Dumpling Station

Hitting the streets this week is Dumpling Station, the latest Asian-inspired food truck. As a dumpling (and gyoza) fan, I decided to pay Dumpling Station a visit yesterday.

Behind the scenes are the warm and affable Chris and Helen, who hand-make the dumplings every morning from Helen's Taiwanese family recipes. They told me that, at this phase, a little bit of guesswork is required as they try to figure out which dumplings will be most popular and how much they should prepare of each type.

Dumpling Station offers five types of dumplings, sides such as wasabi fries ($2.50) and desserts such as chocolate banana wontons ($2.50). Dumpling prices range from $5.25-$5.50 for eight or $2.75 for four.

I was intrigued by and decided to order the kimchi beef dumplings ($5.50), and Chris recommended that I try the traditional pork and leek dumplings ($5.25).

The kimchi beef dumplings were stuffed with beef, rice noodles and kimchi flavor. I was a little disappointed to find that there was no actual kimchi (i.e. cabbage) inside the dumplings and had hoped that they would pack more of a spicy punch. Some dumplings, however, were spicier than others, so perhaps Dumpling Station is working out the kinks with uniform flavor.

The pork and leek dumplings, on the other hand, were bland until dunked in the accompanying soy sauce. Sauces such as soy sauce should enhance the flavors of a dish rather than define them and, unfortunately, the pork and leek dumpling's flavor wasn't strong enough to stand on its own.

Although my visit to Dumpling Station left something to be desired, I really enjoyed chatting with Chris and Helen and was impressed by their menu's mix of traditional and modern flavors. I hope that they can find their way after this soft launch period.

Dumpling Station

www.dumplingstation.com

www.twitter.com/dumplingstation