In this post we were in Seattle on a Sunday, looking for something to eat past 9pm, and surprisingly there wasn’t much open that overlapped with what we wanted to eat.
Thankfully walking past our hotel yielded Dough Zone. This Shanghai style dumpling and noodle house chain originated in Bellevue, WA and has expanded to several locations around the US, including the one we were visiting in Seattle today.
It was busy on this night with the need to leave our names on a wait list. However the wait time was short and we were quick to claim a table.
The menu is a single sheet front and back that you check off to order. We stuck with what we knew and liked it enough to order a couple more dishes to go.
It was a cold night so we started with some jasmine tea to help warm us up inside and out. Sadly hot tea was not complimentary.
The menu is a single sheet front and back, where you check off what you want with a golf pencil.
The Pork Xiao Long Bao is a must try and what was clearly visible on all the other tables around us. Each order presented in large branded bamboo steamer. They didn’t look any different from other XLB I have had. Juicy with an overflow of soup, where biting down releases a shot of broth that hits the back of your mouth. Each bundle the perfect one bite. Delicious with a meaty centre. The table boasts a selection of sauces to build your own dip to compliment. Better than I expected and I was happy to have this before me.
We also ordered the Chicken and Vegetable Pan Fried Wontons. These were served on a regular plate with a crispy top layer skin holding them all together. Here, you have your choice of topping between a chilli sauce or the sweet and spicy. We ordered the latter and found it fairly garlicky with a milder meat filling than that of above. The sauce is really what gave this its flavour and made it an exciting bite.
Looking for something a bit more filling we also ordered a bowl of their Dan Dan Noodles. We found it disappointingly small to share between two. However, at $7.90 it tracks. This was not the nutty Dan Dan noodles that I know it to be, but one with mala spice and numbing peppercorn. The heat was subtle with just the flavour not the spice or the pain. A nice variation, but not what I wanted in the moment.
As a whole, everything was different, yet all together complimentary. We cleaned the plates and I thought to get more to go, for breakfast at our hotel the next day.
Yet again, I looked to what I knew, starting with the Spicy Beef Pancake Roll. This is a crispy and greasy onion pancake filled with tender, thinly sliced, multiple layers of beef; topped with lettuce and finely chopped carrot slivers. After a bite, it dawned on me that it won’t be as good as leftovers, after the pancake loses its crispiness, the lettuce wilts, and the beef goes dry. As is it could have used more hoisin sauce and a thicker pancake for my tastes.
I thought the Pan Fried Pork Buns would be filled with soup, much like the XLBs were, however I was wrong and disappointed. Instead the meat had a nice gelatinous and gooey texture, which I did enjoy. This was a soft white bun with a crispy pan seared bottom. This too could have used a sauce to add salt and flavour.
In short, I am a fan of Dough Zone and would seek them out if they opened a location here in Vancouver.
Dough Zone Dumpling House
504 5th Ave S #109, Seattle, WA 98104, United States
+1206-285-9999
doughzonedumplinghouse.com
