Moon’s Review

“Tonight Dad and I went to Bao Dumplings in Fair Lawn, NJ. They don’t have a kids’ menu, but they have souper dumplings. I like the lamps from their culture. The Dumplings are amazing and juicy! The meat in the Dumplings is flavorful. I love it and so will you. The staff is helpful, kind, and nice. Can it kid? YES IT CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The Blue Collar Foodie’s Review

On this installment of Can It Kid, Danny and I took our epicurean interests to Bao Dumplings & Bao Tea, located at 21-06 Maple Ave., in Fair Lawn, NJ.  Now, as Danny stated in his review, there is no kids’ menu at this establishment.  However, if your child has a slightly adventurous appetite, they will be able to find something on the menu to fill their bellies and their hearts.

Luckily, Danny and I enjoy similar gastronomic tendencies.  Several of these similarities allow us to go on foodie adventures, which is what reanimated this blog to its current zombie-like status.  Back from the dead, better than ever, with at least 85% less cursing and 90% less similes and metaphors that compare my love for food to adult embraces, usually in movies that are at least PG-13.  I apologize for having to go full Danny Tanner during this reboot, but you can always read some of my earlier blogs to hear how many times I use the word “moist” to describe my food.    

Sorry, I went off on a tangent there, but, hey, at least that hasn’t changed since The Blue Collar Foodie was born.  Anyway, very few foods in the pantheon of provisions make both Danny and me squee like a K-Pop Demon Hunter fan hearing the first few bars of Golden.  One such magnificent morsel is the humble yet fulfilling dumpling.

These amazing, tiny, wonder-filled pillows of perfection are adored worldwide.  They are perhaps the second most loved pocket of joy in the world, other than, of course, the elusive fancy dress pocket that all women scour the internets to locate.  Since the TikTok shop seems to have cornered the market on pocket-filled Mom gear, we will turn our attention back to the runner-up, the Dumpling!

In case you weren’t prepared for a brief history lesson, buckle up, buttercup; I am about to dump some knowledge on your brain. See what I did there…Dump… Like Dumplings… That is some solid wordplay, people.

Dumplings can be traced back to a traditional Chinese medicine man, named Zhang Zhongjing, who lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty from 150 A.D. to 219 A.D.  During a particularly cold winter, the people in Zhongjing’s village were suffering from the freezing conditions.  Zhongjing jumped into action like the ancient version of Guy Fieri he was, and used his culinary prowess to take his constituents out of the cold and bring them all the way to Flavor-Town!

Now, there is no evidence that Zhang’s pioneering pouches helped stop the scourge of frostbite that was wreaking havoc on his village.  However, it is known for a fact that the entire village gave Zhang’s new recipe five stars on Ye-Old Yelp!  Like all great culinary creations, before Zhang could even franchise, the entire village was creating copycat recipes and devouring these delightfully delicious dumplings. From their modest medicinal beginnings to their current traditional role during the Chinese New Year, dumplings have solidified their status not only in Chinese Cuisine but also in the global foodie scene.

Enter the American Dumpling House!  These eateries seem to be popping up across the country, much like Ramen Restaurants did a decade ago.  When trends like this occur in the foodie world, it is a double-edged sword.  The market is flooded with restaurants of varying quality, making it difficult to know which ones are worth spending your hard-earned money on.  Lucky for you, there are food bloggers like Danny and me who are willing to put our bellies where our URLs are and report back on the dozens of new establishments that appear, seemingly out of nowhere.

I am here today, standing on my soapbox, advocating that you and your family go check out Bao Dumplings & Bao Tea in Fair Lawn, NJ.  I will be honest, this request may be a little selfish, because the more of you who eat there, the more likely this restaurant will remain for years to come, and I can get local handmade dumplings whenever my heart desires.  Ready for more honesty, I desire them more often than you think, and probably more often than every doctor other than Zhang Zhongjing would prefer.

On our Danny and Dad date to this delectable dumpling domicile, we chose to order a veritable smorgasbord of these pleasant pouches filled with happiness and dreams.  We decided on the Bao Sampler Platter, which delivers the following variations of dumplings: four Pork with Scallion, four Chicken with Corn, and four Beef with Onion.  For a total of 12 bliss-inducing pillows of joy.  In addition, we added six Pork Soup Dumplings and six Crab and Pork Soup Dumplings to round out our meal.

