Dumpling Inn is the ultimate comfort food

Oh, how I love dumplings! They may be my favorite comfort food. And how amazing is it that they are becoming more commonplace in American cuisine? Finally, what took so long?

Dumpling Inn serves my favorite Xia Long Bao in San Diego. I realize saying this may cause a little controversy, I know there are a lot of Din Tai Fung lovers out there, so hear me out. I’ve been going to Dumpling Inn since well before it moved into this giant location with the Shanghai Saloon. If you’re local to San Diego and familiar with Convoy Street (where pretty much all of the amazing Asian food in San Diego resides), you may remember long ago when Dumpling Inn was located in what is now a little Boba Cafe in the left-corner of the shopping center where the current location resides. There were about 6 tables in the old location, and you would walk up and add your name to the list hanging from the door. Gaging by the number of names ahead of you would determine how many beers you would need to tailgate with in the parking lot as you impatiently waited for your turn. Ahh good times! My point to this little trip down memory lane, is that Dumpling Inn was the introduction to my love affair with Xia Long Bao. I absolutely love these morsels of love that burst with flavor (and soup) in your mouth. Along with the Xia Long Bao, the food here is consistently delicious, and there is really not a bad option on the menu — have you tried their fried rice? Best fried rice ever.

Long story long, here are some of my favorite options at Dumpling Inn:

Potstickers

Xia Long Bao (AKA Soup Dumplings, AKA Xiao Long Bao)

Pork and Chive Dumplings in Spicy Soup

Beef and Scallion

Sauteed Chinese Green

Not pictured is one of my favorite dishes - the Green Bean Fish with Black Bean sauce. It’s a fabulous and savory dish of flash fried sea bass with perfectly crunchy and bright green beans in one of the best black bean sauces I’ve had. It’s delightful and makes for some really tasty leftovers. Try it!

The potstickers are maybe just as exciting as the Xia Long Bao. They come out hot with a perfect seared crust on the bottom. they also make for some great leftovers if you don’t finish. Surprisingly, they travel well!

I highly recommend using the dipping sauces for your dumplings and be sure to ask for the spicy oil if it’s not on your table. I like to blend 2/3 soy sauce, 1/3 rice vinegar and add spicy oil + red chili flakes to your spice level of delight.

Warning: The Pork and Chive Dumplings (or choose any dumpling you like) with spicy soup is not for the faint of heart. It’s spicy, like the kind of spicy that gets ya if you inhale too quickly — unctuous and garlic-ey and delicious. This one will clear your sinuses and make your nose run, but it’s worth every savory and spicy bite!

A tip for devouring your Xia Long Bao is to scoop it onto your Chinese soup spoon, swoop some dipping sauce and take a bite — that way if the soup spills out of the dumpling it lands in the spoon and not the table. This is the suggested method for polite eaters that don’t want to gobble the whole dumpling down in one swift bite (I don’t really get how it’s possible, but for those that can actually restrain yourselves, give the spoon a go).

Dumpling Inn is one of my FAVORITE restaurants in San Diego, and is a fantastic spot for brunch or dinner, or your favorite sporting event. You can post up at the bar, munch on dumplings and your favorite craft beer and catch up on the game. I mean, does it get any better? I invite you to explore everything on the menu here, there is not a bad option, but don’t forget the dumplings!

Dumpling Inn

4625 Convoy Street

San Diego, CA 92111