reminded of Wang’s after a couple recs in a recent thread, I hoofed up to Magoun Sq. for dinner last night. Got an order of pork and fennel dumplings and the previously discussed sauteed handmade noodle. I like the filling for the pork and fennel dumplings, it’s really interesting flavorwise though I have always found the dumpling wrappers at Wang’s to be thicker than is ideal for me. But the pork on the inside is really great, with a pronounced but not overpowering flavor of fennel. (Aside: when I was in Dom’s the other week, I saw someone pick up a special order of fennel sausage. The butcher came out and said that they used to make them regularly, but that people stopped buying them so they don’t anymore. That made me sad!)
The sauteed handmade noodle was pretty solid too, shredded pieces of flatbread stir fried with cabbage, scallions and some egg for a protein. The fry job was ok here and it came from the kitchen nice and hot. It was sufficiently homey and garlicky to be a good, satisfying and simple item for dinner–I should have ordered some pea pod stems to go with it, that seems like the perfect match.
Eating in at Wang’s is as low frills as ever. They still pile extra kitchen supplies in where the few tables are. It’s nice to know that some things never change.
Great write up, @passing_thru ; now I want to get some of that sauteed handmade noodle! I always loved the fennel dumplings but it’s very much a Northeast China fare that some people have a low tolerance for - glad to hear you enjoyed it! Try their blackboard (white board) specials next time; I think they have a good pork sauerkraut stew and some other interesting things on there.
I only wish that Wang’s made a better soup and was a bit more consistent. When they are “on” they are really, really good. And then, they aren’t.
The dumpling wrappers are too thick, but I love the fillings. We tend towards pork and cabbage or pork and leek. I admit, I buy the bags of frozen dumplings and then steam them at home. Great way to supplement my home-cooked Chinese meals.
I honestly like it when they are a little thick (insert “that’s what she/he said” joke here) and chewy instead of the Japanese-style gyozas. I think Qingdao Garden still does it better than Wang’s (and a sliver thinner) although they don’t have the fennel and pork ones.
The dumpling/buns/flatbread lady working in the backroom at QD really knows her way around dough. But more importantly, she always remembered us when we went to visit and would come out and (fondly) berate my DH on eating fried food and crappy restaurant rice at night and telling us to not call her Auntie because she’s not that old. I wonder if she’s still working there…
Unfortunately, QD no longer offers frozen dumplings to go. I like Wangs but agree with earlier posters that their skin is on the thick side. Are there any recommendations for a substitute? I’ve found the packaged frozen dumplings at Reliable to be lacking.
I don’t know if you’d like them if you prefer thin skins, but I always have a bag of Chinese Spaghetti Factory dumplings in the freezer for the days I’m feeling lazy. They are made in Roxbury and are in pretty much every Asian markets around; it’s the transparent bag with no pictures at all and just big block letters. The miniature ones are pretty good in a clear chicken/fish broth with some blanched greens (and fun to eat, if I may say so).
Had food from Wang’s for the first time a few days ago. (Sorry, Boston.) The pork and fennel dumplings (thick skins – my preference, too – and all) were indeed excellent, but I was disappointed with the underflavoring of much else – the handmade noodles, the fatty pork and potatoes, etc. All these were in the good-not-great category for me.
