Northeast Dumplings House

They had to roll me out of there. So much for the diet.
Going to Northeast Dumpling with a big group of people was a tremendous learning experience:
— I learned that I prefer boiled dumplings to the fried ones.
— I learned that pork and celery dumplings aren’t something to avoid.
— I learned that I can pretty much eat al the dumplings, forever.
— I learned about yet another style of scallion pancakes.
— I learned how much fun it is to order all the dumplings.
That’s what we did. We ordered all of the dumplings. Some we got fried. The others were boiled. And what I really appreciate is how the boiled ones just kind of slip right down your gullet. For some reason, I find those more slippery dumplings intensely comforting.
I do wish that the dumpling dipping sauce had more of a kick to it. But even spiking it with black vinegar and chili oil, didn’t quite give it the same oompf I’ve experienced in dipping sauces elsewhere.
And of course, I wish that the dumplings came in smaller lots. But this is a great place to bring a large group. So gather your friends. Put on your adventurous pants with the elastic waistband, and order anything.
Because life’s too short to keep getting the same Americanized Chinese takeout dishes.
Oh, one last thing. The kitchen did an absolutely phenomenal job at pacing the flow of dishes that we ordered. We asked for an irresponsible quantity of food, and had it all come at once, things would have gotten cold before we had a chance to gobble them up.
This place is fantastic. Don’t take it for granted.

YES! Dumplings in Albany! Closest thing I’ve had to a NYC Chinatown-​quality food in this area. I went with a large group — 9 people — which is highly recommended. A few others from this group have already provided some tremendously fabulous detail… so I’ll simply say:
–If you can go with a larger group, you’ll be able to try more things since there are 15 dumplings per order (please note my giant smile that you can’t see…)
–Try some of the side dishes — especially the cucumber with fungus (mushrooms — don’t be afraid… they’re delicious) and vinegar… light, crunchy and delightful
–The dumpling flavors do stand on their own but if you are into spicy, get some hot oil on the side and slather that on your situations
–Steamed and boiled dumplings are generally more my preference… I was skeptical about the fried as I was expecting a crispy, greasy shell. NOPE! They are the steamed version that are pan fried quickly on one side with a thin pancake-​ish (egg white as Roger K noted) piece keeping them connected… definitely worth trying (and a very cool presentation)
–Love the dipping sauce. which is simply a combination of soy sauce and vinegar. Plain vinegar is also provided if you’re a vinegar purist
–Steamed buns are GIGANTIC… much bigger than I’m used to… so if you get these, prepare for a lot of dough
–Going back to the first point… go with a large group. I was astonished to learn that it was only $ 16 per person after we literally ordered half of the menu… and that included tax and tip
–There is a muni meter parking lot very close to the restaurant if you can’t find street parking
Great service — nice people.
I’ll be back for sure… wish this place was closer to where I live.

We ordered all the dumplings. Some were steamed and some were fried. We had nine very enthusiastic dumpling fans in our party. I highly recommend going with a group so you have the opportunity to try several. We had the cucumber with vinegar, cucumber with mushrooms, kimchee and pickled potatoes. Buns and scallion pancake rounded out the list of dishes.
Service was polite and friendly and efficient with our table as well as a few other smaller parties. Once the dishes began to appear the pacing was good and our staff person kept up with clearing used dishes.
We asked if it was ok if we brought beer and they said yes, so we washed it all down with growlers of beer and cider.
I have a penchant for dumplings and was pleased with the variety of stuffings. The garlic level was satisfying and was complemented perfectly with chili sauces and vinegar.
I needed the walk home after such a sumptuous feast. Once we added up and split the tab it was $ 16.00 each including tax and tip. So it was not only a tasty treat but a very good value.

