Brewery Bhavana
218 South Blount Street, Raleigh, brewerybhavana.com
A bevy of dim sum dumplings awaits at this chic restaurant-brewery-flower-shop-bookstore amalgamation. The assortment is made fresh daily, including favorites such as crab-and-pork soup dumplings and pork-and-snow-pea-tip shumai. The seafood dumplings—stuffed with lobster, crab, and scallops and served in a mushroom-and-garlic sauce—are scene-stealers.
David’s Noodle & Dumpling Bar
1900 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, ddandnb.com
Chef-restaurateur David Mao fulfills the restaurant’s promise with a solid lineup of noodles and dumplings. Get the best of both worlds with the Chinese greens and dumpling soup, where pork-and-shrimp wontons bob with noodles in chicken broth with sesame oil, or bring a crew to gorge on a sampler, including pan-seared pork-and-cabbage, pork-and-shrimp shumai, or edamame and mushroom dumplings, and crispy, spicy wontons with a ginger garlic sauce.
Gourmet Kingdom
301 East Main Street, Carrboro, thegourmetkingdom.com
Authentic Szechuan cuisine of the highest order, Gourmet Kingdom conjures dishes of national repute—think dan dan noodles or Kung Pao lotus root—in humble environs. But the pork dumplings alone are worth the trip. You can get them steamed or fried, but the best move is to order a round of each for the table.
Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant
3003 Guess Road, Durham, hongkongdimsumdurham.com
Dim sum is available at this Durham spot during lunch and dinner, but during weekend lunch hours, the presentation evolves into Hong Kong-style, in which servers wheel carts stacked with baskets and plates to deliver dishes to tables. Look for baskets of steamed pork shumai, fried shrimp-and-vegetable dumplings, or pork-and-bamboo-shoot dumplings. Head home happy.
J. Betski’s
10 West Franklin Street, #120, Raleigh, jbetskis.com
Owner John Korzekwinski draws from his family’s German and Polish heritage and pierogi-making traditions for his menu. The pierogi, semi-circular dumplings made with a dense dough bolstered with sour cream, feature traditional fillings such as potato and cheese or sauerkraut, but you’ll also find specials, such as one filled with Carolina ’cue and sauce.
Jujube
1201 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, jujuberestaurant.com
A sister to Durham’s JuJu, Jujube specializes in small plates with Asian flair, and that extends to the dumpling. Try the crispy pan-fried versions filled with combinations such as bacon and collard greens or pork and cabbage, or the veggie-friendly tofu and red pepper. Wash it down with a creative cocktail such as the yuzu-ginger spiked togarashi sour.
Kathmandu Kitchen
1275 Northwest Maynard Road, Cary, kathmandukitchencary.com
Kathmandu Kitchen’s Himalayan cuisine features momos—Nepalese dumplings that are similar to Japanese gyoza or Chinese wontons in flavor. The just-thin-enough noodle-dough wrappers surround vegetable- or chicken-based fillings, served either steamed with dipping sauces or jhol-style, in a chutney-based broth.
MOFU Shoppe
321 South Blount, Raleigh, mofushoppe.com
Founders Sophia Woo and Sunny Lin made a name for themselves with their dumpling and pho food truck, winning season six of Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race. They used the winnings to create a brick-and-mortar in downtown Raleigh. Happily, the signature pork-and-chive dumplings remain a fixture, served with a duo of dipping sauces—sweet and spicy and black-vinegar-toasted-sesame.
Mr. Dumpling
5470 Apex Peakway, Apex, mrdumpling.net
Don’t let the generic name fool you. This locally owned Apex joint has a dedicated dumpling-making counter where it turns out classics such as pork or chicken with Chinese cabbage. And don’t be alarmed by the colored dumpling wrappers, used to designated daily specials such as pork and leek, pork and shrimp, or lamb and carrot. Round out your order with a scallion pancake and noodles seared in chili oil.
Taipei 101
121 East Chatham Street, Suite A, Cary, carytaipei101nc.com
This downtown Cary spot specializes in Taiwanese and Szechuan cuisine, but there’s also a solid dim sum menu that includes steamed dumplings, shrimp shumai, homemade potstickers, and soup dumplings.
