Roasted sesame seeds are used to make the wrappers black.
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They were small chopped pieces of beef, not ground. 
Or black tea.
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I think the issue here isn’t so much the doneness of the wrappers, but that they were left out in the air too long, leaving them dry, tough and chewy.
If the wrappers are tough, or what may be imagined as too “al dente,” then it’s a symptom of the dumplings or XLB being left out to cool too long, so that the cooked dough looses its water content and becomes less elastic (not enough QQ), and becomes more chewy like stir-fried noodles.
Then there’s the point that @blackave raises – the thickness of the wrappers, which has nothing to do with doneness. Whether one prefers thick or thin wrappers is really an individual question. Those who prefer dainty XLBs, go to DTF because they sort of specialize in thin, wispy wrappers. Those who prefer a more masculine wrapper, generally go to places like Hui Tou Xiang or Mei Long Village.
All that said, one would definitely not want underdone wrappers because raw dough is kind of gross unless you have eggs, sugar, chocolate chips, and butter mixed in.
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[quote=“guyonatlantic, post:161, topic:5206, full:true”]
Sad, but these are the dumplings I eat more than any other.
[/quote]We do these.
They’re tasty. But they’re also good for practicing my steaming and pan-frying. I would hate to mess up a batch of handmade dumplings
.
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[quote=“CiaoBob, post:162, topic:5206”]
Haven’t a clue
[/quote]That’s hilarious you weren’t curious enough to ask.
[quote=“ipsedixit, post:168, topic:5206”]
I think the issue here isn’t so much the doneness of the wrappers, but that they were left out in the air too long, leaving them dry, tough and chewy.
If the wrappers are tough, or what may be imagined as too “al dente,” then it’s a symptom of the dumplings or XLB being left out to cool too long, so that the cooked dough looses its water content and becomes less elastic
[/quote]Ahhh… That makes sense! I make dumplings sometimes, very amateurishly. But only for a large group, because the wrappers dry out very quickly after opening, making them useless for future.
[quote=“ipsedixit, post:168, topic:5206”]
Those who prefer dainty XLBs, go to DTF because they sort of specialize in thin, wispy wrappers.
[/quote]That would be me. I don’t really mind thick ones though. As long as they’re cooked right, or as I now know, not dried out.
Thanks. That was helpful!
Perfect. I may have to find an excuse to get down there!
you might try the mandoo at olympic noodle although the real reason to go there is for the chicken noodle soup IMO.
pao jao might in the ktown mall also does mandoo, but they also might have the best shrimp dumplings in ktown. and you can try the kimbap at awoolim in the same mall. korean kimbap doesn’t approach the nuance you might find in a sushi hand roll, but they’re awfully tasty when you’re in the right mood for them.
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I grew up in Beachwood. I used to love a deli called Corky & Lenny’s. One of those old time delis. They used to have a chafing dish at the front of the lines with mini meat knishes. I’d be full before we were seated.
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I regularly ordered from Zabars (http://www.zabars.com) and Yonah Schimmel (http://www.knishery.com) in NYC when I worked in an office and could get my biz partner to split.
Miss those.
Hi @secretasianman.
Olympic Noodle House is minutes from me. I’ve been once maybe twice and really need to revisit. I love soup. Plus I want to start distinguishing between the good, the bad and the so so, when it comes to noodles.
I looked up Pao Jao; the spicy shrimp dumplings seem like the ticket. I like kimbap too. So, this is a plan.
Thanks!
[quote=“Gr8pimpin, post:174, topic:5206”]
a chafing dish with mini meat knishes.
[/quote]Yummm!
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Dumpling House
3525 W 3rd St
@ 3rd and New Hampshbire
I used to eat there all the time when they first opened two years ago. Talking to the owner, it seems like they do a lot of wholesale to other restaurants and markets. The mandu all have wonderful dough springiness, not that frozen limp dick mouth feel you get at a lot of places (esp Chinese places). The fillings are saltier than I’d prefer but still pretty solid.
They have this battleship mandu? I don’t know what it’s called but it looks like a potsticker in mandu form except the folds are a beautiful cross hatch pattern.
My friend ate there last week and she said the hand made noodle chicken soup was exceptionally good; noodles had the chewiness and QQ of legit homemade noodles. I’m really jonesing to go back and try this!
And you can do a bang-bang and go to Biryani-Kebab House right next door with lamb biryani comparable to Zam Zam! And then for the bang bang bang, go to California Donuts across the street and then go to Lock & Key around the corner and smoke in the patio and talk to other hipsters about how great living in K-town is.
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Hi @dreas -
Well, that’s quite a description of eating the mandu at Dumpling House.
This seems like a fun bang bang day. Plus Biryani Kabob House is perfect for April DoTM.
That’s funny about the hipsters in K-town. They’re not original. A lot of young angelenos had their first apartment in K-town. I did.
Thanks for the great tips!
tried them about a year ago. truth be told, the thing i remember most about the place is the muzak which consisted of pop/rock songs covered by a pan flute.
having said that, the mandoo were ok,
certainly not better than the fresh made buns i can get at noodle house in monterey park, even if they’re not nearly as pretty.
ditto for the fried potstickers, which were crispy and not greasy.
steamed, ok
and they brought out an IIRC avocado filling that they brought out for us to sample and provide feedback
i understand what they were going for with crispy exterior/creamy interior. it was ok.
we also tried the seafood noodle soup
to give you a frame of reference as to the size of the seafood, that’s not a bowl, it’s a soup spoon.
and their version of tonkatsu (i think i spelled it correctly for once!)
i don’t consider it a destination place, but a chacon son gout.
i’d just get the biriyani with the lamb shank at BKH on the same block
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My apologies, but everyone is doing it wrong when it comes to Mandu (or Mandoo).
Just go to Naemamdu Mandu (inside Zion Market in Koreatown).
While the mandu are fantastic (they really are, no joke), the real gem here is the hot and spicy chicken feet (닭 발). Perfect, Superbowl food, except the lady that makes them would never be able to make enough to satiate demand if word ever got out. So keep this to yourself, k?
And for those that enjoy fusion Mandu, there’s a corn cheese (콘 치 즈) creation (sort of like Korean pub food decides to have a one-night stand with a Mandu, and both forget to bring protection).
Word to the wise, place is sort of hard to find. No signage. But it’s located in the back corner of the grocery store, about 20 yards from the cash registers.
건 배!
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yu chun for their wang kimchee mandu
pao jao for their spicy shrimp mandu
or hangari for their steamed mandu
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Yep, not a fan of warm avocado.