Linda Falkenstein
Shrimp dumplings in rice wrappers (foreground) are a change of pace, while the crabmeat juicy pork dumplings (background) feature Chen’s more typical wheat dough.
“Veggie dumplings misshapen enough to have been made fresh on the spot,” read the notes from my first visit to Chen’s Dumpling House, a sweet and somewhat old-fashioned State Street eatery that opened earlier this year in the former Osaka House space. Grab a well-lit table by the large front window and watch the denizens of State Street pass by.
Those veggie dumplings are indeed made fresh in the small kitchen on the first floor. The dough for all varieties is prepared daily and the dumplings are filled and cooked to order. You may have to wait a bit for your food because of that, but pull out your phone and scroll through The New York Times feed. Surely something outrageous has happened today that you should know about, and your dumplings will be ready by the time you’ve finished reading.
The veggie dumplings put others of that genre to shame, with lots of chopped greens and even some chopped egg inside. They’re a little garlicky, but not too garlicky — the flavor doesn’t rely solely on the garlic, as is often the case. They come to the table still steaming, too hot to eat immediately.
As the late Milwaukee poet James Hazard once put it, referring to the Polish dumplings known as pierogi: “This is home food. This is more than the sum of its calories, it’s a plateful of loyalty and belonging.” It’s easy to grow poetic over a bowlful of these dimpled orbs, simple and satisfying, the marriage of slightly chewy dough with a rich, yielding filling. Most dumplings here star ground pork — there’s bok choy and pork, chive and pork, and crabmeat juicy pork — and there isn’t a big difference among them. The possible exception is the crabmeat version, which may be a bit less greasy. I’d order any of them again, saucing them up with a simple vinegar dip. They also don’t need any sauce to taste great.
If pork is not your thing (while those veggie dumplings are good, the pork is where it’s at), there’s also a mushroom and chicken version, not quite as greasy or rich as the pork but still fine. Another option is the shrimp rice dumpling, its exterior made with rice dough instead of wheat, so the wrapper is chewier and sweeter. Minced shrimp and not much else find a home inside. If you like the gummy texture of a rice wrap, have at these. They are a mild, but winning, change of pace.
Chen’s Dumpling House reminds me of an earlier era on State Street. There’s nothing glitzy or concocted about it. The counter staff came to recognize me after my first few visits, and when I asked about a hand-written sign taped on the wall that read “seafood flavor gruel,” they gave me a sample. It was, as I’d suspected, congee. Another day when I ordered a bowl of soup, a full order of dumplings and a brown sugar nuts bread (which I mistakenly perceived to be a dessert), the server advised me that was way too much food for me to eat.
The congee didn’t taste of seafood, but was a comforting bowl of starchy rice and broth and, in this case, mushrooms, for a cold spring day. The brown sugar nuts bread, a steamed mini-loaf, is sticky and flavorless, save for a faint aftertaste of peanuts. It’s skippable, unless you’re really into steamed bread. Scallion pancakes are standard issue, not quite crisp enough or scalliony enough.
I was conflicted about the big bowl of homemade noodle beef brisket soup that a friend and I shared, or tried to share, one noon. The rusty-colored broth, rich and more than a little spicy, was good, but the brisket was mostly big chunks of gristle. Whole baby bok choi and quarters of tomatoes are also hard-to-eat components. Slurping is not optional on this one; it’s required. Easier to eat, and quite satisfying, is the wonton soup, posted with the wall specials. The stuffed wontons were predictably good; the broth tasted lightly of chicken. After I ordered a bowl, most of the staff also took a break and had a bowl as a late lunch.
Steamed pork dumplings called xiaolongbao are larger than the other dumplings and made with the puffier dough found in traditional steamed buns. They were bland and puffy, but then, they’re supposed to be. The barbecue pork buns were okay, but the filling was too sweet and wiped out any flavor from the pork. There’s also a steamed vegetable bun.
The specials signs taped on the wall are proliferating. At least one of them is in Chinese only, providing a bit of mystery — that is, to those who can’t read Chinese. But there’s really no mystery about Chen’s: Order the dumplings. It’s almost all you need to know.
Chen’s has one step up at the front entrance. There are steps at the rear door too; there is no level access for wheelchairs. The second floor seating area is reachable via a flight of stairs.
Chen’s Dumpling House
505 State St.; 608-709-5888; 11 am-9:30 pm daily;
$2-$10; not wheelchair accessible.