South Side Dumpling Destination

There's a new restaurant on Binghamton's South Side. It isn't fancy, it hasn't advertised, its Instagram feed has no posts, and only three people are working the weekend day shift. But on Saturday at 1 p.m., every table but one was full. I haven't tried enough of the menu at Beijing Dumplings yet to give it a full review, but I'm going to go ahead and recommend it based on my visit this weekend, which was promising indeed.

The storefront is tucked into an old house on Vestal Ave, and you'll order at the counter, then grab a table. Hot tea is free. The menu is in Chinese and English, and in addition to house made dumplings, there are noodle dishes and entrees.

I started with the fried pork buns - a mixture of ground pork and scallions stuffed inside fluffy white dough, steamed, and then pan fried on the bottom to make them crisp. They're served with a soy sauce and black vinegar mix which cuts through the fattiness and adds great flavor. The buns are fluffy and savory, though the pork inside isn't seasoned strongly - really delicious.

I also enjoyed an order of Beijing dumplings, 15 to an order for only $9. These were very bland, but completely awoken by the soy sauce - I will ask for chile oil next time and see if they can accommodate. That said, they were tender and homemade, with the same pork and scallion filling. With some chile oil, they would have been dynamite.

I want to go back and try the stewed beef noodle, which I saw being taken down at the table next to mine, as well as the garlic broccoli, and the egg and scallion cakes not on the menu board but noted on the paper menus at the counter. I'm hoping they add even more authentic Chinese street food as the menu board promises, because I am totally down for more of this food, which is a scarcity in our area. And if the owners are reading this, let me put in a request now for a cheung fun (rolled, steamed rice noodles with garlic and hot chiles)!

Big Hungry Shelby: always hungry; never thirsty.