The best way to sample a variety of dumplings at the Northeast Dumpling House is to go with a bunch of friends. While there are seven varieties of dumplings, there are 15 dumplings in a single serving of any one variety. And to add to the permutations and combinations, each variety can be ordered either boiled or fried. You do the math.
Up for the challenge, nine of us stepped up to the table and sat down. A good start. We ordered four of the Dumpling varieties boiled and the remaining three varieties fried. It looked like the fried ones were squeezed into a single round pan and fried in what might have been a thin egg white mixture. I say this because when the frying pan is flipped over to plate the dumplings, the bottoms of the dumplings are now facing upward showing the slightest bit of browning under a rather transparent veil. Intriguing to me.
There were four different pork stuffing mixtures that varied by including chive, cabbage, celery, or pickled cabbage. The other three mixtures were beef, lamb, and shrimp with eggs and chive. The wrappers were neither overly thin nor excessively thick. But I’ll leave the decision on the appropriateness of the wrapper to those who are more experienced in traditional Chinese dumpling making and eating. I found them quite pleasing. The fillings is where I would have liked to have experienced more diversity in flavors and taste. Maybe if I had only tasted one pork variety I would have been better able to differentiate the flavors of the other non-​pork dumplings.
For the most part, I avoided adding any of the spicy chili oil, house-​made vinegar, or dipping sauce provided. When I did sample them I didn’t think they raised the flavor profile of any particular dumpling.
Of the non-​dumpling dishes we sampled my actual preference was for the filling in the steamed Vegetable Bun. Less bun and more filling would have been more to my liking here. I did also enjoy the side dish of Pancake and Sliced Potato with Hot Pepper. Rolling them up like tacos provided a nice mix of texture and flavor.
The Kimchi was just OK, as was the Cucumber and Vinegar. The Cucumber and Black Fungus was better, and the Pork Bun was only OK.
The restaurant is clean, the service was efficient and accommodating. There is a lot more than just Dumplings here, but don’t go here expecting to find General Tso, Chow Mein, or Chop Suey. Our next visit may be to try the BBQ Back Leg!

Very happily surprised by Northeast Dumpling House! Stumbled upon this place and after reading some Unilocal reviews decided to try it. I am not sure why I hadn’t heard of this place before but I am very happy that we ended up here.
Got an order (15) of cabbage and pork steamed dumplings, (15) chive and pork steamed dumplings, (2) vegetable buns, (2) beef buns, and a pickled cabbage and pork noodle. Both dumplings were great. Good ratio of filling in each, wrap was not too thick. I liked the chive and pork dumpling over the cabbage and pork because it had a bit more flavor, but both are very good. The noodle order was really a soup in a large bowl. Long noodles are prominent with some pieces of pork and some vegetables in a nice broth. Pour on some black vinegar for a little extra flavor. I personally don’t like steamed buns so I didn’t try them. My family liked them though. I think they liked the beef bun vs. the veggie. The star of the dinner was the Chive and Pork steamed dumplings though.

Great home made dumplings!!!
Would be a 5 star but service was… eh …and credit card machine was down. Also, a bit sketchy neighborhood.

Traditional Chinese food NO.1 in Albany! You can find dumplings, noodles, and Chinese BBQ! The waiter here is so nice, he introduced each kind of food to me and I choose the toast lamb leg, its amazing yummy!

I’ve never actually eaten at this restaurant. But I often purchase their house-​made frozen dumplings. I’ve purchased the pork and scallion, pork and cabbage as well as the lamb dumplings. They are all delicious.
You get a large portion of frozen and ready to cook dumplings for the price. I believe about two dozen per order. You can cook them as you like. Boiled, steamed, fried etc.
I can make them myself for slightly less but they are time consuming and tedious to make. The frozen to-​go dumplings at NDF are fresh, authentic and so much better then any commercial bagged frozen product and worth the extra time saved making them yourself.
If you like Chinese dumplings, or dumplings in general, get them. They are tasty, home made and a timesaver!
I just counted and I got 30 dumplings in the bag. Not too shabby for hand made quality dumplings. They are worth every penny.

