Rickshaw Dumpling Bar

[Bond Girl]

Informal, small initmate places seemed to be the trend du jour these days in the manhattan culinary scene... First Scott Conant opened Bar Tonno and Now Anita Lo of Annisa is opening Rickshaw's Dumpling Bar on West 23rd. The place will open late November.

Rickshaw Dumpling Bar

61 West 23rd Street

New York, NY 10010

Tel: TBA

[juuceman]

my understanding is that it's a joint effort between Anita and Kenny Lao, from the Myriad Restaurant group.. according to Andrea Strong the menu will include "Classic Pork and Chinese Chives with Soy Vinegar and Sesame Seed Sauce, Chicken and Thai Basil with Lemongrass and Peanut Sauce, and Shrimp with Wasabi and Wasabi Miso Sauce"..

the last time i wandered by, the place was still under construction.. i can't wait for a dumpling place to open in my 'hood though..

-j

[herbacidal]

Any ideas on the dumplings?

Is she going to have eight different kinds, perhaps a few Chinese variations, plus pierogies, empanadas, etc.?

[slkinsey]

As mentioned over in "THE BEST: Chinese Dumplings" thread, Florence Fabricant in today's NY Times says Rickshaw Dumpling Bar is about to open.

[On 7 Febuary 2005] Anita Lo and Kenny Lao are opening Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, a sleek place for inventive steamed and fried dumplings at 61 West 23rd Street, (212) 924-9220. Six varieties, including the fried Peking duck dumplings, are $4.95 for six, $6.95 for nine, steamed or fried.

[roryrabbitfield]

So, is this place open for business or what? I went into Manhattan specifically to go here on Sunday night, and it was closed. I was so bummed.

[Bux]

I thought it was supposed to open Monday (7 Feb.). I've already ready reviews of the dumplings, or so I thought. I went over there for lunch today, but all I got was the chance to read a sign that said they'd be opening next week. I hope that was a new sign and not one that's been there, or one that will be there for a while.

[ASM NY]

Same here... went there on Saturday, they told me they were still doing "kitchen tests" and serving people by invitation only. Mere mortals have to wait...

[juuceman]

i'd called last week and they told me a ConEd snafu were keeping them closed until 2/15/05

they have a machine now that informs you that they'll open soon..

i'll swing by tonight and see what the deal is..

[lorilei1170]

I called them and they are open as of today.

We are getting office lunch there tomorrow, can't wait!

[zimonsays]

i ate there today. i had the pork dumps, fried and steamed and the shrimp dumps. both good but way to expensive. $12.50 for twelve pieces and a water. i would rather have the dollar for five dumps on allen street

Edited February 18, 2005 by zimonsays (log)

[allie]

I tried the Rickshaw this past Sunday, and was very disappointed. After trying Dumpling Man recently, I thought the Rickshaw would have huge dumplings heaping with filling, just with funkier ingredients. Wrong! My bf & I tried the Peking duck, pork & shrimp (both steamed & fried), and:

a) the dumplings were small

b) the portions of filling were tiny

c) the dumpling wrapper was tasteless & flimsy

d) the sauces were rather weak

What a bummer!

[Bux]

The first few times I went by they hadn't opened on schedule. The next two times the line was unbelievable. I could only assume people were being paid to take the dumplings and there was free sex. Then they were closed again. I finally made it to an open shop with no line on Monday night. We tried the shrimp, the pork, vegetable and the duck dumplings and a salad. We were underwhelmed. The creative sauces seemed more interesting than the creative dumplings. The pork and chives were the most successful and these were no better than average, maybe not as good I'd expect in Chinatown. As our daughter lives in the neighborhood, I had high hopes for this place. My guess is that the lines on the opening day were indicative of everyone else's expectations. The almost empty place a week later may be very telltale of how well those expectations were met. They're not bad, but they don't seem to be much of a buy nor worth going our of my way to get.

I picked up a bag of frozen pork, shrimp and chive dumplings and another of pork, shrimp and cabbage at Sun Dou on Grand Street between Mott and Elizabeth. I'll stick them in the kids' freezer. 50 dumplings for $11 and it's easier to toss frozen dumplings into boiling water than it is to run around the corner on a cold snowy evening. I'm content to mix a little black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and maybe some hot oil and grate a piece of ginger also kept frozen for a sauce, though it might be fun to devise some more original sauces.

[brooklyncook]

We were underwhelmed. The creative sauces seemed more interesting than the creative dumplings.

Sir, I echo your sentiment.

I just had lunch there this afternoon with three cohorts, having heard numerous great things about the place. The sauces that accompanied the various dumplings we ordered (the duck, the chicken, the traditional, the shrimp) were quite good, we thought.

The dumplings themselves? Well, both steamed and fried, they were good -- but nothing really "leapt out" at us. I didn't bite into a Peking duck dumpling and find myself amazed at the flavor. It's not that I set extremely high expectations, but when you're getting a dumpling that's different from the norm, I think you should at least be wowed by a different flavor.

