THE REDHEADED CHINATOWN (Lao Bei Fang Dumpling House)

There’s one neighborhood in the city that gets forgotten about when discussing the best dumplings in the five boroughs. Of course, Chinatown is where most of the action is, but most savvy New Yorkers know that there are big Chinese communities (with plenty of dumpling houses) out in Flushing, Queens and Sunset Park, Brooklyn. But the one neighborhood most people don’t realize has a mini-Chinatown is in Elmhurst.

Elmhurst is pretty close to the diverse area of Jackson Heights in Queens where many cultures come together. And for a few blocks in Elmhurst, most of the restaurants and billboards have Chinese characters displayed, including the one I was seeking out: Lao Bei Fang Dumpling House. From Whitney Avenue, Lao Bei Fang looks like a palace. The marquee covers at least three lots, but as I approach and walked through the door I discovered only about half of that is the dumpling eatery (unless more is used for storage) and the spot is a lot smaller than it initially appeared.

Inside, the restaurant is not much different than the dollar spots in Chinatown except for some roomier tables. School must have just let out so there were a few kids taking up the bigger tables and I was forced to cram around a counter. I placed an order for my usual, fried and steamed pork and chive dumplings. They charge $1.25 for four fried dumplings, which is a bit more than the true dollar joints in Manhattan, but I also imagine La Bei Fang doesn’t get quite the volume of customers as a place like Prosperity. So I’ll happily fork over the extra quarter.

The fried dumplings were quite greasy and had a smell that reminded me of childhood. Now before any of you think that I grew up in Beijing, let me explain. There was something about the smell (and ultimately the taste) that reminded me of that Jewish staple, potato latkes. I imagine the oil is the same or maybe there are potatoes in the dough? They were definitely on the thick side, but I doubt potatoes were part of the dumpling recipe here. Or maybe they’re left in the oil for longer because these were greasier than usual. I can’t say the flavor was unpleasant, but it was richer than it should be. Although it amazingly lacked a distinct crispy exterior.

I also noticed that the dumplings were all sloppily folded. Almost every one had a hole or a gap in it so the liquids leaked out before I got the potsticker to my mouth. I had the same problem with the large boiled dumplings when I received them. They were quite moist, but I lost lots of those delicious juices. The wrappers were rather thick but translucent as I could see the crowd of chives among the pork mixture. They gave the bites interesting textures, but they may have overwhelmed the pork a bit. These dumplings didn’t remind me of my Jewish adolescent (not even of the American Chinese establishments we frequented), but still had a doughy flavor that made me think there may actually be potato flour in the dough. Wouldn’t the be something?

I hear the pulled noodles are pretty great here and I can tell the food is all fresh (not to mention they have an “A” grade from the Health Department), but between the abundance of dumplings and the waves of school kids descending upon my lunch, I didn’t have much appetite left. The flavors across the board were good, but there were some technical problems that kept this from being a true dumpling destination and unless I find myself in the forgotten Chinatown of Elmhurst (doesn’t that sound so exotic?), I probably won’t be returning.

Does Lao Bei Fang have the best dumplings in NY? It’s a viable option for the neighborhood, but a6 out of 10 because the dumplings were sloppily constructed and a bit heavy handed with the oil.