Auntie Chang's offers more than dumplings

By Reed Thornburg     2/8/12 6:00pm

When walking into Auntie Chang's Dumpling House, we were immediately confronted with a challenging dilemma: How many orders of dumplings are we going to need? The engineer in our group, Baker College sophomore Wyatt Doop, immediately turned to his computational pad and began analyzing the situation. We settled on five orders of the pan-fried pork dumplings, which left us with around 10 each. To supplement this modest order, we asked our server for his personal preference between the sesame chicken and the sweet and sour pork. Without even a slight hesitation, he directed us to the sesame chicken. Finally, we concluded our marathon order with Auntie Chang's fried rice and the tea crispy duck.

With our order settled, we dragged our eyes up from the menu to take in the previously elusive ambiance. Unfortunately, Auntie Chang's decor conformed to many stereotypes of stripmall Chinese-food restaurants. Most notably, the neon green dragon that illuminated the back wall of the restaurant suggested that Auntie Chang's food might also conform to the standard pitfalls of Americanized Chinese food. Auntie Chang's also employed a technique that most self-described "foodies" would scoff at: plastic models of desserts. Judgments aside, it was that very tray that eventually led to one of the great successes of the night in the mango ice cream that we would later come to order.

Then, what appeared to be the entire staff of Auntie Chang's descended on our table to deliver the massive amounts of food we had just ordered. With a look of fear and excitement on each of our faces, the eating began.

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Naturally, we began this feast with the pan-fried pork dumplings. The dumplings showed the markings of a proper searing, and the plate was not weighed down by frivolous garnishes: just dumplings and a simple assortment of dipping sauces. While the dumplings were slightly inconsistent in the cooking temperatures, for the most part they were absolutely delicious. They had the crispy exterior that one would expect from the pan-sear, and the pork filling was delicious, if a little dense. Although the fried rice was definitely good, it was a little overcooked and ran into the problem of having too many flavors in one dish. Then we diverted our attention to the sesame chicken and immediately realized that our server had directed us toward the right choice. The texture was a little gummy, but the overall flavors worked well. It was a satisfying dish.

As the dinner drew closer to its conclusion, we sampled the tea crispy duck, which was by far one of the highlights of the meal. Auntie Chang's effectively used the natural fat of the duck to produce that wonderful fried taste that properly cooked duck skin creates. Pleasantly surprised by the meal, our minds wandered back to the plastic confections in the entryway.

One dish in particular stood out due to its rather strange and intriguing presentation. Uncertain as to what the dish actually contained, we decided that we would roll the proverbial dice and give it a try. It turned out to be the best decision of the night. It was a refreshing mango ice cream presented within the rind of a mango. Unlike some mango desserts that have a cloying artificial taste, this dessert was simple, refreshing and delicious.

Overall, it was a thoroughly satisfying meal. The bill was a little steep, as it came out to around $16 a person, but the amount of food consumed was largely to blame for that transaction.

The review rundown:

One of Auntie Chang's fortune cookies read, "You will form an important relationship soon." Rarely, if ever, does a fortune cookie come true immediately; I am sure I will be returning to Auntie Chang's soon.

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