Dumplings might just be the world’s most versatile and culturally variegated foods.
From the chicken and dumplings of the American South to the gyoza of Japan, to the pierogies of Poland, wrapping filling in stretchy dough before cooking is in our human DNA. This is just a short list of some of our favorites, so get out there and take them down a dozen at a time.
Castleton / 6020 E 82nd St.
New location, same delicious food. This dim sum restaurant serves traditional Chinese-American favorites (beef with broccoli, garlic chicken, etc), but the reason to dine in lies in the bamboo steaming baskets. Bring a few friends and then dive into a full menu of dumplings, and pay special attention to the recommended soup dumplings.
Beech Grove / 4540 S Emerson Ave
For an appetizer, you can get dumplings steamed or fried, though we’re partial to the crunchy/soft combination of the pan fried version. Egg Roll #1 is easily one of the top 3 Asian restaurants in Indy, serving a combination of Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai dishes — each with its own separate section of menu. Once the dumpling course is over, dig into a pan-Asian feast.
Sycamore Heights / 6916 E 30th St
Minnie Sue’s chicken and dumplings have been a signature menu item from the start, with dumplings made from scratch and cooked in rich, homemade chicken stock. His Place is one of Indy’s most famous epicenters of soul food serving our collective cravings for chicken and waffles, Memphis-style fried bologna sandwiches, and sweet potato cheesecake for dessert — His Place’s sublime take on the sweet potato pie.
Eastwood / 5628 E 71st St
We love a good ramen place and this is no different. Ramen Ray is stocked full with so many different ramen types and gyoza variations. Stop by for the best Japanese dumplings! Pick from pork and/or veggie combos and maybe even order 12 pieces so you can truly treat yourself on top of a nice bowl of hot noods.
Pickwick Commons / 1248 W 86th St
They’ve got meats we didn’t know existed. They’ve got Russian pelmeni, a meat-filled dumpling wrapped in dough that is served with vinegar, tomato sauce, mustard or horseradish. It’s a lot like the Polish pierogi — minus the browning stage in the pan — and the traditional Siberian preparation requires boiling them dumplings in reach broth.
Asian Snack
Ethel Acres / 3605 Commercial Dr
Inside Saraga, Asian Snack is a tiny little service window from which you can get true Chinese street food like noodle pockets, mapo tofu, and yes, incredible dumplings. The Chinese translation for pot stickers is guo tie (literally “pot stick”), and they’ll serve you 10 of these pan-fried-on-the-bottom, steamed-on-top dumplings for a fiver.
Greenwood / 916 E Main St # 210
The name for dumplings in Korean is “mandu,” and combined with the Japanese word for fried, “yaki,” what they serve at this Korean restaurant is flash-fried Korean-style dumplings. Korea has a wide range of traditional dumpling preparations, from steamed to fried to pan-fried, and they’re all legit “authentic” methods, and they come filled with everything from kimchi to meat and veggies.
Downtown / 130 E. Washington St.
If you're looking for more of a fine dining experience, check out Hinata. This Japanese fine dining establishment is currently offering a 7-course meal through December for $119, complete with shrimp dumplings.
Bottleworks District / 850 Massachusetts Ave.
Modita's Dim Sum menu is sure to have your mouth watering. This is the perfect stop for any time when you're running around downtown and looking for a bite to eat out of your ordinary rotation. You can never go wrong with any of these options, from their bao buns to the pork soup dumplings.
Downtown / 225 E Ohio St.
This downtown gem hosts live music regularly and has great Thai dumplings. Their entire menu is truly amazing and has something that will fit all of your needs.
Downtown / 137 W Market St.
From the outside, this looks like just another store or restaurant downtown. On the inside, they're cooking up delicious steamed dumplings filled with pork and shrimp and serving them up with sweet soy sauce.
Did we miss any? Send us a message at [email protected]
