Chen’s Dumpling House is a quaint little restaurant on State Street that features non-Americanized Chinese cuisine. Despite its quirks (e.g. napkins are behind the register, the open sign is never turned on, etc.), it’s worth a visit, especially for the dumplings.
So many Chinese restaurants only serve fried dumplings, so it’s nice to see steamed dumplings on a menu.
I was pleasantly surprised by the Chinese chive and pork dumplings ($7.95). They were meaty and juicy, and the skin is firm enough to hold it all together. You don’t need any sauces, but they do further enhance the taste. The 10, fairly large pieces are enough to fill you up.
I also enjoyed the chicken and mushroom dumplings ($7.95). The chicken was, of course, milder in flavor than the pork. The shiitake mushrooms are cut into small pieces, and you only can detect them by their after-taste in your mouth.
Bok choy and pork ($7.95) and vegetable ($7.95) are your other choices for filling. Beyond dumplings, you’ll find a few noodle dishes and buns (e.g. lotus paste, BBQ pork) on the menu.
The rainbow dim sum ($3.95) was comprised of four dense but enjoyable shumai with shrimp. Like the dumplings, the shumai stand up on their own without any sauce.
Meanwhile, the beef roll ($5.95) already has sauce in the form of hoisin, which is spread on a warm scallion pancake and topped with cold beef, then rolled up. It’s a contrast in food temps, for sure, but the four rolls make for a pleasing appetizer.
Chen’s Dumpling House is open every day for lunch and dinner.
