It's been very sad that whenever someone asks me where to find decent xiao long bao in Milwaukee, I'm only able to say that the frozen ones at Trader Joe's are better than any of the ones you can find at restaurants in town. I'm excited to say that I no longer have to resort to TJ's! Finally, we have some great xiao long bao- and other dumplings- to enjoy. And ironically, it's right across the street from TJ's. It couldn't have worked out better.
Dumpling House opened in the Yamato Sushi House location in Brookfield, and while it's still Yamato and serves the same items, they've changed the sign to reflect their new dumpling offerings. Accordingly, the menu is still the Yamato menu, but now with an extra page reflecting the Dumpling House additions. Here you can order a variety of steamed, boiled, or pan-fried dumplings, buns, and assorted other classics such as wontons in chili oil, Shanghai chow mein, and Taiwanese beef rolls. All of the dumplings are made by hand. The owner has been serving up sushi under the Yamato name for about a decade, but he recently decided to specialize and add a variety of dumplings and other Chinese favorites to the menu. It seems that Dumpling House is more of a passion project for him, and I'm certainly grateful that he decided to pursue it.
My friend and I ordered the xiao long bao [$12.95 for 8], sheng jian bao [$12.95 for 6], and Taiwanese popcorn chicken [$9.95] to share. I would say the dumplings and buns here are not made with the precision of somewhere like Din Tai Fung, but instead they have a comforting homestyle feel. It may not have 18 pleats weighed to the gram on a scale, but it feels like the memories of my mom bringing plates of xiao long bao fresh out of the steamer for our family to enjoy. The food is definitely like something my parents would make for me when I visit home. The xiao long bao is tasty and filled with plenty of piping hot soup; the skin is a little thick which gives it that homestyle, versus mass-produced, kind of feel. I feel like America is really sleeping on the sheng jian bao, which is actually my favorite kind of 'dumpling'- fluffy, carby goodness, a crispy, pan-fried bottom, and a savory and juicy interior. This is a tough one for me because I've never been able to find sheng jian bao in the US that hold a candle to those in Shanghai, but I thought that Dumpling House's version was a decent rendition. The popcorn chicken was a crunchy and salty delight.
We spoke for a long time with the owner after eating. He was really excited to meet us because it seems this new aspect of his business hasn't been getting much attention. It reminded me of being home with my parents, and it's clear that he cares a lot about customer enjoyment and the quality of the dumplings he's putting out. For example, he is not currently serving the crab and pork xiao long bao because he insists on waiting for quality crab before making them. He offers his dumplings frozen for purchase on WeChat, so if you have the app, definitely ask him to add you to his group.
Overall, it's a delight to have more traditional Chinese food offered in the Milwaukee area and I hope that Dumpling House will become more popular as the word spreads! I know there are a lot of Yelpers who are looking to try some authentic dumplings without making the drive down to Chicago, and will definitely be recommending this restaurant to others. read more