So, there are restaurants I dream of eating at all the time. But I don't eat at them, because of my schedule, or money, or laziness, or the place is too popular, or stupidity. Dumpling Inn is one of those places. One of the issues is that the one day I always have off is Monday. Dumpling Inn is closed on Mondays.
So finally, one day about a month ago we got to go. I'm not sure what day of the week, but not Monday. So, if you haven't guessed, this place is known for their... Chinese food. Okay, they are known more specifically for their dumplings. But, because we are rebels we didn't get dumplings. Okay, we were probably on somewhat of a budget or didn't want to be complete pigs like usual, so we didn't get any. We did get one of my favorite soups of all time in the city of San Diego. Not kidding. Maybe I'll do a blog about soups one day. One day, when I have a new computer...sigh.
Anyway, they have this great soup at Dumpling Inn. But I'll get to that later. I want to tell you about the place first. It's on Convoy. CONVOY STREET . Ah, the avenue of asian fare. Some good, some great, some mediocre, some bad, some average, some horrible, some heavenly. Get it? There's also Jack in the Box and Wienerschnitzel and a mexican place or two if you don't want asian. But if you don't want asian, then I don'tawannayouarouna-a-ound....
What the hell was I talking about? Sorry, I had a sleepless night watching the 5 am news, looking for signs of whether to buy iodine tablets or not, not that there are any available. Speaking of asian and great. Japan is great. But they are doing shitty right now. I dedicate this blog to Japan. I feel for them. I have $29 in my checking account, but I might donate something to Red Cross tomorrow when I get paid. I wish I could go over there and help somehow....
Anyhoo, Dumpling Inn. It has about 10 tables. One is a big round one which seats maybe 10 people. If they aren't too busy, the restaurant uses it for their family meal table. I think a lot of delicious shit has graced the top of that table! Anyway, this restaurant is an exception to the white test. If I'm repeating myself to the seasoned fans of the Food Ho and Food Pimp, I apologize... but it's a series, and some people jump on midway through. Anyway, I'm always astounded at how many different nationalities can be in the Dumpling Inn at one time. Chinese, Whitey Whiterson, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, African American, European... you get the picture. I like how there's usually one douchebag (overused word lately, but it totally fits the description) who has taken a coworker in, and he "shows them the ropes" in an almost too loud voice, not quite the cell phone voice, mind you, but almost.
Anyway, they have delicious handmade dumplings. Supposedly there is also a secret menu, but we don't go there enough to be hip to that one. Anyway, we did not get dumplings. We got this short ribs dish with baby cutie bok choy. It was... very rich. You can see the sauce just coating the ribs and bok choy. It was so, rich and tasty, I thought I was eating beluga caviar in a Jaguar. Yeah, that doesn't really make sense, but I just woke up from a much needed nap and poured myself a glass of red wine and plopped down on the computer chair, so, you know...
Short ribs. This was the first time we got them, and they were lovely.
Then we come to the piece de resistance....pork and pickled cabbage noodle soup. And we got the red pepper dipping sauce that usually goes with the dumplings to garnish with.
Pork and pickled cabbage noodle soup.
Yes. That is what I've been making all the fuss
Not the Fuzz, the fuss, about.
De
Li
Shush
So, it's got pork, and pickled cabbage, and wheat noodle. And it's just like home. Not something I had as a child, but I felt like my mom was there with me, urging me to eat, eat.... It's just so simple and wonderful. It's just the perfect meal in a bowl And it's a big bowl. And every time we say we can take the leftovers. But there never are leftovers.
Dumpling Inn
4619 Convoy St # F
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 268-9638
Open Tue-Sun 11am-8:30pm
So finally, one day about a month ago we got to go. I'm not sure what day of the week, but not Monday. So, if you haven't guessed, this place is known for their... Chinese food. Okay, they are known more specifically for their dumplings. But, because we are rebels we didn't get dumplings. Okay, we were probably on somewhat of a budget or didn't want to be complete pigs like usual, so we didn't get any. We did get one of my favorite soups of all time in the city of San Diego. Not kidding. Maybe I'll do a blog about soups one day. One day, when I have a new computer...sigh.
Anyway, they have this great soup at Dumpling Inn. But I'll get to that later. I want to tell you about the place first. It's on Convoy. CONVOY STREET . Ah, the avenue of asian fare. Some good, some great, some mediocre, some bad, some average, some horrible, some heavenly. Get it? There's also Jack in the Box and Wienerschnitzel and a mexican place or two if you don't want asian. But if you don't want asian, then I don'tawannayouarouna-a-ound....
What the hell was I talking about? Sorry, I had a sleepless night watching the 5 am news, looking for signs of whether to buy iodine tablets or not, not that there are any available. Speaking of asian and great. Japan is great. But they are doing shitty right now. I dedicate this blog to Japan. I feel for them. I have $29 in my checking account, but I might donate something to Red Cross tomorrow when I get paid. I wish I could go over there and help somehow....
Anyhoo, Dumpling Inn. It has about 10 tables. One is a big round one which seats maybe 10 people. If they aren't too busy, the restaurant uses it for their family meal table. I think a lot of delicious shit has graced the top of that table! Anyway, this restaurant is an exception to the white test. If I'm repeating myself to the seasoned fans of the Food Ho and Food Pimp, I apologize... but it's a series, and some people jump on midway through. Anyway, I'm always astounded at how many different nationalities can be in the Dumpling Inn at one time. Chinese, Whitey Whiterson, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, African American, European... you get the picture. I like how there's usually one douchebag (overused word lately, but it totally fits the description) who has taken a coworker in, and he "shows them the ropes" in an almost too loud voice, not quite the cell phone voice, mind you, but almost.
Anyway, they have delicious handmade dumplings. Supposedly there is also a secret menu, but we don't go there enough to be hip to that one. Anyway, we did not get dumplings. We got this short ribs dish with baby cutie bok choy. It was... very rich. You can see the sauce just coating the ribs and bok choy. It was so, rich and tasty, I thought I was eating beluga caviar in a Jaguar. Yeah, that doesn't really make sense, but I just woke up from a much needed nap and poured myself a glass of red wine and plopped down on the computer chair, so, you know...
Short ribs. This was the first time we got them, and they were lovely.
Then we come to the piece de resistance....pork and pickled cabbage noodle soup. And we got the red pepper dipping sauce that usually goes with the dumplings to garnish with.
Pork and pickled cabbage noodle soup.
Yes. That is what I've been making all the fuss
Not the Fuzz, the fuss, about.
De
Li
Shush
So, it's got pork, and pickled cabbage, and wheat noodle. And it's just like home. Not something I had as a child, but I felt like my mom was there with me, urging me to eat, eat.... It's just so simple and wonderful. It's just the perfect meal in a bowl And it's a big bowl. And every time we say we can take the leftovers. But there never are leftovers.
Dumpling Inn
4619 Convoy St # F
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 268-9638
Open Tue-Sun 11am-8:30pm
Comments
hah - whitey whiterson!
Kirk - I know...we were laughing at the fact that there were more white people in there than anything else. I just haven't tasted better dumplings and soup - so until then, I'll still go to Dumpling Inn because I don't know any better! Plus, I don't pretend to have the most sophisticated palate...
We would love to go to LA one day though and find out what we've been missing!