The restaurant itself is quite nice; the look of the place is very sleek and cool, and the staff were friendly. I also enjoyed the music; it's the first dumpling joint I've been in that went from Jem to The Roots to Grace Jones.

I would definitely go back to at least try the food again.

[Todd36]

Nice thin skins on the dumplings. I suspect good recipes but poor execution. It's overpriced for what you get and not worth the trip.

[FatTony]

Wish I read this thread before heading over to Rickshaw... I too was underwhelmed.

I found the place modern and pleasantly designed, if a little more chain-like than I had anticipated. I suspect Ms. Lo has big plans. The counter service was brisk and the dumplings came out quickly. They were out of the 'watermelonade' which had seemed such a natural choice in the 90 degree weather, so I took the offered green tea milkshake ($3.50). On a Tuesday lunchtime it was busy, with a line and nowhere to sit. Had to slurp my soup standing up for five minutes or so.

In the end the dumplings were a disappointment. I tried the 'classic' pork and chive with ginger and scallion, steamed, and (optionally) served in a clear broth with scallions and Shanghai noodles. I found these dumplings adequate but uninspiring. And perhaps a little heavy on the chive-scallion combo. The broth tasted of powdered bouillon and the noodles were overcooked for my liking. While it is perhaps an unfair comparison, all I could think of was the comparative complexity of a good Pho, or the noodle soups at GNYNT. $4.95 for six dumplings and $3.00 additional for the broth.

Because I am incapable of ordering a single dish, no matter how large, I also picked up six Peking Duck dumplings with shredded cabbage and scallion, fried, with a hoisin dipping sauce. I found the duck a little mushy, almost pureed, and the hoisin too sweet. Don't get me wrong - how bad can a fried, Peking Duck filled dumpling be? But after Fried Dumpling and assorted other C-town alternatives, I think I may be ruined for a place like this. Shame, cos I was really looking forward to it.

Oh, and green tea milkshake? Bad idea.

[Sethro]

It's ironic, because Anitta's foie dumpling at Annisa is the best dumpling ever ever EVER. It has a perfect amount of filling, robust flavor, and a thick aldente skin.

WTF is going wrong at Rickshaw, I wonder.

Edited June 9, 2005 by Sethro (log)

[georgesimian]

I totally disagree with most of you guys. I thought this place was great. It's fast food. You order at the counter, you pick it up yourself. The dumplings are great for a place like this. As far as value goes, this place is not that expensive. I had dumplings, a salad and an ice tea for about ten bucks. And the dumplings were big and overstuffed, not dinky at all. You're not going to get fois gras dumplings here, and it's not worth going across town for, but if you're in the neighborhood and want to eat, it's great. The only place I can compare it to is Man Doo Bar, which is good too, but even that's different. I don't know what you guys were expecting from this place. Annisa, but cheap and fast? Come on. This place rules.

[brooklyncook]

To update my post from April:

I have gone back to Rickshaw numerous times since my earlier post, and have tried the dumplings again and again. They've improved -- much, I think, like any restaurant's food would over time, with practice.

I have become QUITE fond of the tofu-wrapped pork dumplings. The smell does not appeal to my co-workers (not everyone's a tofu fan) -- but I love em. I think they're fantastic.

On one occasion, during heavy business, they messed up our order for take-out. I came back to get the right dumplings, and they were quick to apologize, get it right, and hook us up with a free order of edamame. That's good service, and it scored big points.

I agree with georgesimian -- low cost, good quality. They've got my business.

[Fat Guy]

A few of my colleagues were dining tonight at Alinea in Chicago. Some others were headed to the 12-course Thursday-night dinner at the Kitchen Counter at Beacon. I went to Rickshaw for dumplings.

My experience was mixed. At its best, Rickshaw is making delicate, artful dumplings at a level way above most in the city, and in that context the prices are very reasonable. At its worst, the dumplings are flawed and lukewarm, making them a poor value.

I don't really think the five-for-a-dollar dumpling places in Chinatown provide a meaningful basis for comparison to what Rickshaw is doing. It's sort of a category error to compare them. The five-for-a-dollar places serve delicious dumplings -- I love them and have eaten thousands -- but they're rustic, street-food dumplings. What Rickshaw is aspiring to is a much more refined species of dumpling. It's chopped liver versus foie gras.

We ordered six of every type of dumpling -- there are seven varieties altogether. The cost is $5.55 for six dumplings, and $7.77 for nine dumplings. The dessert dumplings are $1.50 a piece or three for $3.50. All the savory dumplings are available either steamed or pan-fried. You can get them simply as dumplings with a paired dipping sauce, or you can add a salad or have them served in soup ($3.33 extra). There are also three small side dishes available: edamame, miso soup and chili-sesame noodle salad.

The place (we went to the original 23rd Street location; they've also just opened another location near NYU, which is what triggered my interest, but traffic was terrible today so we diverted to 23rd Street).

