4Dumplings

4Dumplings
6515 Poplar Ave. Suite 115
(901) 762-4184

The JCC pool opened on Memorial Day, so I finally had an excuse to take the monkeys (Satchel, 12, and Jiro, 10) to 4Dumplings across the street.



It's in a strip mall as you can see. The inside is bright and airy, yet stark. There was only one other couple there when we arrived, but it was a holiday and mid-afternoon.



The menu is projected on a large screen TV, and you place you order at a small counter.



The menu is pretty simple, so it was easy to decide. Jiro wanted chicken dumplings, Satchel wanted pork, and I opted for shrimp. The menu says that the chicken dumplings come with celery, and Jiro tried asking to have his without that, but I explained that it was probably already mixed in. He decided to just go with the flow. We all got waters and the total was $27.86.



It took us a minute to decide on a table because they were all a little wobbly. (I noticed the same metal tables on El Toro Loco's patio on Tuesday. Maybe they do better outside.)

The cashier, who is also a chef, according to the website, brought our waters right away. Soon, the only other employee in the store brought our dumplings. It literally took less than 5 minutes. I'm assuming they are already made and they just give them a quick steam. I loved the presentation (minus the styrofoam bowls).



The letters indicated which was which, and we all grabbed our steamers.



Jiro gave the chicken dumplings a thumbs up, despite the presence of green stuff. (His must not have been as hot as ours, because neither Satchel or I could use our fingers at first.)



"It has all the stuff I don't like and it's good," he said. (I love this kid!) He gave me a bite and the flavor reminded me of chicken noodle soup.

Satchel was eager to dig in and I was scared to get my fingers too close to him.



There were three cups of Asian slaw hiding behind the steamers, but I was the only one to partake. It was delicious and fresh.



I was surprised to see egg mixed in with my shrimp, but it was ok.



It was better with a touch of hot sauce from the cute little bottle on the table. (There was also soy sauce, I think, but none of us used it.)



Each dumpling was about two inches long and very plump. None of us was able to eat all six, although the boys managed 5 each. Jiro and Satchel were both fans of the "skin" so maybe I should get them noodle dishes next time?

We discussed the name of the restaurant and Jiro noted that they named it 4Dumplings because they offered four kinds of dumplings. I pointed out that there were actually 5--pork, shrimp, chicken, beef, and vegan (made with tofu and chickpeas). He said, "Vegan doesn't count."

4Dumplings thinks it does, and they seem pretty serious about offering healthy choices. I am down with that.

On the back of each chair it read: "Eat Responsibly." I wasn't quite sure what they meant, but the website is clear:

We strongly believe a healthy and productive life begins with healthy eating. At 4Dumplings, our chefs design low fat, low calorie and high fiber recipes and choose one of the healthiest, cleanest and the most traditional cooking technique, steaming, to finish all the dumplings. There is no MSG or butter in our dumplings and we don’t fry at all.

4Dumplings promises you we will not serve any food or drink that is not healthy and we ask you to do your part – to eat responsibly.

What you eat today can either help or harm your future health.

Eat Responsibly = Healthy Choice + Moderation. It is so important for children to develop a healthy eating habit at early age. Parents and schools play critical roles.

We'll be back.