Dumpling King

Dumpling King is one of those places that’s exactly what it sounds like. If you want to have a meal that pretty much only consists of dumplings, come here (and come hungry). The small spot does have other dishes—fried rice, mapo tofu, and noodle dishes—but dumplings are the reason to come. The pan-fried dumplings are huge and stuffed generously with chicken, pork, beef, or vegetables. But you’ve got to get the soup dumplings, which are big, plump, and so good we just can’t get mad at them when they burn the hell out of our mouths.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings

Xiao Long Bao

If you go to Dumpling King and don’t order the xiao long bao (AKA soup dumplings), then you really haven’t been to Dumpling King. We particularly like the pork- and crab-filled versions. Place one on a soup spoon and pierce it with your chopstick. Suck out the rich broth that tastes equally of pork and seafood, as if it were made from some weird hybrid Pokemon (we’ll call him Porkle). Then sprinkle a few drops of vinegar over the dumpling and bite into the thick, chewy skin before getting into the meaty filling. Just try not to burn yourself along the way.

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings

Pan-Fried Dumplings

The pan fried dumplings here are also exceptional, and Dumpling King is one of the few places in Miami that steam-fries them with a flour slurry that evaporates in the pan to form a crispy spiderweb crust. We also recommend a drizzle of vinegar with these, which really lifts the flavors up to the next level.