Skip to main content

Style Magazine

Foodie Find: Yummy Dumplings and Other To-Die-For Dumplings

3950 Cambridge Road, Suite 6, Cameron Park, 530-387-7551

I grew up eating Chinese dumplings in San Francisco, and it’s been difficult to find something equivalent in the Sacramento area. The search is over, though. Yummy Dumplings in Cameron Park lives up to its name. You’ll find the modest restaurant in a little strip mall off Highway 50 and Cambridge Road, and you can feel (and see) the authenticity as soon as you walk in. When my family and I went, there was a woman sitting at a table stuffing and forming the doughy balls of goodness then placing them on a tray in perfect form. It was kind of like dinner and a show, but I can’t promise you’ll see this on your visit. We ordered pork & chive dumplings and pork & vegetable pot stickers, and each came in an order of 10—which was plenty. What’s the difference between the two, you ask? The pot stickers were pan-fried while the dumplings were steamed. They both came with a delectable dipping sauce and were, hands down, the best I’ve had since childhood. They also offer fillings like chicken and corn, shrimp and chicken, kimchi pork, and vegetables—and, yes, all are handmade in-house. Have a hankering for something other than dumplings? The menu includes things like sesame chicken, Mongolian beef, fried rice, and family dinners for two or three. Basically, you’ll find something yummy to satisfy everyone here! 

By Julie Ryan 

OTHER TO-DIE-FOR DUMPLINGS…

Fat’s Asia Bistro makes perfectly chewy chicken pot stickers from scratch each and every morning. Stuffed with a mix of minced meat, chestnuts, ginger, mushrooms, and onions, then pan-fried and served with a vinegar-based dipping sauce, there’s a reason these mouthwatering morsels are a fan favorite. 1500 Eureka Road, Roseville, 916-787-3287; 2585 Iron Point Road, Folsom, 916-983-1133, fatsasiabistro.com 

Inchin’s Bamboo Garden prides itself on serving “feel good” street food that’s influenced by a fusion of Chinese and Indian flavors. Their delectable dumplings are made in-house and can either be ordered steamed (momos), pan-fried (pot stickers), or Szechwan-style. Pick from chicken, lamb, or vegetarian, and be prepared to get into a chopstick battle over the last bite. 1760 Prairie City Road, Suite 100, Folsom, 916-693-6969, bamboo-gardens.com  

Liu Mandarin Kitchen serves daily-made dumplings, homemade noodles, and other authentic Northern Chinese and Hunan dishes in a historic Old Town Auburn brick building. Chef Liu’s said dumplings are crafted using the freshest, most premium ingredients with no GMOs. Whether you order yours boiled, steamed, or fried and with pork, beef, seafood, or tofu, you can expect a piping hot, soul-satisfying meal. 167 Sacramento Street, Auburn, 530-745-4098, liumandarinkitchen.com 

—Compiled by Gabriel Ionica