down the block, and large family groups were grabbing tables at the Gourmet Dumpling House.

Gourmet Dumpling House offers a wide array of homemade Chinese dishes, but as the name implies, the dumplings (and buns) are a particular strong point. The Mini Steamed Buns with Pork ($6.25) are also known as soup dumplings (or Xiao Long Bao, or just XLB), and are filled with a mixture of pork, vegetables, and yes, soup. Be forewarned that eating soup dumplings is not the neatest of processes, nor the quietest, as you're bound to end up with soup on your chin and clothes as you slurp it out of the dumplings. The broth is rich and flavorful, and the filling and dough make this a filling and substantial dish. Another wonder on the menu is the Scallion Pancakes ($3.95) - every Chinese restaurant makes them, but these are near perfection. Gourmet Dumpling House has managed to produce the lightest and flakiest scallion pancake that this Bostonist has ever seen. For more cheap eats, visit any day of the week before 4pm for the lunch specials, all priced at $7.25, for a full plate of food, including rice and soup.

Gourmet Dumpling House is located at 52 Beach Street, between Harrison Ave and Oxford St. They will be closed today and tomorrow to celebrate the New Year, but will be open again on Wednesday. Chinatown will be celebrating the New Year on Saturday with a lion dance parade, so if you're in the neighborhood, give Gourmet Dumpling House a try.

Originally posted on Bostonist.

Scallion Pancake Goodness

One sad thing about my apartment is the lack of nearby Chinese food. There's plenty of Thai and Japanese, but I've yet to find some really good Chinese within walking distance (although I did notice a little storefront the other day when I was wandering around). So, to compensate, I was forced to try my hand at one of my favorite Chinese orders, scallion pancakes.

That having been said, I can't say these are at all authentic - just tasty. I picked the recipe up from a friend in college, and I've kept it more of a "make it however you want, decide what tastes good" recipe. So just work the dough until it feels right, and add the oil, scallions, and salt and pepper as you see fit.

And I've never been sure of the sauce that scallion pancakes are served with, so I just combined some Ponzu and the leftover chopped scallions, and this seemed to be pretty good. Is there a real recipe for the dipping sauce?

As a side note, does anyone have a suggestion for best scallion pancake in Boston?



Scallion Pancakes
2 cups flour
1/2 cup warm water
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
sesame oil
salt and pepper

Mix together flour and water in a large bowl until the water is absorbed and the dough is not sticky. Add more water a tablespoon at a time if all the flour doesn't incorporate. Once the dough is formed, knead it about 20 times, then cover with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

Cut dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll out each piece as thin as it will go, then spread the dough with about a teaspoon of oil, salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of scallions. Starting at one edge, roll the dough up into a cigar shape, making sure the scallions don't escape or get all bunched up together. Then coil the cigar into a spiral and press the spiral down with your hand. Roll this until it is thin, about 1/8 of an inch. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.

Fry each pancake over medium heat in a little vegetable oil. Stack all the fried pancakes and cut into triangles.