Some overall observations:

The people working the counter -- that is, the order-takers and order-providers -- are sub-par. Below the already sub-par level of New York City behind-the-counter workers in general. The cashier was eating while taking orders, was uncommunicative and was neither helpful nor nice. The order-assemblers were messing up a lot of people's orders and not being nice about it. Nobody was out on the floor cleaning tables as they were vacated. It was a federal case to get a plate, or the bathroom key. The actual cooks working the line, which is in full view behind a glass wall, were super-friendly and seemed totally on top of their jobs. But not the service staff.

The dumplings are presented in flattened, stylized versions of the old paper-box Chinese takeout containers. They're quite attractive, and each one bears a big red label, nicely designed, saying what species of dumpling is within. However, the boxes are not entirely workable as eat-in containers. You really need a plate in order to be able to work with the dipping sauce, which is jammed into the dumpling-crowded boxes. Plates, however, are not provided by default. There are nice wooden chopsticks, heavy-duty plastic forks, and totally flimsy plastic Chinese-style soup spoons provided at the napkin area. The restaurant is very stylish, hip, modern and busy.

The most remarkable thing by far about Rickshaw is the incredible lineup of dipping sauces. These are light-years ahead of what anybody else is doing, at least anything I've seen. They're simply brilliant. Every one is matched to its dumpling with a keen eye towards complementary flavors. These sauces are very high quality, complex sauces and add a lot of value to the experience.

The main problem with Rickshaw is temperature control. They have so many types of dumplings always at the ready that it's a crapshoot whether they'll be fresh and hot, or lukewarm and wilting. This is a very unfortunate state of affairs. They really need to rethink the workflow.

In terms of the dumplings specifically:

1. Pork and Chinese chive with cabbage, ginger and scallion (with soy-sesame dipping sauce). We got these pan-fried. This is the one selection that's directly comparable to the five-for-a-dollar downtown dumplings. They compare somewhat favorably, I think, but I wouldn't order them again -- they're not what Rickshaw brings to the city's table. The wrappers are very delicate. The cabbage component of the filling kind of takes them in the direction of Korean mandoo flavor-wise. The dipping sauce is simple, focused, excellent.

2. Chicken and Thai basil with lemongrass, glass noodles and carrot (with spicy peanut dipping sauce). We got these steamed. Needless to say, here Rickshaw departs entirely from what's available at the five-for-a-dollar places and moves into the category of serious dim sum operations like Dim Sum Go Go. This is a really smart combination, the spicy peanut sauce could be enjoyed alone it's so good, and if the dumplings had been hot they would have been superlative. As it was, they were still pretty good.

3. Szechuan chicken with chili and white soy beans (with chili-soy dipping sauce). Steamed as well. I'm not sure I get this combination. The white soy beans add nothing but an unappealing chalkiness. The other chicken dumplings are much, much better. I'd like to try these pan-fried some time -- I think that would make a difference, because these are more towards the rustic end of the spectrum. Good dipping sauce, though.

4. Peking duck with shredded cabbage and scallion (with hoisin dipping sauce). Pan-fried. These are good enough, but the description creates an expectation that isn't realized in the dish. The filling is basically a duck meatball. Again, terrific dipping sauce.

5. Shrimp with sweet jicama and scallion (with wasabi miso dipping sauce). Steamed. Probably my favorite dumpling, and my favorite combination of dumpling and sauce. Again, not hot enough, though.

6. Seasonal vegetarian, currently being made with Chinese mustard greens and five-spice tofu (with "Asian herb" dipping sauce). Steamed. If you like the bitterness of mustard greens, you'll probably love these. I thought they were unpleasantly bitter, though. I'd like to try them in the other seasons -- the pea-shoot/shiitake combination sounds more to my liking. Again, a great sauce.

7. Chocolate "Shanghai soup dumplings," made with melted Callebaut chocolate in a black sesame mochi wrapper. I've got to give Rickshaw credit for this dessert. It's a bit gimmicky, but great fun. I'm not a huge fan of mochi, but this is a good use of the product. The chocolate is of good quality. They are an absolute mess to eat.

We also ordered the chili-sesame noodle salad but they forgot it, and by the time we figured it out we didn't want to go back to square one and get more food -- thus is the way of dining with a two-year-old. But boy, you should have seen PJ's face when he saw those big steamers full of dumplings.

[weinoo]

The people working the counter -- that is, the order-takers and order-providers -- are sub-par. Below the already sub-par level of New York City behind-the-counter workers in general. The cashier was eating while taking orders, was uncommunicative and was neither helpful nor nice. The order-assemblers were messing up a lot of people's orders and not being nice about it. Nobody was out on the floor cleaning tables as they were vacated. It was a federal case to get a plate, or the bathroom key. The actual cooks working the line, which is in full view behind a glass wall, were super-friendly and seemed totally on top of their jobs. But not the service staff.

←

This is why I'll never go back; now, you would think that someone who actually was a restaurant chef, and who wants to expand the concept, would understand that service matters to some customers.

I mean, if Meyer can offer service with a smile at Shake Shack (which I've always had), a place that is perpetually jammed, Lo should be able to do better. But, as you said, we are in the service sucks capital of the world.