Bodhi’s Banner

Vegetarian Dim Sum House in New York’s Chinatown is my usual go-to for vegan dim sum, but recently I have noticed that Bodhi Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant is getting as good or better reviews online.  So to satisfy my recent dim sum cravings I hit Mulberry Street for some Kosher dim sum. Bodhi Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant has a more extensive list of dumplings (for instance, Curry Dumplings) than Veggie Dim Sum House, so my plan was to have a couple of meals at Bodhi and then do an extensive write-up.  But Bodhi was pretty bad and I decided it was one and done.  In addition to some dumplings, we tried the Buddha’s Delight on Pan Fried Noodles which was a big disappointment.  It had a bland, over corn-starched brown sauce that got increasingly gloppy as the sauce cooled.

Vegetable Soup Dumplings

Pan-Fired Buns

The Dumplings:  I don’t think I have ever seen a vegan soup dumpling on a menu before, so I was excited to try them out.  The dumplings arrived completely over steamed, so the wrappers were water logged and on the verge of disintegration.  The filling was like a thick stew with little pieces of textured soy protein in it, and it had an overall phlegmy texture.  The flavor was overwhelmingly of raw ginger.  These dumplings were really bad.

The Pan Fried Buns came three to an order and looked really good. The golden fried buns were perhaps the lightest and fluffiest Chinese bread product I have eaten and the bun was really enjoyable.  But the filling was made of shredded vegetables, without any noticeable seasoning, and really had no flavor.  Overall, these buns were disappointing.

The Location: I don’t advise going, but if you must, Bodhi Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant is in New York’s Chinatown on Mulberry Street between Canal and Bayard Streets.

Epilogue:  We didn’t eat much at Bodhi and were hungrily wandering through Chinatown when we stumbled upon Mimi Cheng’s Broome Street location.  We got an order of their amazing pan-fried Super V dumplings, which are filled with carrots, chives, napa cabbage and shiitake mushrooms, and were just incredibly flavorful.  Plus their secret dipping sauce is amazing.

Mimi Cheng’s Supper V Dumplings served pan-fried.