Compared to the other Chinese establishments in Albany, Northeast Dumpling House is a top choice. We ordered the fried chives and pork dumplings, beef noodle soup, spicy beef noodle soup, and zha jang noodles. Both beef noodle soups were flavorful but reminded me a bit of instant noodles. Must be the MSG. Beware the beef noodle soup is a little spicy even though it’s not notated. The dumplings were pan-​fried only on one side and steamed, so don’t expect it to be crispy. Overall, the flavors were more genuine than any other Chinese place I have visited in the area. I will likely return when another craving hits.

Awful experience. Super rude staff. We had to ask to be seated and then thrown menus. We left without ordering. Don’t spend your money at this dump.

When I want some dumplings I’ll choose here, the taste is the same as I had in China. Nice place to visit, and there are more choices than only dumplings, all of them deserve to be tired.

My wife and I ate there last Sunday, and very much enjoyed the place. This is located where CCK (which was a great restaurant) used to be, and they follow the CCK idea of offering good, authentic Chinese. We enjoyed a fine bowl of pickled vegetable and pork Noodle soup which was very good. There was an abundance of home made noodles, and a rich, satisfying broth. This would be a dinner in itself, and at $ 7.00 is a bargain. My wife and I split it as an appetizer, but it would have served 4 in that role. We also ordered the pork buns. Two pieces for $ 3. Meat buns of this sort are not my favorite, but they were good for their type. We also ordered the chive and pork steamed dumplings ($ 9), and the shrimp, egg and chive fried dumplings ($ 10). Both were great. They serve up their dumplings with a simple dipping sauce, mostly soy and a dash of seasoned rice vinegar. The sauce doesn’t get in the way of the flavors offered up in the dumplings. It was a nice compliment. Finally, I grabbed an order of their home made kimchee. The kimchee was very young; so it hadn’t had a chance to ferment sufficiently. It was spicy and good; but I’m not sure it qualifies as kimchee.
My main complaint about the food was that the dumplings only came in orders of 15 pieces. I asked the waiter if we could get ½ an order, which would have allowed my wife and I to order some different dumplings, and so get a better sampling; but the young waiter flatly refused to allow that. One of the joys of dumplings is the variety of flavors, and the opportunity to share; but w/​orders of 15 pieces, it’s hard to take advantage of this feature unless you’re in a larger group. I’m not sure the management really gets the point…
Which brings me to the «service and ambiance» portion of the review. With regard to «ambiance»; well, that’s not this places strong suit. So if you want someplace fancy, skip this place. As for the service; that’s another weakness. There was one server working on the night we were there. A young man who obviously was not a career waiter! Again, I’m willing to forgive this; but the food is the feature here.
So give this place a chance if you’re in the mood for good, home made Chinese dumplings. Hopefully they’ll polish up their act some, but even as is, it’s worth the trip.

I heard about this place from a friend who recently visited China and was looking for some authentic food back I’m the states. People, this is the real deal. Authentic and delicious chinese food!
Before I rave about the food, a quick side note: some of the staff doesn’t speak much English (if you’re looking for authentic, probably a good sign) so be prepared to do a lot of pointing at the menu, or, bring a Chinese speaking friend like I do and you’re all set. A third option is to learn Manderin. Not very practical, but this food is completely worth it!
Since it is a dumpling house, there are obviously dumplings on the menu, both boiled and fried. Every kind of dumpling is juicy, nicely folded, and served fresh and hot. At least one order of fried dumplings is a must when visiting here. Also, they sell frozen dumplings you can cook at home, which I keep stocked up for those times I don’t want to go out of the way for amazing dumplings.
As for the non-​dumplimg menu items, everything I’ve tried is delicious, and I particularly enjoy the Beef Noodles. It’s a soup dish with a sweet, savory broth filled with slow boiled beef, firm, cewy noodles, and a wonderful five spice flavor!
For anyone looking for a taste of China, this is the place to go. Never tried their takeout, but if it’s anything like the rest of the food I’m sure it’s great! A must try!

