National Dumpling Day falls on Sept. 26, and New York City is a melting pot of options for observing this culinary recognition date. While known by different names around the world — samosas, pierogies, ravioli, momos and more — a dumpling is broadly categorized as a dough dish that may be wrapped around some type of filling and cooked often by steaming, baking, boiling or frying.
Celebrate by checking out these city eateries making their own styles of dumplings.
Mimi Cheng’s, monthly dumpling special
This Taiwanese dumpling shop, co-founded by sisters Hannah and Marian Cheng in the summer of 2014, puts out a monthly limited edition dumpling either created by them or a joint collaboration with a professional chef. Their September 2019 edition is a Cheng recipe — a Peking duck Melt, with Long Island duck, cheddar, scallions, a housemade hoisin sauce, hot sauce, jicama and cucumbers.
380 Broome St., NoLIta, and 179 2nd Ave., East Village
Pondicheri, different samosa flavors
This all-day contemporary Indian café and bakery in the Flatiron District, overseen by chef Anita Jaisinghani and her daughter Ajna Jai, puts out a flavorful assortment of samosas that avoid traditional fillings. Since opening in July 2018, their menu listings have run the gamut from a black pepper chicken, to choices of a crabmeat masala or truffle or corn and saag.
15 West 27th St., Flatiron
Dawa’s, momos
This Himalayan and New American restaurant run by chef Dawa Bhuti, with her father, Ngodup Gyaltsen, and uncle, Lobsang Tenzin, has three distinct momos that are all served over a tomato fenugreek Sichuan pepper sauce. A vegetarian momo has potato and Chinese mustard greens inside a spinach puree colored wrap, while their whole wheat beef momo contains beef bone marrow. A chicken momo, inspired by Dawa’s childhood memories of Himalayan dumplings from street and bus station vendors in Nepal, gets a hint of curry flavor from toasted cinnamon.
51-18 Skillman Ave., Woodside
RedFarm, “Pac-Man” shrimp dumplings
This modern Chinese restaurant’s 1980s retro-feeling, figurative dim sum by executive chef Joe Ng depicts ghosts being pursued by a tempura sweet potato slice. They are: white (with a shrimp, diced veggies and bamboo shoots filling), green (with a crab and leeks filling), red (with a lobster, ginger and hot pepper filling) and yellow (with yellow leeks). Truffle soup dumplings are also a specialty here.
529 Hudson St., West Village, and 2170 Broadway, Upper West Side
Vic’s, borsa
Borsa translates in Italian as "little purse." At this downtown Manhattan Italian restaurant, this ravioli dish of the same name was created by executive chef Hillary Sterling and her pasta maker in 2014. Their borsa has a ricotta and pecorino filling, with a brown butter sauce and a garnish of hazelnuts, lemon zest, black pepper and Pecorino Romano.
31 Great Jones St., NoHo
Baba’s Pierogies, various pierogi combinations
Named after her Slovakian pierogi-making grandmother, Helena Fabiankovic and her co-owner Robert Gardiner follow in Baba’s footsteps with fun pierogi combos. They include mac and cheese, bacon and cheddar and jalapeño cheddar potato and even a dessert blueberry pierogi. Vegan pierogies are also available.
295 3rd Ave., Gowanus and at the North 3rd Street Market, 103 North 3rd St., Williamsburg
Osteria at Avenue Downtown, Canederli in Brodo
Available only on Wednesdays, these bread/speck dumplings served in a broth are linked to Trentino-Alto Adige, a mountainous region in Italy’s northeastern corner once belonging to the Austro-Hungarian Empire; veal cheeks in gremolata sauce is an add-on. The dish also reflects upon chef Roberto Deiaco’s Italian heritage, as a native of the Dolomites in Belluno province.
260 Sixth Ave., Greenwich Village
Dumpling Galaxy, pumpkin with black sesame tang yuan
Owner/chef Helen You continuously comes up with new dumpling ideas, and her menu lists countless types to choose from. This particular glutinous dessert dumpling is modeled after tang yuan, a sweet treat served on Chinese holidays and occasions; You’s has a rice flour and steamed pumpkin base and a sweetened black sesame filling that’s set in a fermented rice pudding.
Arcadia Mall, 42-35 Main St, Flushing, and Super HK Food Court, 37-11 Main St., Flushing