One might ask, isn’t that too many dumplings for just a dad and his seven-year-old son? To that I say, one might need to find a new blog to read!  Asking that question proves only one thing!  You don’t know Danny or me at all.  That is like asking Scooby and Shaggy if eating a whole box of Scooby Snacks is necessary.  It is like asking Homer Simpson if he should eat that last forbidden donut.  You get the point!  In a world full of Doofenshmirtz, be a Phineas and don’t judge people!  

I assure you, none of these dumplings were left behind on the battlefield that was our table.  We ate every single beautiful, juicy, flavor-filled dough purse of delight and left with a smile on our faces!

Dumplings are simple by nature.  They all consist of an unpretentious dough that embraces a flavorful filling.  However, just because something appears simple, it doesn’t mean it is easy to make.  A magical dumpling has a dough with just the right amount of bite and mouthfeel to add to the eating experience, but not overshadow its co-star, the contents.  Moreover, the filling must be seasoned enough to shine bright like a magical edible diamond, but not overly seasoned.

Bao Dumplings & Bao Tea understands this assignment and delivers a delicious dumpling that pairs well with both the included dipping sauces and the optional spicy minced pork chili oil.  Which, if you ask me, and you are, because you just read fourteen paragraphs of my ridiculous ranting, is a must-order addition to your meal!    

Each of these delicate dumplings is filled to the brim and sturdy enough to withstand a momentary bath in your chosen sauce, and a brief flight from the dish to your mouth.  Once their one-way trip to your face-hole is complete, these one-bite wonders deliver tremendous flavor that will make your soul sing.

Now let’s talk Soup Dumplings.  Or as Danny stated in his review, Bao Dumplings & Bao Tea’s Souper Dumplings.  Which, you have to agree, is wonderful wordplay for a seven-year-old.  As you can see, the dumpling doesn’t fall far from the dumpling tree… Alright, that one didn’t work, but you get the idea.  We are two wontons swimming in the same soup.  That one felt better.  I am happy I didn’t give up.

Anyhoodles, once again, Bao Dumplings & Bao Tea did not disappoint this father-and-son dining duo.  As discussed, dumplings are consistently difficult to deliver at a high level, and Soup Dumplings are even more so.  These juicy soup-filled pouches of perfection must have the constitution to retain their shape through the cooking process, table service, and the sauce-to-the-mouth flight, all while full of scrumptious soupy goodness.  Moreover, they have to remain delicate enough not to be overly chewy when you bite into them.  

As you can see from the diagram above, this is not an accident but a well-thought-out delivery system perfected over thousands of years.  The soup dumplings at Bao Dumplings & Bao Tea follow this blueprint expertly and remain intact throughout the dining process, which is no small feat.

The contents of a soup dumpling are just as important as the delicate doughy vessel that harnesses its power.  Luckily, for this Blue Collar Foodie and his sidekick Moon, Bao Dumplings & Bao Tea is well-versed in the dark arts of the soup dumpling, and the lavish liquid contained in their Souper Dumplings is fantastically flavorful.        

If you choose to order the soup dumplings, I highly recommend following the instructions above on how to eat these piping hot sacks of scalding soup.  If you fail to follow these simple instructions, you will unleash the lava contained within these dumplings without proper ventilation.   Thus, ruining the rest of your dining experience due to scorched taste buds.  I suggest you heed Scorchy the Soup Dumpling’s warning!

Moreover, the best way to eat dumplings is with friends and family.  The more the merrier, too, because then you can order more variations and other fun food that dumpling houses offer.

Speaking of that, Bao Dumplings & Bao Tea offers an extensive menu of culinary creations that do not consist of delicious dumplings.  This is good for our family because Kat does not share our affection for all things encased in dough.  They serve appetizers, soups, noodle dishes, rice dishes, and wok-fried dishes.  Kat has tried a wide variety of these offerings and has given them all the nod of approval.  Which in Kat language is, “four paws up!”  

I, for one, venture to Bao Dumplings & Bao Tea to scratch my dumpling itch.  However, if you go on gastronomic adventures with dumpling deniers, then it is good to know that Bao Dumplings & Bao Tea has got your back, Jack!

Overall, Danny and I are huge fans of Bao Dumplings & Bao Tea in Fair Lawn, NJ.  Not only is the food amazing, but knowing that we are always 2.4 miles away from these primal prodigious purses of power makes me sleep better at night.  I urge you to visit this establishment and eat your weight in Dumplings!  Remember, as we learned from Zhang Zhongjing, they are not only tasty, but they are good for your mind, body, and soul!  So, head over to Bao Dumplings & Bao Tea and take your medicine!  

Can it Kid? Yes, It Can!!!

Does it Adult? Yes, It Does!