Strong Opinions @marksbirch

We came, we ate, we collapsed in food coma.  Some braved the Long Island Expressway while others trekked by way of the 7 train, but we all arrived hungry and yearning for a superior dumpling.  But would Flushing, Queens, a hamlet of chaotic streets, crowded sidewalks and a maze of store signs, truly be our dumpling nirvana?

The answer is a definitive and unequivocal YES!  If you have not been following the story, we first hit the streets of Chinatown Manhattan in February to find awesome dumplings.  A few weeks later we honed in on Xiao Long Bao.  We gorged our way through a ridiculous number of dumplings across 15 establishments to crown the NYC winners.  The problem however is that we neglected Flushing.

I made it my mission to right this snub and make tracks to Flushing to bring justice to dumplingdom.  We were blessed with some beautiful spring weather on the day of our dumpling crawl and worked our way through an ambitious agenda of 10 dumpling proprietors.  While we did not get to all 10, I am proud to report that we were able to get to 8 of the places and even had a few pit stops of the non-dumpling kind.   I have documented the best of the best on our Flushing dumpling tour in a Foodspotting guide (thanks to Amy Cao for helping me to set that up) so you can see for yourself in pictures all the glorious dumplings we consumed.

So let’s get to what you are really waiting for, the results of our Epic Flushing Dumpling Tour 2011:

Best Xiao Long Bao – Nan Xiang Dumpling House in a blow out.  To be fair, we only tried Xiao Long Bao once on this tour, but they tasted enough like the best of Shanghai to declare this no contest.  While the place was insanely crowded, the turnover is quick and we were seated in 20 minutes for a group of seven.  On another note, the scallion pancake was sublime, non-greasy and loaded with scallion taste.

Best Fried Dumpling – This was a bit closer of a contest, but Jack Yan’s comes out on top.  It was last on our list and though we could not eat anymore, the look and aroma of these dumplings was too much to resist.  The filling was quality, but what really put these over the top was the crispiness and freshness of the skin, with just the right amount of char and chewiness.

Best Steamed Dumpling – We ate a boatload and a half of steamed dumpling, so many they started to meld together.  However Hai Di Lao and Korean-Chinese Noodle & Dumpling came out on top.  Hai Di Lao Triple Delight had a really good flavor and consistency while the filling of the Three Kinds Dumpling was complimented perfectly with the side of kimchi.  The unfortunate news is that both are in the Flushing Mall, slated to be torn down next year, so get them while they last.

Best Secret Find – If you walk past the Maxin bakery and the sushi stall and head straight back, you come upon My Sweet Home Dumpling.  The Get Smart experience aside, this is a real jewel.  The fried dumpling vied with Jack Yan’s for best of the tour, and the fish dumplings were a nice change from the pork.  They have a ton of different varieties however, so this is definitely worth a few more visits.

Best Disguise – Is it an ice cream store, a travel agency or a broom closet?  Whatever it may look like from the outside however cannot deter us from the Hot and Spicy Wontons in Red Chili Oil served up at White Bear.  All you need to know is to order the #6 and enjoy the flavors!

Worst of the Lot – How long does it take to steam dumplings?  Apparently at Fu Run (formerly Sifu Chio) it takes 45 minutes.  To boot, the dumplings were not even that good.  Totally killed the momentum of our group, but we bucked up and forgot it soon after once we got to the Flushing Mall.

Best in Show – The Academy presents the award for best dumpling to… Nan Xiang Dumpling House.  I must admit some bias here as I LOVE Xiao Long Bao, but these really were spectacular and worthy of the significant hype.  Of all the dumplings we tried, these were about as close to China as you can get half a world away.

Bonus Stops – Sometimes you have to take a break, so we stopped by Corner 28 for the Peking Duck Buns on Main Street and Xi’an Famous Food in the Flushing Mall food court for some Spicy Lamb Burgers.

It was an awesome tour and if you have the same hankering for dumplings (and other delicious food), look out for announcements for the next food tour. Ciao!