Tirion Boan
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This spring, Phoenix went dumpling-mad with the arrival of the international giant Din Tai Fung. Fans set their alarms to score reservations and seats became a hot ticket item.
In the following months, the demand has not died down. As of mid-July, the next available reservations are in mid-September. There’s no doubt, the Taiwan-based company’s dumplings, handmade at each location, are excellent. But for some dumpling cravings, two months is too long to wait.
Luckily, long before the flashy arrival at Scottsdale Fashion Square, local chefs have been folding and steaming stellar dumplings around the Valley.
There are dim sum restaurants dedicated to the snacking and sampling style of service that allows diners to taste many different shapes and styles of dumplings, as well as full-service eateries serving plates of dumplings perfect for sharing as an appetizer or addition to a meal.
Here are the eight best spots to enjoy dumplings in Phoenix.
Tirion Boan
Chou’s Kitchen
910 N. Alma School Road, Chandler
At Chou’s Kitchen in Chandler, one wall of the small restaurant is covered in framed newspaper articles and awards. Countless times, local writers have sung the praises of this family-run strip mall spot. Among the frames are several Phoenix New Times Best of Phoenix awards. And Chou’s Kitchen deserves every bit of recognition. The kitchen turns out mouth-watering and tongue-numbing Szechuan Spicy Chicken with peanuts and plenty of dried chiles, fragrant Cumin Lamb and tender stir-fried noodles. No meal is complete without Chou’s handmade dumplings. The folded parcels come in many different sizes, shapes and flavors. We’re partial to the soup dumplings, whose satisfyingly chewy shells encase piping-hot, savory broth and the steamed dumplings filled with chives, pork and shrimp.
Tirion Boan
Dim Sum Cafe
2711 S. Alma School Road #2, Mesa
Dim Sum Cafe’s menu is so large, it’s hard to imagine it coming out of such a small restaurant. In the compact, unpretentious dining room, diners fill every table to feast on round after round of dumplings. The restaurant serves a long list of entrees, in addition to a paper menu of the available dim sum. Grab a pencil and check off your selections. The shumai stuffed with pork and shrimp are a must, as are the Shanghai Soup Dumplings. Fluffy buns are filled with red beans, taro and custard. Egg rolls, spring rolls, tempura, crab puffs and scallion pancakes round out the snackable dim sum menu. Our favorite way to visit? Bring some friends, fill your table with a mix of metal steamers and plates and share everything for a fun and flavor-packed meal.
Tirion Boan
Din Tai Fung
7014 E. Camelback Road, #608, Scottsdale
If you want to get dressed up and go out for an upscale dumpling experience, Din Tai Fung is the place to go. But make sure you plan ahead, and be prepared to eat at 2:30 on a Tuesday. The only Arizona location (so far) is nestled among the high-end restaurants and shops at Scottsdale Fashion Square and customers briefly enter the mall to reach its entrance. Just outside of the wood-clad entryway, a window allows would-be diners to peek into the kitchen where skilled staff carefully fold handmade dumplings. Inside, the large restaurant features modern decor with a twisted, bonsai-style tree at the center. The menu features plenty of entrees, but you’ll hardly find a table without a silver steamer of one of the three flavors of Xiao Long Bao and customers oohing and aahing as they slurp their savory broth and burn their tongues. The menu also offers a wide selection of steamed dumplings and bao. The tall shumai are shaped like tiny volcanoes and make for a fun two-bite snack, the spicy chicken wontons are topped with a craveable, luminous orange chile oil and to end the meal, the famous chocolate and mochi Xiao Long Bao live up to every bit of the hype.
Sara Crocker
Great Wall Cuisine
3466 W. Camelback Road, #155
During their busy weekend service, the team at the long-running, massive dim sum restaurant Great Wall Cuisine never misses a beat. The restaurant is the size of a banquet hall, packed with families sharing dumplings, stir-fries, noodles and rice, delivered by an efficient crew pushing metal carts down the aisles between tables and booths. If you’re on the hunt for dumplings, plan your visit during dim sum service, offered daily until 3 p.m. That may sound like plenty of time, but the early bird gets the best selection of steamed delicacies. Once you’re seated, the carts come by frequently. Keep your eyes open for Great Wall’s sweet shrimp dumplings in a nearly translucent, pleated wrapper, its massive, meatball-like shumai stuffed with pork and shrimp or comforting steamed buns filled with barbecue pork.
Natasha Yee
Happy Bao’s
66 S. Dobson Road, #112, Mesa
4330 W. Union Hills Drive, B011, Glendale
If there was a Valley dumpling hall of fame, Happy Bao’s would be a first ballot entrant. The Chinese restaurant, which got its start inside Mesa’s Mekong Plaza in 2019, has so delighted diners with its titular dumplings that it has been named New Times’ best dumplings for four years in a row. Now, hungry diners can indulge in Shanghai-style dumplings in Mesa or in Glendale. You’ll find us there to slurp broth from Xiao Long Bao, crack open steamy stuffed Sheng Jian Bao and fight over the last chewy, doughy pork-and-chive dumpling. Happy Bao’s menu also includes soups, fried rice and handmade noodles, including one of our favorite tongue-numbing bowls of Dan Dan Noodles.
Sara Crocker
Kofu Dumpling House
1948 W. Broadway Road, #106, Mesa
In the heart of Mesa’s Asian District, there are countless spots to grab dumplings. Don’t skip Kofu Dumpling House, where the chefs craft an full array that includes classic steamed versions, folded wontons and pillowy buns, among others. You’ll find the restaurant tucked in a quiet strip mall formerly anchored by the grocery store AZ International Marketplace. Standouts include Kofu’s signature savory pork, shrimp and chive-filled dumplings and its umami chicken-and-mushroom steamed buns. We’ll never skip a bowl of Kofu’s Red Chili Wontons during a visit. The folded dumplings are stuffed with pork and chives, then steamed and served in a bowl brimming with fruity, fiery chile oil, making for a rich, complex bite.
Mike Madriaga
Mekong Palace
66 S. Dobson Road, #120, Mesa
Inside the Mekong Plaza shopping center, Mekong Palace serves a traditional dim sum experience. The large dining hall-style restaurant seats groups around large round tables, with just enough room between them for servers to wheel carts filled with fresh selections. The dim sum menu includes two full pages of options, so its easier to peruse the carts going by and see what looks good. The Steamed Chinese Sausage Buns are stuffed with fragrant, spiced sausage. The delicate Crystal Shrimp Har Gao feature supple, paper-thin, almost translucent wrappers and the Pan Fried Dumplings filled with shrimp and leek offer a savory bite. The sweet options are also great to mix in or save for dessert. Try the sweet sesame balls, egg custard tarts or baked taro buns. The full range of dim sum are available for brunch and lunch, with a smaller selection offered for dinner.
Sara Crocker
Uncle Bao/Uncle Panda
4206 E. Chandler Blvd., #7
5626 W. Bell Road, #101, Glendale
The dumpling palaces in Ahwatukee and Glendale have been called both Uncle Bao and Uncle Panda, but no matter what its name, these Uncles know a thing or two about dumplings. Both restaurants feature open kitchens where diners can watch chefs stretch noodles and meticulously fold each parcel. Uncle offers myriad dim sum delights, including large, beautifully pleated steamed or pan-fried dumplings, soup dumplings, steamed buns and squeal-inducing Holiday Bao that look like brown bears, penguins and other animals. Start with dumplings filled with chicken and corn or pork and kimchi, but be sure to explore the rest of Uncle’s menu, which includes Taiwanese Three-cup Chicken, noodle dishes, rice bowls and classic Cantonese-American favorites.
