The New Haven Dumpling Index

Finding a go-to spot for dumplings in New Haven was an essential task for me. Back home, my family and I would order dumplings every Friday dinner, and I was determined to continue this tradition in New Haven. 

But with many places serving dumplings, I was unsure which to try. I’ve eaten an obscene number of dumplings in the past couple weeks.. And now, after my endless work, I can share where you can find the best dumplings around.  

I tried dumplings at nine restaurants, and ordered two different kinds of dumplings at each place. In this review, I have ranked each restaurant from 1-9 according to how much I enjoyed the dumplings.  

1. Tiger Daddy - 54 Whitney Ave 

Dumplings Tried: 

• Steamed Stuffed Pork Bun - $8.90 

• Steamed Pork Dumplings - $8.90 

Tiger Daddy wins for my favorite dumplings in New Haven. While the casual storefront is  unassuming, the food is high quality. The soup dumplings were some of the best I’ve ever had: filled with the most soup of any I tried and bursting with flavor. The steamed pork dumplings were very soft and delicate, and the veggies inside gave them a nice crunch for contrast.  

2. Steamed Plus - 77 Whitney Ave 

Dumplings Tried: 

• Pork Soup Dumplings - $12.00 

• Steamed Pork Dumplings - $11.00 

I will definitely be returning to Steamed Plus. The soup dumplings were filled with soup, an impressively close contender of Tiger Daddy’s soup quantity. The pork in both dumplings was the most tender of any of the places I tried. The steamed pork dumplings had a perfect ratio of meat to dough, and my only critique would be that I wish the dough was a little bit softer.  

3. Nice Day Chinese - 316 Elm St 

Dumplings Tried: 

• Pork Xiao Long Bao - $9.99 

• Steamed Pork Dumplings - $9.49 

Nice Day is definitely the most relaxing place to go of the nine places I tried. As a member of Ezra Stiles college, I am so glad there’s a casual, quick-service place to get dumplings right across the street from my college. The xiao long bao encompasses a comforting warm broth. The dumpling wrapper was soft to bite into, but firm enough that they weren't soggy from the soup. The juicy filling of the steamed pork dumplings made for a very succulent first-bite.  

4. Kung Fu Kitchen - 32 Orange St 

Dumpling Tried: 

• Pork Xiao Long Bao - $14.50 

• Steamed Pork Dumplings - $12.50 

As a Michelin recognized restaurant from NYC that opened their new location in New Haven this past Spring, Kung Fu Kitchen serves authentic Chinese cuisine of superb quality with the largest selection of dumplings. The freshness of the ingredients was evident, which also meant it was on the pricier side. Both dumplings were delicious, but each had one critique (based on my preferences) that knocked it down to number four: the steamed pork dumplings had too much pork inside, creating an unbalanced ratio of pork to wrapper, and the xiao long bao were too flat due to their lacking in soup.

5. York St. Noodle House - 1150 Chapel St 

Dumplings Tried:  

• Kim Chi Dumplings - $6.25 

• Steamed Chicken Dumplings - $6.50 

The dumpling selection at York St. Noodle House was a nice change from the other dumplings I tried. The kimchi dumplings were very unique and enjoyable. The dumpling wrapper for both dumplings was the softest of any dumpling I had, and both had a perfect amount of filling. The dumplings were smaller than average, which makes sense given that they cost the least. Unfortunately I was missing the immense flavor I got from the others.  

6. Commons - 168 Grove St 

Dumplings Tried: 

• Steamed Pork Dumplings - 11 Dining Points / $16 

• Steamed Chicken Dumplings - 11 Dining Points / $16 

Commons is obviously a convenient place to stop to eat at, and I enjoyed their dumplings. The dumplings were tender and had a good amount of filling. The broth the dumplings sit in added to the flavor significantly, but it made them hard to take to-go, and the large lump of carrots on top was unnecessary, not adding anything to the meal. 

7. Chef Jiang - 67 Whitney Ave 

Dumplings Tried:  

• Handmade Xiaolongbao - $10.95 

• Steamed Pork Dumplings - $8.95 

Chef Jiang gets the seventh spot because of the inconsistency of the quality of their dumplings. The xiao long bao were tender and had a good amount of flavor. The only thing lacking was that they didn’t have enough soup inside. The steamed pork dumplings, though, were a huge disappointment. The meat was chewy, the wrapper was gummy, and they lacked flavor.  

8. Taste of China - 954 Chapel St 

Dumplings Tried: 

• Steamed Pork Dumplings - $11.00 

• Chengdu Dumplings - $12.00 

I had high expectations for Taste of China, but unfortunately, their dumplings were some of the worst I’ve ever tried. The pork in the steamed pork dumplings was chewy, and the dough was undercooked. The Chengdu dumplings had a tasty sweet and mildly spicy sauce that I enjoyed, making its chewy dough more tolerable. 

9. Basil – 142 Howe St 

Dumplings Tried: 

• Steamed Pork Dumplings 

• Steamed Vegetable Dumplings  

These win the award for the worst dumplings I’ve ever had. The steamed pork dumplings were soggy, and the steamed vegetable dumplings were practically inedible to me. The wrapper was the chewiest I’ve ever had, and there was very little filling relative to the wrapper. It tasted like I was just eating chewy dough.   

And with that, my New Haven dumpling exploration comes to an end (for now). I hope I’ve helped you narrow down your options to find your go-to place for dumplings!