Authentic food, tasty sides and very affordable.

Veggie dumplings and breadsticks were amazing! My boyfriend got the pork and cabbage dumplings and loved those as well. Definitely recommend.

Having just finished the Hudson Mohawk River Marathon, I could & ought to just eat about anything I please! With my Chinese family coming out to see me run and to celebrate at a new restaurant, Northeast Dumplings House was a natural choice .
Got there at 1pm with the 4 of us being the 2^nd part of customer. Wanted to order quick because we had business to attend to at 2pm. Somewhat disappointed when the only waiter there told minimum wait time was 20 minute for dumplings, «bao», noodles, or just about anything, as «the boiler had to be turned on». Our order comprised of:
— Chive & Pork Pan-​Fried Home-​made Dumpling
— Pickled Cabbage & Pork Boiled Home-​made Dumpling
— Pork Bun (Bao)
— Lamb Bun (Bao)
— Noodles with Meat & Bean Sauce
— Cucumber and Black Fungus (appetizer served cold)
Dumplings were juicy & delicious, and each of us served with dish of vinegar sauce. The Buns were meh with bland taste and insufficient meat within. Noodles used were pleasantly unique and tender. Cucumber dish was overpriced and meh.
Northeast Dumplings House Visit Summary: Waiter appeared unenthusiastic and unresponsive — would rather watch TV than serve us when we needed utility forks and knives. Granted the restaurant was rather empty, wait time was long. Food price was reasonable. End with good news: Hot water is available upon request!

Went here with my 14 year old son on a man’s night out. No ambiance here. NONE. As far as I know, all 14 year old boys love dumplings. My son loved this place. 9.99 for 15 dumplings. They have about 5 types. Most of the menu is beyond most typical Americans. We loved it. If your adventuresome and like authentic tasting dishes you never heard of before, this is a great place. Hot Pots, noodle soups, etc.
They have a sister restaurant with a much larger menu.
We will go back for sure.
Next time, I will try the BBQ.

dumplings are made their self fresh and tasty good
Chinese bbq recommend
i give 5 star

This place is pretty legit. They did not speak any English and the food came in pretty large portions (almost too large). My colleague and I ordered a few things:
Cucumber in Vinegar Sauce — A little bitter, cucumbers were not in the best condition.
Tofu with Preserved Egg — Very good but a lot of tofu and could have used more egg. Still, enjoyable.
Boiled Pork and Pickled Cabbage Dumplings — Delicious. The inside was well seasoned and it was not overcooked. The dumplings also held up very well and did not fall apart.
Lamb Bun — Lamb was good. A little bit of spice and tender. Bun was a little chewy.
Spicy Beef Noodle — Soup broth was very well seasoned with a good kick. Very rich. I wish they had larger chunks of beef.
They also had frozen dumplings to go of which I ordered 60. The dumplings were the highlight and I’d definitely go back again.
Cheers!

I love this place. I love it SO much. I think it used to be CCK, but I actually prefer the dumpling house. On a cold winter day, there is no better comfort food than home made dumplings.
Their menu is expansive, ranging from steamed handmade dumplings to fried dumplings to buns stuffed with meat and vegetables to noodle soups. If you want real authentic Chinese food, come here. Their prices are very wallet friendly, and have not changed too much (in comparison to nearby noodle house Taiwan Noodle).
They also sell frozen dumplings (30 for $ 10). This is a steal compared to what the Asian supermarket charges for their bags of frozen dumplings. And these are guaranteed delicious!
The set up is homey and quiet. Lots of tables and a TV usually playing mainland Chinese shows. For an ABC like me, I come here when I’m homesick. Bonus: the big glass window that lets you watch your food be freshly prepared.
Today I had the cabbage and pork dumplings. Their side dish menu is impressive, and I might be getting some next time. For now, I’m missing my mom’s cooking and am sticking to the pork and cabbage dumplings.