Lisa’s Dumplings is in the Turnstyle Underground Market, one of the NYC MTA’s attempts at an Asian style underground shopping arcade.  Lisa’s has an open kitchen concept where the dumpling wrappers are rolled out on a counter in front of the customers and there is a team working away putting stuffing in the wrappers and pinching them closed. Like all of the food outlets in Turnstyle, Lisa’s is a to-go kiosk, but there is seating in the main aisle of the arcade. Lisa moved from Northern China 20 years ago and since then has been building a hospitality empire, with a fine wine and spirits shop in Massapequa, Panda Bubble Tea and investments in several restaurants in Flushing, Queens.

The Dumplings:  The menu includes dumplings stuffed with: pork & Chinese cabbage; pork & green pepper; pork & sauerkraut; chicken and green peppers; beef & celery; beef & onion; shrimp, egg and chives; shrimp, pork and chives; and veggies – Chinese cabbage, mushroom, and carrot.  All of the dumplings can be ordered steamed or pan-fried.  The dumplings are served in clam-shell to-go containers with a small tub of dipping sauce. 

I went with the classic, pan-fried pork and Chinese cabbage, which were delicious.  The wrappers were medium thick, and so slightly chewier than pan-fried gyoza style wrappers, and were seared on just the bottom surface of the dumpling.  The pork and cabbage filling was savory with a strong pork flavor and the filling was really juicy.  Biting into these dumplings when they are first served risks having hot juice spilled on your chin or shirt.

My one complaint with Lisa’s is that the dumplings are a little pricey, 7 dumplings for $10.99.  Maybe these prices are the result of inflation or the MTA trying to subsidize commuters by charging high rents for the kiosks in the arcade.        

The Location:  The Turnstyle Underground Market is an underground arcade of shops and food kiosks that stretches from the 59^th street Columbus circle subway station to 57^th street.  These underground arcades are common in Asian cities and some of the ones I have visited in Seoul go for blocks and blocks in multiple directions from the subway station.  NYC only has a few of them and the Turnstyle Market is one of the MTA’s latest efforts to create these types of commercial and eating spaces.