Updated January 5th, 2022

When our friends and family come to the city, they spam our phones for dumpling recommendations. There are so many options, from xiao long bao in Flushing to wontons in Manhattan’s Chinatown, that we understand why everyone might feel a little overwhelmed.

Our first recommendation? Shu Jiao Fu Zhou.

For $4, you can get a large order of their pork and chive or chicken and mushroom dumplings. The skins aren’t too thin or heavy, the fillings adhere to a 70-to-30 meat-to-veggie ratio, and the dumplings are boiled just right. They’re the perfect vessels for soy sauce and sriracha.

If you’re looking to expand beyond dumplings, order the whole wheat peanut noodles. They’re extra springy, and their firmness holds up as they bathe in their savory thin peanut sauce. At $2.75 a plate, these noodles plus a large order of dumplings will cost you less than a Miller High Life at a high-end cocktail bar.

Food Rundown

Boiled Dumplings

Beautifully boiled purses of happiness. Get six for the price of a subway ride, or pick up ten for $4. Drizzle with soy sauce and sriracha, and enjoy the meaty fillings.

Whole Wheat Peanut Noodles

Another item that costs the same as a subway ride ($2.75). The noodles hold up really well in the peanut sauce and maintain their bouncy texture. The sauce itself is savory, and it’s the perfect companion to the noodles, especially in sticky hot summers.