The other night I tried to go to the newest restaurant in the East Village, Dumpling Darling, but it was closed. I was sad, but I moved on with my week. Wednesday, I tried again. I drove to the area of 3rd and Court and headed into Dumpling Darling. As it turned out, the TV media heard about this craze and ended up checking out the hype, too.
If you like dumplings, you will definitely enjoy Dumpling Darling. The decor is cute. There is a large bar and ample seating inside. You can choose from an array of steamed dumplings and different fried dumplings. They have about four entrees on the menu, too, and the fried rice is interesting. You can get basic fried rice, a seasonal fried rice, a spicy fried rice or a veggie fried rice. They have different specials, too. You can even get dessert dumplings!
I love the fact that they have dumpling flights where you can get four of each of the steamed dumplings or four of all the fried dumplings. I rolled solo. I'm definitely coming back with friends and i'm trying them all.
What did I order? Lesley's Lamb dumplings (steamed) and Avocado rangoon (fried). I was not disappointed. However, I did find that the taste grabbed me with each bite. It was ok to start and then got really delicious.
Oh, and I noticed mac n' cheese on the menu.
The staff was so friendly!!!! (But, isn't everyone in Iowa??). They take your name and you think they will forget about it, but when food is brought to your table,t hey address you by name. And they come back and continue to address you by your name!!!!! Who says customer service is dead??
If you like dumplings, you MUST give this East Village eatery a try!