Juan's Vegetarian Dumplings

I just can't say I like these Juan's Vegetarian Dumplings. The skins are alright, and they fry up or steam up nicely, but I don't really like the flavor. The filling is primarily veggie protein, which is normally something that I like, mixed with a little bit of assorted vegetables and noodle bits. The filling is sort of nutty, but not in a good way. I hate to be crass, but it's a little barfy in flavor, and in appearance. I couldn't face eating more than a few of them in a sitting. These are a do-not-buy in the future. I've seen veggie buns by "Juan's" at the H Mart, but I am not sure if I will be willing to buy them. Oh well.

Score: 2.5/5 - I can eat these, but I will not willingly choose them again. The filling is sort of nutty-beany in a bad way... If it were just me, I'd give them a 2, but Ross gave them a 3.

Trader Joe's Thai Vegetable Gyoza

Trader Joe's is a great place to shop. I love their snacks, baked goods, produce, cheeses, wines, and frozen goodies. They don't have a huge amount of things that would be considered dim sum, but they've got a little stuff... These Thai Vegetable Gyoza are pretty good. The filling is standard veggie, but well balanced with cabbage and carrot. They have a hint of ginger in them that some folks go wild for. The dough has that sort of restaurant perfect shape and texture. Generally, these fry up nicely. The filling isn't as fresh as a restaurant version would be, but these are pretty good.

Score: 3.5/5 - I think for other people these would be a 4. I know Rydia loved them! I am not in love with the flavor (I have trouble with strong ginger flavors), but they are a good package.

Golden Fortune Seasoned Beancurd Pack

I am not sure how to categorize this Golden Fortune Seasoned Beancurd pack. It's definitely the kind of thing you just heat up and serve, not something you would use as an ingredient. I followed the directions on the package and microwaved it in its pouch, and ended up getting the "sauce" all over the microwave. It was a mess... That said, this was really really good. The tofu is the layered skin type, but it wasn't tough in texture. The plentiful thin sauce was on the sweeter side, it definitely had that great sweet and savory balance with the tofu. There was a hint of mustard in the sauce, it made me think a bit of Wellington sauce. I would definitely buy this again. And I bogarted the leftovers to take to work for lunch.

Score: 4.5/5 - A textured but soft tofu in a delicious sweet and savory sauce. I'm into it!

Kimbo Chinese Chive Pasta Cake

I generally like Kimbo as a brand, but I think these chive cakes are slightly inferior to the Foodhut ones. They're much bigger, and thus don't stick together as well. The flavor is still scallion-y, but has a hint of spinach/cabbage flavor. The dough is a little bit less gooey, I guess? A tiny bit of flakiness? It's just OK. They definitely didn't fry wonderfully, but I think I can do better. Still, I will buy the Foodhut ones instead. (And no, these do not have the same filling to dough ratio as on the package!)

Score: 3.5/5 - Not as good as the smaller, squishier Foodhut Chive Dumplings.

Foodhut Frozen Chive Dumpling

I've reviewed these "Chive Dumplings" before, and I'm giving them a small bump. I cooked them in a very good non-stick pan and the dumpling texture worked out well. I like the overall flavor and the whole thing works well when the outsides are well crisped, keeping it from falling apart.

Score: 4/5 - More delicious when fried well.

Doll Dim Sum Vegetarian Rice Roll

These Doll Dim Sum rice rolls were pretty good. I cooked them using the recommended microwave method on the package, adding a little water to the tray to enhance the steaming. The rice rolls themselves were just a little to tough and dry, even with me wetting them ahead of cooking. Not horrible, just not great. On the other hand, I really liked the filling. The various fungi mixed with a little carrot and whatnot had a good texture and weren't cooked down into mushy oblivion. The flavor is light. I would consider buying these again if better rice roll picks weren't available.

Score: 3.5/5 - I liked them enough, but not as much as the Amoy ones. The rice rolls were to dry in texture, but the filling was good.

