Soup Dumplings STL Takeaway. Savory Soup Dumplings Steal The Show. The pork dumplings top my charts for single-dish Asian food in St. Louis. The accompanying vinegar and chili sauce complete the experience. Six dumplings ($9-12.75) aren't enough, and 12 are too many, so bring a friend and split 18. My preference is pork dumplings >> chicken > beef.
Some notes. Chopstick only. I've never asked for a fork, but they might have some. The chili sauce on the table is A++. And try it with the recommended vinegar. I highly recommend putting your bowl under the eating operation to not let any soup get away.
Service takes a minute as they only have one register. The dumplings are also handcrafted in the back, so they take another bit to cook. Give yourself 20 minutes to get food from the time you step in during lunchtime. There is plenty of parking. Solid hours for St. Louis.
Soup Dumplings STL Experience Summary
Met my buddy for soup dumplings at Soup Dumplings STL yesterday. It's one of my go-to's for lunch with friends and the site of many of my man-buddy first dates.
Part of the collection of "Asian dive bars" off of Olive Rd, it's right next to Wonton King, a block from Cate Zone, a quarter mile from Chilispot, and a half mile from Wei Hong.
So much good food!
I don't totally understand Soup Dumplings STL's relationship to Private Kitchen. From what I can tell, Private Kitchen closed, and Soup Dumplings arose from the ashes under the same ownership. Private Kitchen was known for creating unique Asian dishes at a super high price. I guess their soup dumplings stole the show.
As the restaurant's name suggests, come for the soup dumplings. This one-dish wonder restaurant scores an 8.5 / 10 for me. The dumplings single-handedly make coming here worth the trip. At over 8, I would bring family members from out of town to try it. My buddy got the fried chicken, which looked good but just waste potential stomach space, in my opinion.
The only proper opinion on protein is Pork >> chicken > beef. I don't do seafood, so I haven't tasted the more expensive crab and shrimp options.
The "problem" with Soup Dumplings STL lies in their serving size of six dumplings per order. As I learned yesterday, I need more than six and less than twelve. The ideal setup is to bring a dumpling buddy and order three between you.
They only have one register, so any line can take a minute, but the menu is so small people don't usually have trouble ordering. They had rolled all the dumplings in front of us, so the dumplings also took a minute to cook. Not a big deal, but expect to start eating about twenty minutes after you step in.
Overall, a fantastic lunch spot when you get a soup dumpling hankering.
The Food At Soup Dumplings STL
A piece of advice that sounds a bit goofy - read all the instructions on the wall. I stopped my first time after point two and got lost.
After you have your soup dumpling bearings, prepare for a delicious treat. I am a huge, huge fan of the vinegar and spicy chili sauce on the table. I premix a concoction in the broth bowl that combines the two. The chili sauce, in particular, is out-of-this-world delicious. I think it acts like a thickener while adding a ton of heat. Just make sure to start small and add spice.
One note at this point. They only have chopsticks. I suck at chopsticks, but these are so good I just power through by whatever means necessary.
After that, dig into your order of pork dumplings. These items are an amazing 8.5 / 10 on my single dish rating in the area. Driving fifteen minutes just for the dumplings is worth it, and you should bring out-of-towners. I found the pork significantly better than the chicken, which I liked more than the beef. I bet they use pork belly in the pork, which has a nutty, almost BBQ flavor.
So, so good.
Make sure to bite a hole in the corner, let the soup fall out into your spoon, and maneuver to add chili and vinegar. I highly recommend putting your bowl under the whole operation. You're not going to 100% get this soup in the spoon, so make sure to catch it in something other than the tray.
It's fun once you get the hang of it.
My buddy got an order of fried chicken. It looked good, but I wouldn't use my stomach budget on them.
Soup Dumplings STL Atmosphere And Miscellaneous
Soup Dumplings STL feels like a sleek, modern hole in the wall. It sticks out in that regard from the larger collection of "Asian dive bars" on Olive and the other establishments within the China Town Square strip mall.
From the logo to the minimal interior decorations, it feels more like fine dining than fast casual. Think First Watch instead of Ihop or Chipotle over Taco Bell.
They're a single service register directly dividing the main dining room from the kitchen. The solo register means that a line will be relatively slow. They take the order at the register and then deliver the food to you at a table later.
You can view the kitchen workings from the ordering area under the menu. They always have buns in mid-making, so you can see the innards.
The dumplings come in steamer containers on top of a tray. You don't have to bus the tray after.
They close on Tuesdays but are open for lunch and dinner the rest of the week.
Parking At Soup Dumplings STL
Parking is easy in the China Town Square parking lot. You'll always find a spot in the lot. It's a little insane getting on and off Olive here, so just be careful. Turning left can be a giant pain when you're leaving.
Get ready to utilize the middle turning lane to make life easier.
Soup Dumplings STL Receipt
