Author Archives: rundlea
Soba Noodle Azuma, New York, NY
For years now I have slept on Soba Noodle Azuma, not realizing that, in addition to its wide selection of soba noodle dishes, it has a solid Izakaya style menu too. I have been to its next-door neighbor, Donburiya, several … Continue reading
Posted in Gyoza, Japanese, New York City, Pan Fried, Pork, Potsticker
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Meet Harbin, Philadelphia, PA
In 2024 Cheng Du Center City opened in the old location of the much loved Kosher vegan Chinese restaurant Su Xing House. While focusing on Sichuan dishes Cheng Du kept many of the vegan dishes from Su Xing. In 2026 … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, Pan Fried, Philadelphia, Pork, Potsticker, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggie Dumplings
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Tompopo, Philadelphia, PA
Tompopo is a small restaurant in West Philly that has been serving home-style Korean and Japanese food of the past 20 years. The menu includes Banchan, rice bowls, bento boxes, dumplings, bib-bim-bob, noodle dishes, and soups. Food is ordered at … Continue reading
Posted in Gyoza, Japanese, Kimchi, Korean, Philadelphia, Pork, Shumai, Steamed
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Ling Long Soup Dumplings, New York, NY
Ling Long Soup Dumplings is a kiosk sized vendor in a shared space with a coffee shop and a choose your own ingredient mala hotpot place. The space felt like an Asian version of KFC/Taco Bell combo restaurant – but … Continue reading
Posted in Dim Sum, New York City, Pork, Soup Dumpling, Xiao Long Bao
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Tina’s Café, Philadelphia, PA
Tina’s Café is a small café, with half a dozen tables, that opened in Oct 2025, in Philadelphia’s Queen Village neighborhood. I can’t really find any background information on the place and outside of Yelp, which only has three reviews, … Continue reading
Posted in Beef, Empanadas
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Mokban Korean Bistro, Providence RI
Immediately upon walking into Mokban, I was skeptical about whether this restaurant was serving the traditional home-style Korean food it advertised. There was just no smell of cooking sesame oil, which I associate with great traditional Korean restaurants in NYC … Continue reading
Posted in Korean, Mandoo, Pork
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Joong Boo Wang Mandoo, Chicago, IL
Joong Boo Market is small (four stores) chain of Korean markets in Chicago. It has three supermarkets and one houseware market, that it claims provides the “largest selection of kitchenware, appliances, cutlery, gifts, and other housewares products in the Midwest.” I … Continue reading
Return to Xi’an Famous Foods, 2026 Edition
In 2015 I ranked Xi’an Famous Food’s veggie dumplings as my favorite of the year and gave them a shout out in my 2016 round-up of dumplings. I continued to feast on their veggie dumplings regularly up until the beginning … Continue reading
Posted in Vegetarian, Veggie Dumplings
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Mom-Mom’s Kitchen Frozen Vegan Potato Pierogi
Philadelphia’s Mom-Mom’s Kitchen started out as a roving food cart and then in 2018 opened a sit-down brick and mortar location in Bridesburg, which was featured in an 2020 episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. The Bridesburg location closed … Continue reading
Bites of Xi’an 56, NY NY
The NYC mini-chain, Bites of Xia’an, is one of the many Northern Chinese restaurants that launched after Xi’an Famous Foods captured the tastebuds of New Yorkers. Bites of Xi’an 56 is a small, low rent feeling, joint with an open … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, Dipping Sauce, New York City, Pan Fried, Pork, Steamed
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