Lam Shang Kee Frozen Sesame Pie

So, even though these Lam Shang Kee Frozen Sesame Pies are ostensibly a different brand than "Noodles House", the packaging is otherwise identical to that brand's packaging. I bought these sesame pancakes at Kam Man, where there are a variety of these frozen pancakes. Usually, I only try the scallion ones, and I am inclined to stick with that. The green onion pies are amazing, the sesame pies are just OK. They have the same crispy and flaky texture, but they are not as moist as the ones with green onions. They don't achieve the same rich, almost buttery flavor. The onions just add to the experience! The sesame seeds do give these pies a little sesame flavor, so these end up making me think of those sesame seed water crackers.

Score: 3.5/5 - Good, but just not as good as the green onion version sold by the same brand.

Samlip Red Bean Bun

These red bean buns, bought frozen at H Mart, are pretty good! They're a medium-large size, with a generous portion of smooth red bean filling. The filling is standard, but good. Sweetened, but not over the top, and firm enough not to drip when it's hot, but still quite smooth and moist. The dough, however, is the unique component. Texturally, I thought it was pretty good. The dough is a little chewy and bready, but soft. The green color is, of course, fake, but indicates the flavor, which is "artemisia" leaf. Artemisia is the genus of plants including wormwood and tarragon. Ross and I were both puzzled by the flavor, and had to look at the ingredients. His initial guess was that it was spinach, my initial thought was rye. I'm not doing a good job of indicating the flavor with our guesses, but the best general description I could give is savory herbal but pleasant. I have a feeling that it tastes like tarragon, but I don't use tarragon in my own home cooking so I can't judge. (I'm going to have to start using it now!) Anyway, the sort of hearty flavor of the bun dough balanced the sweet red bean paste, and texturally, they were a good match, with the dough remaining springy enough to rip pieces off and retain filling.

Score: 4/5 - These were fascinating. I will definitely want to have them again. Too bad they only come in a three-pack!

Eggplant Buns!

Does this count as dim sum? I had delicious eggplant buns at BackBar in Union Square. These yu hsiang eggplant buns were very mild in their spice, but pleasant. Compared to the usual yu hsiang dishes, it's lightly dressed in the sweet salty spicy sauce, but the light flavor is refreshing. A little carrot for crunch, cilantro, and, I think, a tiny bit of onion? The steam half bun things were pretty good, too. Good ratio of filling to bun. I really enjoyed these.

Score: 4.5/5 - Well, I might have to have these the next time I'm at BackBar! Something delish to counter the strong drinks.

Sura Vegetable Dumpling

These Sura Vegetable "Dumplings" are not dumplings, they're buns. I bought these at Reliable Market, frozen. When I opened the bag, I got a whiff of spicy pepper, which gave me hope. And it wasn't misplaced, they were pretty good buns! The filling is a little bit of everything. Cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, soy crumbles, carrots, onions, noodle bits. The flavor was good, and you could actually get different tastes in different bites. There's a little spiciness, with black pepper and a little hot red pepper. These are interesting for a vegetable bun!

These buns were a little pricey, but I would say worth it. The dough was on the soft side. Not a lot of filling, but it sticks in the bun, and is adequate to give the whole thing flavor. It is not overstuffed as in the illustration on the package... I will definitely buy these again.

Score: 4/5 - The added spices make these some of the best "vegetable" buns I've had. They aren't at the level of craveable where I could eat a whole meal of just these buns, but I will put one in my steamer every time until they run out and then buy more!

Yessine Cooked Vegetable Dumpling

These dumplings came frozen from Reliable Market in Union Square. This is going to be my "local" Korean market now that I am up in Medford, I think. Despite being in Union Square, they have a parking lot, which is awesome. The frozen foods section didn't have many brands I recognized from the Kam Man; I will have to do a little more comparing to see if the brands are the same as at H Mart. Anyway, I've had these dumplings both pan fried and steamed over a hot pot, and they held together well both ways. These dumplings are full size and firmly filled. The filling is a pretty standard vegetable mix; cabbage, green onion, carrot, along with a little veggie protein and noodle bits. A little seasoning by way of garlic, ginger, and MSG. I like them, which is good considering that they come in a giant bag!

Score: 4/5 - I like these. I've had veggie dumplings that were a little better in dough texture, filling texture, or flavor, but not in across the board better. I am holding out for some more unique flavors, but these I will very likely get again.