Restaurant Review: The Dumplings Company Has All the Momos 

• Alex Springer

I'm noticing a trend among up and coming South Asian restaurants to lean into their selection of momos, which are steamed dumplings filled with either protein or veggies. I first noticed it when I visited Bhansa Ghar, whose menu featured a "momo corner" in addition to a great lunch buffet. This welcome dumpling trend has taken another step in the right direction with The Dumplings Company. With its current selection of sauces, preparations and fillings, the dumpling possibilities are endless.

The Dumplings Company opened earlier this year as a new concept from the owners of The Kathmandu. It's a team that is well-versed in South Asian cuisine, and The Dumplings Company has a few of Kathmandu's recipes represented on the menu. I'm used to restaurants like this serving momos as more of an appetizer, but at The Dumplings Company, there's no shame in ordering a few plates as a main course.

One half of the restaurant's menu is dedicated to their momos, and the best way to wrap your head around its nuances is to divide the menu up into preparations and fillings. Preparation-wise, you've got your plain steamed dumplings, dumplings tossed in a masala sauce, chili dumplings (which are tossed in a fiery red sauce with peppers) and fried mango dumplings (which are topped with a sweet, mango-infused sauce). From there, each preparation can be ordered with a choice of chicken, pork, lamb, bison or veggies.

The best way to try all of these varieties and also get a whole lot of dumplings in the process would be the dumplings platter ($23.95-$28.95). You kind of have to stick with your filling of choice since they all come with different price tags, so I went with the bison, since I thought it was the most unique option. You get four sets of five dumplings, each of which represent the four preparations available. It's a shareable dish for sure, but I won't judge you if you just get one for yourself, because that's what I did.

There are few culinary scenes that are more lovely than a multitude of steamed momos, and that's exactly what you get with this dish. It takes a minute to arrive, but I saw that as a sure sign that my momos weren't just mass-produced, frozen and then boiled onsite. The kitchen is making these little guys from scratch, and that effort really shows. With all four preparation options before me, I happily dug in.

I started with the plain steamed dumplings, which were executed to the letter—nice, chewy texture on the outside and a well-cooked filling on the inside. The downside here is that this preparation is a little on the bland side when served on their own. For this reason, I'd recommend the other options and their complement of flavorful sauces. I think my favorite was the mango sauce, as it was creamy and had a lovely mango flavor without being overly sweet. This pairs well with a cup of spicy sauce that the servers will snag for you if you want to crank up the Scovilles. The spicy condiment adds a dry sort of heat to the mix, which pairs very nicely with the mango sauce.

The masala dumplings are also very good if you're craving something in the middle of the sweet spectrum. It's much improved with a dose of the spicy sauce, but if you're a fan of masala, you'll like this preparation. For those who are craving something more on the spicy side, it's all about the chili dumplings. These are tossed in an angry crimson sauce along with some peppers and onions, and they do a great job of bringing both heat and flavor. You can also customize the spice level if you're looking to do some damage to yourself.

On the other side of the menu, you'll find plenty of South Asian dishes like noodles with a choice of protein, chicken wings or the sekuwa special of lamb ($12.95), pork ($12.95) or chicken ($11.95) skewers. It's the same vibrant, flavorful cuisine you'd expect from the team behind The Kathmandu. In addition to all of these savory options, The Dumplings Company also has a lovely selection of desserts on display near the cash register. Pistachio cake ($6.95), tiramisu ($6.95) and mango cake ($6.95) are all ready for you if you end up having any room left after eating so many dumplings.

I'm always going to be a fan of dumplings no matter where they hail from, but I like how The Dumplings Company is just leaning into how fun these little savory bites are to eat. We've known all along that several plates of well-sauced dumplings can be an entree, so it's nice to see a restaurant legitimize this culinary practice.